Amitābha
Syllables: Ami·tā·bha/əmiˈtɑːbə/
Amitābha proper noun: in Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the name of the principal buddha regarded as of celestial origin.
Proper noun
Amitābha (usually uncountable, plural Amitābhas)
- In Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the name of the principal buddha regarded as of celestial origin.
- Devotion to Amitābha Buddha is found within most schools of the Mahāyāna, but is the essence of Pure Land practice, which centres on the ‘Buddha invocation’ (Ch. nien-fo, Jap. nembutsu). This is the repetition of ‘Nan-mo A-mi-t’o Fo’ (Ch.) or ‘Nama Amida Butsu’ (Jap.), translations of the Sanskrit...1990, Peter Harvey, “Buddhist Practice: Devotion”, in An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 187
- "Pure Land Buddhism" refers to a set of beliefs and practices that espouses for its aspirants the realization of the stage of non-retrogression (avaivartika; pu t'ui-chuan) either in the present life or through rebirth in a Buddha land or realm (Buddha-kṣetra; fo-kuo) called "Sukhāvatī" (Land of...1990, Kenneth K[en'ichi] Tanaka, “Pure Land Buddhist Development in India and China prior to Hui-yüan”, in The Dawn of Chinese Pure Land Buddhist Doctrine: Ching-ying Hui-yüan's Commentary on the...
- Synonyms:
- Amida, Amituofo
- In Vajrayāna Buddhism, the name of the western buddha, one of the Five Dhyani Buddhas representing the five qualities of the Buddha.
- A letter from Mr. [Brian Houghton] Hodgson to Mr. Bayley, was then read, giving an outline of the theocracy of the Buddha system of Nepal. […] According to the information now communicated, the northern Buddhas acknowledge four sets of divine beings, or of superhuman objects of veneration. The...1827 July, “Asiatic Society of Calcutta”, in The Oriental Herald, and Journal of General Literature, volume XIV, number 43, London: Printed [by J. R. Gordon, 147, Strand] for the editor, and sold by...
- In the upper corner, above Mañjushrī's sword, is the figure of the Dhyāni Buddha Amitābha, the 'One of Boundless (or Incomprehensible) Light', of whom the Tashi Lāmas are believed to be incarnations. […] Amitābha presides over the Western Paradise known as Devachān.2000, “Description of Illustrations”, in W[alter] Y[eeling] Evans-Wentz, editor, The Tibetan Book of the Great Liberation: Or the Method of Realizing Nirvāṇa through Knowing the Mind, New York, N.Y....
- A class of deities.
- In the period in which Sávarńi shall be the Manu, the classes of the gods will be the Sutapas, Amitábhas, and Mukhyas; twenty-one of each.1840, “Of the Seven Future Manus and Manwantaras. Story of Sanjná and Chháyá, Wives of the Sun. Sávarńi, Son of Chháyá, the Eighth Manu. His Successors, with the Divinities, &c., of Their Respective...
- A male given name from Sanskrit used in India.
Amitābha meaning in Hindi, Tamil, Marathi and Urdu
Amitābha in Hindi
- Pure Land Buddhism: name of the principal buddha
- अमिताभ बुद्ध amitābh buddh
- male given name
- अमिताभ amitābh
Amitābha in Tamil
- Pure Land Buddhism: name of the principal buddha
- அமிதாப புத்தர் amitāpa puttar
Amitābha in Marathi
- Pure Land Buddhism: name of the principal buddha
- अमिताभ amitābh
- Vajrayana Buddhism: name of the western buddha
- अमिताभ amitābh
Amitābha in Urdu
- Pure Land Buddhism: name of the principal buddha
- امیتابھ بدھ amitābh buddh
More languagesFewer languages
- Amitābha in Telugu
- అమితాభ బుద్ధుడు amitābha buddhuḍu
- Amitābha in Malayalam
- അമിതാഭൻ amitābhaṉ
- Amitābha in Sanskrit
- अमिताभ amitābha
- Amitābha in Thai
- อมิตาภ amídtaapʰo
- Amitābha in Vietnamese
- A-di-đà Phật, A Di Đà Phật, A-di-đà Như Lai, A Di Đà Như Lai
Examples of Amitābha in a sentence
- Devotion to Amitābha Buddha is found within most schools of the Mahāyāna, but is the essence of Pure Land practice, which centres on the ‘Buddha invocation’ (Ch. nien-fo, Jap. nembutsu).1990, Peter Harvey, “Buddhist Practice: Devotion”, in An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices, Cambridge: Cambridge...
- In East Asia, the cult of Amitābha eventually became so widespread that it transcended sectarian distinction, and Amitābha became the most popular buddha in the region.2013, Robert E[vans] Buswell Jr., Donald S[ewell] Lopez Jr., “Amitābha”, in The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, Princeton, N.J....
Synonyms of Amitābha
- Amida
- Amituofo
- Amida Nyorai
Forms of Amitābha
| plural | Amitābhas |
|---|---|
| alternative form | Amitabha |
Origin of Amitābha
Borrowed from Sanskrit अमिताभ (amitābha, “Immeasurable Light”), from अमित (amita, “unmeasured, boundless, infinite”) + आभा (ābhā, “splendor, light”).
Words formed from Amitābha
Questions about Amitābha
- What does Amitābha mean?
- Amitābha means in Pure Land Buddhism, a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism, the name of the principal buddha regarded as of celestial origin.
- What is Amitābha in Hindi?
- Amitābha in Hindi is अमिताभ बुद्ध (amitābh buddh), अमिताभ (amitābh). See Amitābha meaning in Hindi.
- How do you use Amitābha in a sentence?
- Devotion to Amitābha Buddha is found within most schools of the Mahāyāna, but is the essence of Pure Land practice, which centres on the ‘Buddha invocation’ (Ch. nien-fo, Jap. nembutsu).
- What part of speech is Amitābha?
- Amitābha is a proper noun.
- How do you pronounce Amitābha?
- Amitābha is pronounced /əmiˈtɑːbə/ (UK).
Words near Amitābha in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: Amitābha (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Cite this entry: “Amitābha.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/amit%C4%81bha. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.