In Shando’s 善導 Guan Wuliang shoufo jing-shu 觀無量壽佛經疏 （T. 1753）, there is a widely discussed expression, “One thing is commonly vowed in the forty-eight vows of Amitābha” 一一願言. In particular, the Seizan 西山 school used this as the basis for the vow of salvation through nembutsu, which is common to all vows. This claim of the Seizan school was a controversial one. Through an examination of this debate, this paper will clarify how the understanding of the vows in the Jōdo school developed.
