Pure Land Buddhism and form an important component of the Mahāyāna Buddhist traditions of China, Japan, Korea, Tibet and Vietnam. The term "Pure Land Buddhism" is used to describe both the Pure Land soteriology of Mahayana Buddhism, which may be better understood as "Pure Land traditions" or "Pure Land teachings," and the separate Pure Land sects that developed in Japan from the work of Hōnen. Pure Land Buddhism is built on the belief that we will never have a world which is not corrupt, so we must strive for re-birth in another plane, referred to as the "Pure Land". The Pure Land teachings
Schools of Buddhism religion in Asia. From a largely English-language standpoint, and to some extent in most of Western academia, Buddhism is separated into two groups at its foundation: Theravāda, literally "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching," and Mahāyāna, literally the "Great Vehicle." The most common classification among scholars is threefold, with Mahāyāna itself split between the traditional Mahāyāna teachings, and the Vajrayāna teachings which emphasize esotericism. The "Macmillan Encyclopedia of Religion" distinguishes three types of classification of Buddhism, separated into "Movements", "Nikāyas" and "Doctrinal schools": The terminology for the major divisions of Buddhism can be confusing, as Buddhism is