[1][2][3][4] During his stay, he visited numerous Buddhist holy sites and studied with Indian teachers and followers of Amitabha Buddha.
[4] His teachings emphasized a holistic approach that harmonized various Buddhist practices, including meditation, devotional worship, recitation of the Buddha's name (nianfo), and adherence to monastic discipline.
This is found in his major work, the Collection Outlining Various Scriptures and Treatises Regarding Methods of Contemplating the Buddha and Rebirth in the Pure Land (Lueh chu-ching lun nien-fo fa-men wang-sheng ching-t'u chi).
[2] According to David W. Chappell, since Huiri had moved to Guangdong in Southern China, he could have encountered the disciples of Shenhui (684–758), and thus, his writings might have been a response to their attacks on Pure Land devotion.
"[2] According to Huiri, most of these Chan monks do a little meditation in the evening, and for the rest of the day, they neglect discipline, sleeping, or doing other things instead of practicing.
[6] In response to the Chan critique that Pure Land practice is attached to form and methods, Huiri cites eight scriptures that recommend nianfo (mindfulness of the Buddha), writing that since these scriptures recommend nianfo as leading to enlightenment, to reject them "is a rejection of the holy teaching.
[2] Huiri sees the Chan approach of his opponents as unbalanced and focused on only one aspect of the Dharma, while rejecting the others which are clearly taught by the Buddha in the scriptures.
[2][7] While Huiri understands that classic Buddhist practices make use of forms and methods which are relative, this does not mean they do not lead to awakening.
For Huiri, to turn to living in mountains aiming solely at transcendental perfection was to abandon one's role as a bodhisattva to spread Dharma in society.
[4] He asserted that all the Buddhist practices were equally aligned with the principle of “suchness” (如如) and ultimately leading to perfect enlightenment.