Page "Nichiren" Paragraph 27

After his death, Nichiren has been known by several posthumous names intended to express respect toward him or to represent his position in the history of Buddhism.

Most common among these are Shōnin 日蓮聖人 Saint or Sage, and Daishōnin 日蓮大聖人 " Great Sage ".

Preference for these titles generally depends on the school to which a person belongs, with " Shōnin " being commonly used within Nichiren Shū, which regards Nichiren as a Buddhist reformer and embodiment of Bodhisattva Superior Practices, while " Daishōnin " is the title used by followers of most, but not all, of the schools and temples derived from the Nikkō lineage, most notably the Sōka Gakkai, who regard Nichiren as ' The Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law ' and also Nichiren Shōshū, who regard Nichiren as ' The True Buddha ', or ' Buddha of True Cause '.