Both Nichiren and Hōnen studied at the temple before leaving to start their own practices.

Nichiren taught devotion to the Lotus Sutra ( entitled Myōhō-Renge-Kyō in Japanese )— which contained Gautama Buddha's teachings towards the end of his life — as the exclusive means to attain enlightenment.

His third remonstration also went unheeded, and Nichiren — following a Chinese adage that if a wise man remonstrates three times but is ignored, he should leave the country — decided to go into voluntary exile at Mt.

Form Nichiren ’ s point of view, however, his uncompromising stance was to save people from sufferings: “ Even in the case of the Nembutsu priests, the Zen priests, and the True Word teachers, and the ruler of the nation and other men of authority, all of whom bear me such hatred — I admonish them because I want to help them, and their hatred for me makes me pity them all the more ”.

SGI is also criticized for its doctrinal teachings based on Nichiren Buddhism, perceived by some observers to be lacking tolerance towards other forms of Buddhism .. On the other hand, Nichiren Buddhism clarifies the way of peaceful and free expression in debates about various schools differences: “ Even in the case of the Nembutsu priests, the Zen priests, and the True Word teachers, and the ruler of the nation and other men of authority, all of whom bear me such hatred — I admonish them because I want to help them, and their hatred for me makes me pity them all the more ”.

During the Kamakura Period, the Tendai school used its patronage to try to oppose the growth of rival factions — particularly the Nichiren school, which began to grow in power among the merchant middle class, and the Pure Land school, which eventually came to claim the loyalty of many of the poorer classes.

The Original Buddha occupies the central role in Nichiren Shū ; Nichiren — referred to as Nichiren Shōnin (" Saint Nichiren ")— is the saint who refocused attention on Shakyamuni by rebuking other Buddhist schools for solely emphasizing other buddhas or esoteric practices or for neglecting or deriding the Lotus Sutra.

Its purpose is to pray for the worldwide propagation of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism and — by extension — the peace and prosperity of all the world's peoples.

Generically used, gohonzon can refer to any such object of devotion, whether a statue or set of statues, a painted scroll of some sort, or some other object ; or the word — then usually capitalized when romanized — may be used specifically to refer to the moji-mandala ( " script ," or " written with characters " mandala ) that is the object of veneration in various Nichiren schools.

Most prominent and common to all such Gohonzons is the phrase Nam Myōhō Renge Kyō — the primary Mantra in Nichiren Buddhism — written down the center.

Minobu — a usual direction for a Nichiren Shōshū offshoot.

Nichiren believed that the sutra contained the essence of all of Gautama Buddha's teachings, of which related to the law of cause and effect and karma.

Nichiren Buddhism includes various schools with their own interpretations of Nichiren's teachings, the most prominent being Nichiren Shu, Nichiren Shoshu and Soka Gakkai ; however, despite the differences between schools, all Nichiren sects share the fundamental practice of chanting daimoku.

While virtually all Nichiren Buddhist schools regard him as a reincarnation of the Lotus Sutra's Bodhisattva Superior Practices, Jōgyō Bosatsu ( 上行菩薩 ), some schools of Nichiren Buddhism's Nikkō lineages regard him as the actual Buddha of this age, or the Buddha of the Latter day of the Law.

After making his declaration, which all schools of Nichiren Buddhism regard as marking their foundation ( 立宗: risshū ), Nichiren began propagating his teachings in Kamakura, then Japan's de facto capital since it was where the shikken ( regent for the shogun ) and shogun lived and the government was established.

While some schools regard this as features attributed to Shakyamuni Buddha others underline that he identifies himself as a votary of the Lotos Sutra :" Shakyamuni Buddha is the father and mother, teacher and sovereign to all living being ...” and similarly mentioning in his letter ' The Opening of the Eyes ':“ I, Nichiren, am sovereign, teacher, and father and mother to all the people ...”..

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 '.

Setting out to declare his own teachings of Buddhism, Nichiren started at the age of 32 by denouncing all Mahayana schools of his time and by declaring the correct teaching as the Universal Dharma ( Nam-Myōhō-Renge-Kyō ) and chanting as the only path for personal and social salvation.

