The idea of a conference sounds like a great idea. Thanks so much for taking the time to reply.

I hope that in the near future I can organize some kind of conference on what is and isn't Pure Land, since currently consensus is lacking. There are certainly practices centered on the Buddha Amitabha and directed toward rebirth in the Land of Bliss, but it is nevertheless so different from what one finds in East Asia that I don't include it in my own understanding of the boundaries of Pure Land. Shambhala wanted material on Tibet, but I said I do not believe that one finds Pure Land Buddhism in the Tibetan tradition. Richard mcBride's book came out after I submitted the final manuscript, and it could have helped fill this gap. I freely admit that there is insufficient material on Korea. Thank you very much for these kind words. So, if you know anyone who is new to Pure Land, but is not necessarily a scholar, I would probably direct them to this book for a good overview and introduction. Also, Tibetan Pure Land practices, which naturally would be outside of his linguistic background, are also not treated (a more accessible version of the material that Georgios Halkias presents in Luminous Bliss would be appreciated). The main shortcoming is that Korean Pure Land does not seem to have been given a fair amount of treatment to Chinese and Japanese Pure Land.

He also has translations from a few Pure Land writers which I haven't seen in English before. It seems Jones has some experience of practice in Taiwanese Pure Land, and he has a number of insights from Taiwan that were interesting to hear. the theory of the Iranian origins, and the idea that Pure Land wasn't popular in India-the latter of which he treats quite well, with an example of the role of Pure Land in contemporary Nepal). He also avoids a lot of the common unfounded myths about Pure Land that have been repeated for decades (e.g. Jones is also very respectful of the tradition and treats each author and perspective quite fairly in a way you don't often see in academic literature (which tends to spend inordinate amounts of time identifying 'problems') or in sectarian literature (which inevitably prioritises the texts of the author's tradition over the others). Now I would probably suggest this book first as a good non-sectarian and fairly comprehensive overview of the tradition. People often ask for a book that succinctly summarises the main points of Pure Land Buddhism, particularly with a comparison between Chinese and Japanese Pure Land Buddhism. Jones's Pure Land: History, Tradition, and Practice.

Pure Land by Charles B. Jones