Nianfo
Nianfo is a term commonly seen in Pure Land Buddhism. In the context of Pure Land practice, it generally refers to the repetition of the name of Amitābha. It is a translation of Sanskrit Buddhānusmṛti|.
Indian Sanskrit Nianfo
The Sanskrit phrase used in India is not mentioned originally in the bodies of the two main Pure Land sutras. It appears in the opening of the extant Sanskrit Infinite Life Sutra, as well as the Contemplation Sutra, although it is a reverse rendering from Chinese, as the following:The apostrophe and omission of the first "A" in "Amitābha" comes from normal Sanskrit sandhi transformation, and implies that the first "A" is omitted. A more accessible rendering might be:
A literal English translation would be "Hail Buddha of Infinite Light". The Sanskrit word-by-word pronunciation is the following;
While almost unknown, and unused outside of the original Sanskrit, the texts provide a recitation of Amitābha's alternate aspect of Amitāyus as;
Again, a more accessible rendering might be;
A literal translation of this version would be "Hail Buddha of Infinite Life".
Nianfo in various forms
As the practice of nianfo spread from India to various other regions, the original pronunciation changed to fit various native languages.| Language | As written | Romanization |
| Sanskrit | नमोऽमिताभाय बुद्धय नमोऽमितयुसे बुद्धय | Namo'mitābhāya Buddhaya Namo'mitāyuṣe Buddhaya |
| Mandarin Chinese | Traditional: 南無阿彌陀佛 Simplified: 南无阿弥陀佛 | Nāmó Ēmítuófó/Nāmó Āmítuófó |
| Cantonese Chinese | Traditional Chinese: 南無阿彌陀佛 | naa1 mo4 o1 mei4 to4 fat6 |
| Japanese | Kanji: 南無阿弥陀仏 Hiragana: なむ あみだ ぶつ | Namu Amida Butsu |
| Korean | Hanja: 南無阿彌陀佛 Hangul: 나무아미타불 | Namu Amita Bul |
| Vietnamese | Quốc ngữ: Nam mô A-di-đà Phật Chữ nôm: 南無阿彌陀佛 | Nam mô A-di-đà Phật |
In China, the practice of nianfo was codified with the establishment of the separate Pure Land school of Buddhism. The most common form of this is the six syllable nianfo; some shorten it into Ēmítuófó/Āmítuófó. In the Japanese Jodo Shinshu sect, it is often shortened to na man da bu.
Nianfo variants
In the Jodo Shinshu tradition in Japan, variant forms of the nianfo have been used since its inception. The founder, Shinran, used a nine-character Kujimyōgō in the Shoshinge and the Sanamidabutsuge hymns:Further, the "restorer" of Jodo Shinshu, Rennyo, frequently inscribed the nianfo for followers using a 10-character, Kakunyo, but its use was greatly expanded by Rennyo.
Purpose of Nianfo
Regarding Pure Land practice in Indian Buddhism, Hajime Nakamura writes that as described in the Pure Land sūtras from India, Mindfulness of the Buddha is the essential practice. These forms of mindfulness are essentially methods of meditating upon Amitābha Buddha.In the Śūraṅgama Sūtra, the bodhisattva Mahāsthāmaprāpta tells how the practice of nianfo enabled him to obtain samādhi.
In Chinese Buddhism, the nianfo is specifically taken as a subject of meditation and is often practiced while counting with Buddhist prayer beads.
In China, Pure Land and Chan Buddhism merged entirely by the Yuan dynasty. The modern Chan revitaliser Nan Huai-Chin taught that the nianfo is to be chanted slowly and the mind emptied out after each repetition. When idle thoughts arise, the nianfo is repeated again to clear them. With constant practice, the mind progressively empties and the meditator attains samādhi.
In most Pure Land traditions, mindfully chanting of the name of Amitābha is viewed as allowing one to obtain birth in Amitābha's pure land, Sukhāvatī. It is felt that this act would help to negate vast stores of negative karma that might hinder one's pursuit of buddhahood. Sukhāvatī is a place of refuge where one can become enlightened without being distracted by the sufferings of our existence.
Various Pure Land schools in Japan have different interpretations of the nianfo, often based on faith in Amitābha rather than on meditation. In Jōdo Shinshū, the nianfo is reinterpreted as an expression of gratitude to Amitābha. The idea behind this is that rebirth into Sukhāvatī is assured the moment one first has faith in Amitābha.
Origins of the Nianfo
Andrew Skilton looks to an intermingling of Mahāyāna teachings with Buddhist meditation schools in Kashmir for the rise of Mahāyāna practices related to buddhānusmṛti:The earliest dated sutra describing the nianfo is the Pratyutpanna Samādhi Sūtra, which is thought to have originated in ancient kingdom of Gandhāra. This sutra does not enumerate any vows of Amitābha or the qualities of his pure land, Sukhāvatī, but rather briefly describes the repetition of the name of Amitābha as a means to enter his realm through meditation.
Both the Infinite Life Sutra and the Amitābha Sūtra subsequently included instructions for practicing buddhānusmṛti in this manner. However, it has not been determined which sūtra was composed first, and to what degree the practice of buddhānusmṛti had already been popularized in India. Buddhānusmṛti directed at other buddhas and bodhisattvas is also advocated in sūtras from this period, for figures such as Akṣobhya and Avalokiteśvara. The practice of buddhānusmṛti for Amitābha became very popular in India. With translations of the aforementioned sūtras as well as instruction from Indian monks, the practice rapidly spread to East Asia.