There is a difference between Nichiren teachings and almost all schools of Mahayana Buddhism regarding the understanding of the Latter day of the Law, Mappō.

Nichiren, on the other hand, confirms that the teachings of the Lotus Sutra will flourish for all eternity, and that the Bodhisattvas of the Earth will propagate Buddhism in the future.

Nichiren Buddhism is based on the Lotus Sutra, which teaches that all people have an innate Buddha nature and are therefore inherently capable of attaining enlightenment in their current form and present lifetime.

The two outstanding doctrines of the Lotus Sutra, which were the focus of Nichiren ’ s teachings and practice are: the attainment of Buddhahood by all people in their lifetime, and the eternal life of the Buddha revealed in the Ceremony in the Air of the Lotus Sutra.

The chanting of the essential phrase Nam ( u ) Myoho Renge Kyo is a common practice between all followers of Nichiren Buddhism.

After all attempts to silence or kill Nichiren failed, persecution turned towards his followers, the most famous of was the Atsuhara Persecution ( 1280 ), where three of Nichiren Buddhist were beheaded.

Intolerance towards Nichiren Buddhism did not cease after Nichiren ’ s death ( 1282 ), and the most famous persecution was the violent attacks on Nichiren temples in the 16th century, Kyoto, Japan: “ Nichiren temples in Kyoto were attacked by the monks from Mt.

The Kamakura period of 13th century Japan, in which Nichiren was born-was characterised by natural disasters, internal strife and confusion within Mahayana schools about whether: "... the world had further entered a period of decline " referring to the Latter Day of the Law.

Nichiren attributed the turmoil in society to the invalid teachings of the Buddhist schools of his time, including the Tendai sect in which he was ordained: " It is better to be a leper who chants Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō than be a chief abbot of the Tendai school ".

Nichiren criticized other Buddhist schools for their manipulations of the populace for political and religious control.

* 1253 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, propounds Nam Myoho Renge Kyo for the very first time and declares it to be the essence of Buddhism, in effect founding Nichiren Buddhism.

All Japanese Kamakura sects of Buddhism ( Zen, Nichiren, Jodo ) have relaxed Mahayana vinaya, and as a consequence, vegetarianism is rare.

* 1222 – Nichiren Daishonin, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism ( d. 1282 )

The Japanese imperial court also awarded Nichiren the honorific designations Nichiren Daibosatsu 日蓮大菩薩 " Great Bodhisattva Nichiren ", and Risshō Daishi 立正大師 " Great Teacher Risshō ; the former title was granted in 1358, and the latter in 1922.

Nichiren Buddhism ( 日蓮系諸宗派: Nichiren-kei sho shūha ) is a branch of Mahāyāna Buddhism based on the teachings of the 13th century Japanese Buddhist reformer Nichiren ( 1222 – 1282 ).

* 1279 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk founder of Nichiren Buddhism, inscribes the Dai-Gohonzon.

Therefore Japanese Zen, Pureland and Nichiren, are led by priests ( or minister ) rather than by monks.

* Nichiren, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism -( October 13 )

* 1253 – April 28 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, declares his intention to preach the Lotus Sutra and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as the true Buddhism, essentially founding the branch of Buddhism now known as Nichiren Buddhism.

* February 16 – Nichiren, Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism ( d. 1282 )

* February 7 – Nikko, Japanese priest, founder of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism ( b. 1246 )

* November 15 – Nichimoku, Japanese priest, the 3rd high priest of Taisekiji temple and Nichiren Shoshu ( b. 1260 )

* April 28 – Nichiren, a Japanese Buddhist monk, declares his intent to preach the Lotus Sutra and Nam Myoho Renge Kyo as the true Buddhism, thus founding Nichiren Buddhism.

The earliest documented reference to this green vegetable dates from the year 1275, when the well-known Japanese monk, Nichiren Shonin, wrote a note thanking a parishioner for the gift of " edamame " he had left at the temple.