Pure Land Sects bring salvation to the masses

The Jodo-shu and Jodo-Shinshu sects (Pure Land Sects) were founded by Honen Shonin (1133 - 1212) and his disciple Shinran (1173 - 1262), respectfully. Both taught that anyone, whether noble or peasant, could attain salvation by faithfully reciting the name of Amida Buddha -- chanting the invocation "Namu Amida Butsu" with devotion would lead to rebirth in the Pure Land Paradise. The rapid spread in popularity of the Pure Land sects was a serious challenge to the institutionalized Buddhist monestaries of that day, who responded by condemning Honen and his followers to exile.

Shinran, Honen's disciple, continued to challenge the existing Buddhist authorities by declaring that meat-eating and matrimony were not contrary to the teachings of the Buddha (at the time, neither acts were allowed by the reigning Buddhist powers).

By stressing pure and simple faith over complicated rites and doctrines, and by allowing believers to enjoy worldly benefits with the promise of salvation in the afterlife, the Pure Land gained widespread popularity among the peasantry. Today, the Jodo-Shinshu sect, along with the Nichiren Sect (also founded in Kamakura Period), are the two leading sects of Japanese Buddhism.

The Legend of the Humming of the Sai-no-Kawara

Not of this world is the story of sorrow.
The story of the Sai-no-Kawara,
At the roots of the Mountain of Shide;
Not of this world is the tale; yet 'tis most pitiful to hear.
For together in the Sai-no-Kawara are assembled
Children of tender age in multitude,
Infants but two or three years old,
Infants of four or five, infants of less than ten:

In the Sai-no-Kawara are they gathered together.
And the voice of their longing for their parents,
The voice of their crying for their mothers and their fathers
-- "Chichi koishi! Haha koishi!" --
Is never as the voice of the crying of children in this world,
But a crying so pitiful to hear
That the sound of it would pierce through flesh and bone.
And sorrowful indeed the task which they perform.
Gathering the stones of the bed of the river,
Therewith to heap the tower of prayers.
Saying prayers for the happiness of father, they heap the first tower;
Saying prayers for the happiness of mother, they heap the second tower;
Saying prayers for their brothers, their sisters, and all whom they
loved at home, they heap the third tower.
Such, by day, are their pitiful diversions.
But ever as the sun begins to sink below the horizon,
Then do the Oni, the demons of the hells, appear,
And say to them:

What is this that you do here?
Lo! your parents still living in the Shaba-world
Take no thought of pious offering or holy work
They do nought but mourn for you from the morning unto the evening.
Oh, how pitiful! alas! how unmerciful!
Verily the cause of the pains that you suffer
Is only the mourning, the lamentation of your parents.
And saying also, "Blame never us!"
The demons cast down the heaped-up towers,
They dash the stones down with their clubs of iron.
But lo! the teacher Jizo appears.
All gently he comes, and says to the weeping infants:

Be not afraid, dears! be never fearful!
Poor little souls, your lives were brief indeed!
Too soon you were forced to make the weary journey to the Meido,
The long journey to the region of the dead!
Trust to me! I am your father and mother in the Meido,
Father of all children in the region of the dead.

And he folds the skirt of his shining robe about them;
So graciously takes he pity on the infants.
To those who cannot walk he stretches forth his strong shakujo;
And he pets the little ones, caresses them, takes them to his loving bosom
So graciously he takes pity on the infants.

Namu Amida Butsu!

Nembutsu: Other Power as Salvation

In Japanese Pure Land Buddhism however, there is an exclusive reliance on Other-Power. Reciting the Buddha's name with faith is all that is necessary, and Other-Power practices are seen as essentially useless. A person is totally reliant on the Primal Vow of Amida Buddha; essentially, the saying of the Buddha's name arises solely from the power of Amida's vows. This causes Japanese Pure Land to be more of a salvation-based form, unlike the classical Pure Land Buddhism that originally developed in China. - Pure Land Buddhism: The Path of Serene Trust

See also Jodo Shinshu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodo_Shinshu

Links:
Pure Land Buddhism: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pure_Land

Nembutsu: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nembutsu

Jodo: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jodo

For more readings commenting about the works of Shinran Shonin, founder of Jodo Shinshu, see: http://www.nembutsu.info/~indshin/readings.htm