English

Compiled by Rev. Dr. Kenneth K. Tanaka, formerly with the Institute of Buddhist Studies (IBS), Berkeley, CA and presently Professor of Religion and Buddhism at the Musashino Women's University in Tokyo.

The growth in publications on Pure Land Buddhism in the 1980s warranted an update of its works in English, particularly since 1983 when the last such comprehensive bibliographies on the field were published. This geometric increase in the publications, especially of the Japanese school of Jodo Shinshu, is attributable in large measure to the enhanced activities of several academic journals in English.

"The Eastern Buddhist" (Kyoto), published by the Eastern Buddhist Society founded by D. T. Suzuki, continues its tradition of featuring a healthy share of Pure Land and Zen materials. "Pure Land" (Kyoto), begun in 1979, serves as the only Western language journal devoted exclusively to Pure Land articles, with a large percentage of its contributors being European and North American members of the International Association of Shin Buddhist Studies (IASBS). Reflecting the primary mission of its sponsoring institute, the Annual Memoirs of the Otani University Shin Buddhist Comprehensive Research Institute (Kyoto) has, since 1983, included a good number of interpretative and bibliographical articles devoted to Pure Land Buddhism. "Pacific World" (Berkeley), with a worldwide circulation of 7,000 copies, devotes half of its materials to Pure Land Buddhism. Initially started in the 1920s by The Rev. Dr. Yehan Numata (founder, Bukkyo Dendo Kyokai) to foster greater understanding about Asia among Americans, the journal was resurrected in 1981 after more than 50 years of hiatus as the journal of the IBS, Seminary and Graduate School.

The increasing number of Festschrift volumes dedicated to eminent Japanese scholars have come to serve as podium for Pure Land writers to publish articles in English. Also, the "Encyclopedia of Religion," published in 1987 as a major reference source on world religions, contains numerous Pure Land entries which should prove valuable to those seeking concise, primary information.

The present listing is intended to update three earlier bibliographies:

1. Muraishi, Esho: "A Bibliography on Pure Land Buddhism Written in English." Junshin gakuho 2 (Dec. 1983): 1-33.

2. Rhodes, Robert: "Bibliography of English-Language Works on Pure Land Buddhism 1960 to the Present." Annual Memoirs of the Otani University Shin Buddhist Comprehensive Research Institute (henceforth, OC) 1 (1983): 1-28.

3. Overseas Buddhist Studies Research Project. "Bibliography of Foreign-Language Articles on Japanese Buddhism 1960 to 1987." 6 (1988): 151-212 (in particular, pp. 153-166, 195).

The