The 18th wish of Amitabha is said to be the most important of all 48. So what was it? On the lantern, it says that anyone can go to the Pure Land by chanting “Namu Amida Butsu” ten times.
So what kind of place is the Pure Land? The scriptures describe it as a place where “there is no suffering and only comfort.” The Pure Land is said to be a land where the earth is made of jewels and brilliant lotus flowers bloom profusely, where beautiful music echoes from somewhere beyond the breeze. The inhabitants are comfortable and content; their basic needs are met and they’re rid of earthly desires that lead to greed or jealousy.
And where does Zenkoji fit into all this? They say that Amitabha leads the dead to the Pure Land from Zenkoji Temple.
Anyone living in the mortal world will always carry with them degrees of greed, vanity, and a sense of mortality. But after visiting Zenkoji, you can be assured that “Amitabha will lead me to the Pure Land when my time comes.” This is what keeps believers going so they can persevere through the suffering of this world. The promise of the Pure Land provides a ray of hope for people to live by.