This being is Amida Buddha, who countless millennia ago made a primal vow to save all sentient beings by building up enough merit to establish a pure land, into which beings could be reborn simply by invoking his name, and in which they could easily attain full enlightenment. The only hope for spiritual advancement is giving up on Jiriki and, through faith, or ' shinjin,' embracing the Tariki, or 'other-power' of an infinitely-compassionate being. For Shinran, this ability to muster up genuine self-directed spiritual attainment is lacking in almost all humans, who are in reality 'bombu,' or foolish beings lost in a sea of delusion and selfishness such that even their good actions are tainted by selfish motivations. In Buddhism, the concept of 'merit' refers to the power of good karma built up over time through meditation, effort and spiritual practice- in Japanese, ' Jiriki,' or 'self-power.' This merit can be transferred to other sentient beings by a spiritual adept or bodhisattva, motivated by compassion for all beings cultivated through attaining bodhicitta.

One of the most prominent examples of this is the doctrine of the Jōdo Shinshū branch of Pure Land Buddhism, founded by the 12th-century Japanese monk, Shinran.

While many schools of Buddhism emphasize self-discipline and effort as the path to enlightenment, something akin to the concept of divine grace is present as well.

Main articles: Amitābha, Faith in Buddhism, Jōdo Shinshū, Primal Vow, Shinjin, Tariki (Buddhism), and Transfer of merit

What is the meaning of grace