阿弥陀佛（梵语Amitābha），又名无量佛、无量光佛、无量寿佛等。大乘经载，阿弥陀佛在过去久远劫时曾立大愿，建立西方净土，广度无边众生，成就无量庄严功德，为大乘佛教所广为崇敬和弘扬。大乘佛经主要如《无量寿经》、《阿弥陀经》、《观无量寿佛经》，对阿弥陀佛及其西方极乐世界均有详述。大乘佛教流传之地，如中国、日本等大乘教区，阿弥陀佛信仰也尤为繁盛和重要。而汉传佛教的净土宗，则完全以往生阿弥陀佛的西方净土作为专修的法门。
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There are many different Buddhas represented in art. Following after the images of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni the next most common Buddha form to appear in art is likely to be Amitabha (immeasurable light). His popularity is based in the Mahayana Sutra literature of which there are many texts devoted to him. In art depictions Amitabha has two appearances. He can have the appearance of a standard buddha form (nirmanakaya), although red in colour, wearing the traditional patchwork robes of a monk. In his other appearance (sambhogakaya) he wears the clothing and jeweled adornments of a peaceful heavenly god according to the classical Indian system of divine aesthetics. The source literature for Amitabha Buddha are texts such as the Display of the Pure Land of Sukhāvatī (Sukhāvatīvyūha), the Incantation of Amitābha (amitābhadhāraṇīmantra), Calling Amitābha to Mind and the Dhāraṇī Praising the Qualities of the Immeasurable One.
In the Himalayan and Tibetan traditions there is a great deal of conflation between the two buddhas - Amitabha and Amitayus. In the early sutra literature Amitabha and Amitayus Buddha are not the same entity, or person. (For a detailed explanation of the differences between Amitabha and Amitayus see the introduction to the Aparimitāyurjñāna Sūtra: Aparimitāyus, Amitāyus, and Amitābha).
