How does Chinese Pure Land Buddhism view the Pali Canon?

Pure Land Buddhists accept the basic Buddhist teachings of the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. The primary practice common to all schools of Pure Land is the recitation of the name of Amitabha, who is also called Amida.

Hui-yuan and other early masters of Pure Land believed that achieving the liberation of Nirvana through a life of monastic austerity was too difficult for most people. They rejected the "self effort" emphasized by earlier schools of Buddhism. Instead, the ideal is rebirth in a Pure Land, where the toils and worries of ordinary life do not interfere with devoted practice of the Buddha's teachings. By the grace of Amitabha's compassion, those reborn in a Pure Land find themselves only a short step from Nirvana.

The Theravada (Hinayana) only accept the Pali Canon as the teachings of Buddha and not the sutras of the Mahayana such as those taught in the Pure Land schools.

Amitabha's Pure Land is a place you can be reborn. After 1000 years, you die, and because you have spent all that time learning and practicing pure holy dharma, you become enlightened. In this place, you practice the 8fold path and the like without hinderances. Amitabha doesn't promise salvation. He is a buddha and the guardian of the west. Buddhas should not be worshiped ever. They were once JUST like us. You cannot cling to the Pure Lands, as clinging is attatchment, a negitive affliction, and attatchment will send you to the lower realms.

pureland & zen are under mahayana school of buddhism. mahayana means "great vehicle". "while theravada emphasizes individual enlightenment, mahayana emphasizes the enlightenment of all beings. the mahayana ideal is to become a bodhisattva who strives to liberate all beings from the cycle of birth and death".

these web have the answers :

http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/snapshot02.htm

http://buddhism.about.com/od/mahayanabuddhism/a/ab...

http://www.answers.com/topic/mahayana