The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1176 page)

Job, Book of
.

One of the books of
Writings
(
Ketuvim
) in the Hebrew scriptures. It describes how the righteous Job was deprived by God of all his possessions including his children and was struck down with a vile disease (1–2). His three friends try to comfort him (3–26), but Job will not accept that he has sinned against the Lord (rightly, since he has been defined as innocent for the purpose of the book). Job laments his disastrous fate (29–31) and a fourth friend attempts consolation (32–7). Ultimately God speaks to Job (38–48) and all his fortune is restored.
In Islam Job is known as Ayy
b. Qur’
n 21. 83–4 and 38. 41–4 refer briefly to his calamities, his patience, and his restoration to prosperity.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Jap., ‘becoming a buddha’). The realization in Zen of one's own buddha-nature (
bussho
).

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Jap.; Chin.,
ching-t’u
).
Pure Land
, Jap. equivalent of
Ching-T’u
. See further
PURE LAND SCHOOLS
.

 
Back
  -  
 
New Search

(Jap., ‘True
Pure Land School
’). A school of Japanese Buddhism founded by
Shinran
, and organized by Rennyo (1414–99). It is a lay movement, with no monks or monasteries, and it is based on simple but absolute devotion to
Amida
, in which the
nembutsu
(recitation of the name) is an act of gratitude, rather than one of supplicating trust. It split into two factions,
tani and Honganji, in the 17th cent. Both have their main temples in
Ky
to
, and both remain powerful in Japan today.