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阿弥陀佛（Amitabha）的中文含义，就是无量光。mita是梵文发音，意思是“量”，前头加上否定前缀“a”，意即“无量”。abha的意思是“光”。连起来读，Amitabha就是无量光。无量寿的梵文发音是Amitayus. 密教则以阿弥陀佛之应化身为无量光佛，其报身为无量寿佛。

Following after the many images of the historical Buddha Shakyamuni the next most common Buddha form to appear in art is likely to be Amitabha (immeasurable light, 无量光). 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 and two names that differentiate those appearances. When referred to as Amitabha he has the appearance of a standard buddha form, although red in colour, wearing the traditional patchwork robes of a monk. In his other appearance he has a different name, Amitayus (immeasureable life, 无量寿), and wears the clothing and jeweled adornments of a peaceful heavenly god according to the classical Indian system of divine aesthetics.

Amitabha(阿弥陀佛) and Amitayus(无量寿佛) are the same person, or entity. In the Mahayana Tradition of Buddhism a buddha is described as having three bodies: a form body (nirmanakaya,化身), an apparitional body (sambhogakaya,报身) and an ultimate truth body (dharmakaya,法身). The first, Amitabha is the form body and the second, Amitayus, is the apparitional body. The ultimate truth body is without appearance and does not appear in painting or sculptural art. The important iconographic difference between the two, Amitabha and Amitayus, is that Amitabha has Buddha Appearance (佛相) and Amitayus has Bodhisattva Appearance (菩萨相). Amitabha holds a black begging bowl(钵) in the lap with both hands. Amitayus holds a long-life vase (长寿瓶) in the lap with both hands. .