School, Order and Trust

Brief details of Amida-shu, Amida Order and Amida Trust

The Amida School (Amida-shu) is a denomination of Buddhism following the Pureland tradition. This is Buddhism with a strong emphasis upon devotion, religious feeling, spiritual encounter, sangha, and social awareness. The three doctrinal foundations of the School are the bonbu (i.e. ordinary, unelightened) nature of the practitioner, the trikaya (i.e. "threefold") nature of Buddha (ultimate, spiritual, and present) and the practice of nembutsu (relating to Buddha). Amida-shu rejects the secularization of Buddhism, its withdrawl from social concern, its reduction to a collection of techniques, and the tendency to present it as a path of individual self-enhancement. For more on Amida teachings, click here. The life of Amida-shu, including both School and Order, is governed by Provisions


The Amida Order is a religious order established within the Amida-shu for those members who wish to commit to a religious life. There are lay and ordained members of the Order. There are two categories or "tracks" for ordination, one leading to ministry and the other to a fully religious life which in this tradition is called being an amitarya. The life of members of the Order is governed by Precepts


The Amida Trust is the sponsoring body of the Amida-shu. It is a religious charity registered in England, registration number 1060589, having a board of trustees. Only a minority of tustees are members of Amida-shu, thus ensuring public accountability and oversight. Amida Trust sponsors a wide range of socially engaged Buddhist activity and has a membership. Members and supporters of the Trust are not required to be members of Amida-shu. Non-school members can actively participate in the work of the Trust in many ways so long as they are broadly sympathetic to Buddhist ideals.