Japanese word

極楽

Pronunciation

Romajigokuraku

Meaning

  • nounPure Land

Example

信者は死後に極楽へ行けると信じています。shin ja wa shi go ni goku raku e i ke ru to shin ji te i ma su

Followers believe that they can go to the Pure Land after death.

Illustration for 極楽 (Pure Land)

More examples

その寺では、極楽を表す庭園を静かに眺められます。so no tera de wa goku raku o arawa su tei en o shizu ka ni naga me ra re ma su

At that temple, you can quietly view a garden representing the Pure Land.

Core concept

Describes a perfect realm beyond ordinary suffering, especially the Buddhist Pure Land or, more broadly, an ideal paradise.

Common phrases

  • 極楽に行くgoku raku ni i ku

    go to the Pure Land

  • 極楽に生まれるgoku raku ni u ma re ru

    be reborn in the Pure Land

Similar words

浄土jōdo: A Buddhist realm where beings are reborn through faith and religious practice.
天国tengoku: A blessed realm believed to be reached after death in many religious traditions.
楽園rakuen: An ideal place of peace and happiness imagined as a paradise.

Definition in Japanese

仏教で、阿弥陀仏のいる、苦しみのない清らかな世界。また、死後に行く理想の世界。buk kyō de a mi da butsu no i ru kuru shi mi no na i kiyo ra ka na se kai ma ta shi go ni i ku ri sō no se kai

Word origin

極楽 (gokuraku) combines 極 (goku, "utmost") and 楽 (raku, "ease") as a Chinese Buddhist rendering of the Sanskrit Sukhāvatī, the land of bliss.

Usage tips

  • In English, Pure Land Buddhism is a standard name for traditions centered on rebirth in Amitabha's realm, so Pure Land can be a technical Buddhist term rather than a general synonym for paradise.

Other meanings

  • paradisenoun

Word lists with this word