Within the circle of the five Buddha families, Amitabha is the Buddha of Infinite Light who presides over the western Buddha realm of the Pure Land of Great Bliss, known as Dewachen.
He bears this name (Infinite Light), because the light radiating from his body pervades all the pure lands of all the Buddhas of the ten directions. Many eons ago, in connection with his Bodhisattva promise, he wished to be able to manifest a pure land that combines the qualities of all other pure lands, and that all beings who made corresponding wishes would be reborn there easily. He manifested the Pure Land of Great Bliss at the time he accomplished Buddhahood.
After death, faithful devotees of Amitabha are born into the pure land, where they receive teachings from Amitabha himself and from countless other Buddhas inhabiting this realm. Experiencing none of cyclic existence and forever free from having to take lower rebirth, these fortunate beings progress irreversibly toward enlightenment and eventually attain Buddhahood.
Because of the intensity and power of the vows Amitabha made while a bodhisattva, his pure land is the easiest to be reborn in. The purpose of Amitabha Practice is to create the causes for rebirth in Dewachen. There, beings have the optimum circumstances for accelerating on the path to liberation.
In general, there are four causes for a rebirth in the Pure Land of Great Bliss:
1. The wish to be reborn there.
2. To visualize the Buddha and his pure land in one's mind as clearly as possible.
3. To avoid negative actions and to practice positive actions.
4. To develop Bodhicitta, the wish to obtain enlightenment for the benefit of all beings on the basis of love and compassion.
Because the Buddha Amitabha made such strong wishes for all sentient beings, the practice becomes more powerful if one has received an authentic transmission from one's teacher. This transmission consists of the Amitabha empowerment, the “oral transmission” or authorization for the practice, and the exact explanation how to practice in a correct way.