Special Note: At the risk of belabouring the extremely obvious, this page is a work in progress, with quite a distance to go before it sleeps.
Definitions, Premisses and Info

Pure Land or Shin Buddhism - When used in reference to a MetaPhysical Orientation as to Tradition, Culture or Preferred Flavour, is primarily defined, usually selfdefined by its members and/or adherents as such, and holding the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama Buddha, and/or interpolations thereon as a primary or critical parameter of their Spiritual Paradigm. (also see: the complete entry on Buddhism.) Pure Land's goal is eternal after death paradise called the "Pure Land of the West"
Some of the other beliefs in Pure Land Buddhism include:
* many Buddhas and other divine beings, some called Bodhisattvas, some called Dhyani Buddhas (these were never human but dwelt in heaven and can help humans)
* Amitabha is most famous Dhyani Buddha and presides over the western paradise called the Pure Land
* emphasis on faith in Amitabha, just uttering his name is of aid
* priests can marry, have children, eat meat, live in world, organized into churches, Sunday schools with sermons and prayers
Some postulate that there is no monolithic Buddhism as such, but that there are Buddhisms such as Sinhala Buddhism or more precisely Sinhala Theravada Buddhism, Siam or Thai Buddhism, Myanmar or Amarapura Buddhism and so forth. The complete entry on Pure Land Buddhism