Because Pure Land practices in Korea never developed a separate lineage as in China, or diverged into independent Buddhist schools as in Japan, they have remained largely overlooked within scholarship on East Asian Buddhism. Richard McBride’s Aspiring to Enlightenment, the first book-length work on Korean Pure Land practice, is thus a most welcome addition to the study of the greater East Asian Pure Land tradition generally and its Korean incarnations speci1cally. The book represents the culmination of twenty years of research and reflection by the author, providing a comprehensive vison, for the first time, of how Pure Land Buddhism was accepted and developed during the Silla period (ca. 300–935) at both the monastic and popular levels. By examining both the doctrinal texts on, and the popular cultic practices of, Amitābha Buddha, together with field research at Silla-period sites, McBride demonstrates how Pure Land Buddhist practice became a vital and vibrant part of Silla society.
