The practice of this school consists primarily in visualizing his paradise and in the recitation of Amitabha's name.

The former type of practice consists of visualizations particularly the sixteenth variant described in the "Amitayurdhyana sutra" which serve to cause Amitabha and his pure land to arise before the spiritual eye of the practitioner. The supreme stage of practice is the contemplation of Buddha Amitabha as not separate from one's own being. The supreme achievement resulting from the spiritual practice of the school is seeing Buddha Amitabha in a vision, and it is regarded as a guarantee of being reborn in his pure land. This method was practiced under Hui-yuan's preaching during the early stage of the school. It is believed that because the visualization technique was too difficult for the followers, they did not continue this practice after Hui-yuan.

The later practice is the recitation of Amitabha's name. The practitioners commit themselves to a large number of repetitions in order to bring the mind under control. This meditation is intended to make it possible to have vision of Amitabha and his companions Avalokiteshvara and Mahasthamaprapta even during this lifetime and to gain foreknowledge concerning the time of one’s death. This recitation can be done out loud or silently, with or without concentration on an image of Amitabha. Because the form of this practice is much easier than the previous one, it became the predominant practice of the school.

After several phases of evolution the practice of this tradition was further simplified from its original profound figure visualization to only name recitation. It was eventually integrated into most of the other major Chinese Buddhist traditions, including the Zen school.

Three sutras of Pure-land Buddhism are used as the scriptural foundation of the school. They are:

• The "Larger Sukhavati-vyuha (Amitabha) Sutra": The Buddha relates the story of bodhisattva Dharmaakara (the incarnation of Amitabha before his enlightenment) and his eventual attainment of enlightenment and becoming the Buddha of the Western Pure-land. The famous 48 vows of Dharmaakara are listed in this Sutra. The 18^th vow, a famous vow in the later development of the school, states that one may merely call the name of the Buddha at death to be reborn in the Pure land.

• The "Smaller Sukhavati-vyuha (Amitabha) Sutra": It describes the attributes of the Western Pure-land called Sukhaavatii (Blissful) that is inhabited by the Buddha Amitabha.

• The "Amitayurdhyana (on the Contemplation of Buddha Amitayus) Sutra" or simply "Contemplation Sutra": In this sutra, the Buddha details the visualization meditation for the Pure-land practitioner to follow. This is one of the most influential sutra in China because it lays out a specific method of practice. The term "Namo Amida Buddha" (take refuge in the Buddha Amitabha) is specifically proclaimed as the avenue to the liberation of suffering.