amidist

amidist — adjective

  • amidistpositive
  • more amidistcomparative
  • most amidistsuperlative

1. Relating to Amidism, a Japanese Buddhist tradition that focuses on faith in Amid

1.adjectiveC2
Definition

Relating to Amidism, a Japanese Buddhist tradition that focuses on faith in Amida Buddha, who is believed to welcome people into a paradise called the Pure Land after death.

Example

Ryo visits the Amidist temple in Kyoto every week with his family.

Amidist temple — describes a place of worship

Mira borrowed an Amidist book from the library to learn about Japanese Buddhism.

Amidist book — a written text on the tradition

Common collocations
  • amidist temple
  • amidist tradition
  • amidist teachings
  • amidist art
  • amidist community
Synonyms
  • Pure Land

    Broader term covering Chinese and Japanese traditions; more commonly used in English

  • Jōdo

    Japanese term for the same tradition, used especially within academic writing

Usage Note

Almost exclusively used in the context of Japanese Buddhism. The term amidist is less common than Pure Land in general English usage.

Common Mistakes

He reads amidist texts every day.
He reads Amidist texts every day.
The word is often capitalized because it derives from the proper name Amida.

amidist — noun

Word family

  • Amidism
    nounC2
  • Amida
    proper nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Amidist, Pure Land Buddhist, nembutsu practitioner, and Jōdo-shū follower all refer to followers of the Pure Land tradition, but they differ in scope and register. Pure Land Buddhist is the broadest term, covering all traditions (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese) that center on Amitabha Buddha. Amidist is more specific to Japanese Amidism (Jōdo-shū and Jōdo Shinshū), and is less common in everyday English. Nembutsu practitioner highlights the specific practice of reciting the buddha's name (nembutsu) and is often used in scholarly writing. Jōdo-shū follower is the most precise, denoting a member of the specific Japanese school founded by Hōnen. In general writing, Pure Land Buddhist is the safest choice; amidist may be preferred when the Japanese context is central.

amidist ↗Pure Land Buddhistnembutsu practitionerJōdo-shū follower

Etymology

SanskritChineseJapaneseEnglish

The word amidist is formed by adding the suffix -ist ('a person who follows or believes in something') to Amida, the Japanese name of Amitabha Buddha. Amida comes from Chinese Āmítuó (阿彌陀), which itself comes from Sanskrit Amitābha, meaning 'Infinite Light.' The term entered English in the late 1800s through Western scholars writing about Japanese Buddhism.

First known use

1921

1921, in the meaning defined above Noun