Buddhist Psalms

‘Buddhist Psalms’ is a book by S. Yamabe and Lily Adams Beck, first published in 1921, offering an English translation of the Jōdo-Wasan—the Psalms of the Pure Land—originally composed by the 10th-century Japanese monk Shinran Shōnin, founder of Shin (Pure Land) Buddhism.

This devotional collection, part of the Wisdom of the East series, translates lyrical prayers and meditations that emphasize humility, reliance on Amida Buddha’s compassion, and the promise of rebirth in the Pure Land—themes central to Jōdo Shinshū practice. The work bridges Eastern devotional tradition and Western readership, presenting Mahayana spiritual sensibility with poetic depth.