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 '.

It is the exclusive object of veneration in the Nichiren Shōshū branch as well as formerly affiliated groups such as Sōka Gakkai.

Most Nichiren Schools, referring to their establishment, state the founding of their respective head or main temple for example Nichiren Shu the year 1281, Nichiren Shōshū the year 1288 and Kempon Hokke Shu the year 1384.

Following the above mentioned divide between the Ichi-Lineage and Shoretsu-Lineage the most notable division is the one between Nichiren Shu and Nichiren Shōshū.

In the later context of developments the above mentioned claims served as a reason on which, what would later become, Nichiren Shōshū based its orthodoxy on Nichiren-Buddhism in general.

Even though there had been efforts by temples of the Nikkō-lineage in the late 19th century to unify into one single separate Nichiren-School the Kommon-ha, today's Nichiren Shōshū comprises only the Taiseki-ji temple and its dependant temples.

New religions like Sōka Gakkai, Shōshinkai, and Kenshōkai trace their origins to the Nichiren Shōshū school, most notably amongst those is Sōka Gakkai which due to its steady growth is regarded today as Japan's largest lay Buddhist organisation.

* Nichiren Shōshū yōgi ( 日蓮正宗要義 ; " The essential tenets of Nichiren Shoshu ").

* Nichiren Shōshū Nyūmon ( 日蓮正宗入門 ; " Introduction to Nichiren Shoshu ").

* October 12 – The Dai-Gohonzon, the supreme object of veneration of Nichiren Shōshū Buddhism, is inscribed by Nichiren.

Nichiren Shōshū is a school of Mahayana Buddhism with its Head Temple, Taiseki-ji, located on the lower slopes of Mount Fuji in Japan.

The denomination's name Nichiren Shōshū means " Orthodox Nichiren School ".

Nichiren Shōshū claims a direct lineage of successive High Priests from Nikkō, who they believe was chosen by Nichiren to carry on the propagation of his Buddhist practice in the Latter Day of the Law.

is president of Sōka Gakkai International ( SGI ), a Nichiren Buddhist lay association which claims 12 million members in 192 countries and territories, and founder of several educational, cultural and peace research institutions.

Interpretations of the identity of this Eternal Buddha vary between schools, and most accept that it is simply Shakyamuni Buddha, though Nichiren Shōshū claims it to be Nichiren and SGI view it as the inherent Buddha nature.

Nichiren viewed his teachings as a method of efficaciously preventing this and other disasters: that the best countermeasure against the degeneracy of the times and its associated disasters was through the activation of Buddha-nature by chanting and the other practices which he advocated.

Unsure of what to do with Nichiren, Hei no Saemon decided to banish him to Sado, an island in the Japan Sea known for its particularly severe winters and a place of harsh exile.

As a result, Nichiren Buddhism encompasses several major branches and schools, each with its own doctrine and set of interpretations of Nichiren's teachings. See Nichiren Buddhism.

The emergence of Nichiren Buddhism started an ongoing question in Buddhist circles about its teachings and practice.

Intolerance towards Nichiren Buddhism led some researchers to compare it with early Christianity: “ Tamura finds Nichiren ’ s Buddhism to be broadly comparable with Christianity ‘ as a religion of prophecy, in its spirit of martyrdom, in its apostolic consciousness, and additionally, in its emphasis upon history ”.

For example, Nichiren Shōshū doctrine extends Tendai's classification of the Buddhist sutras into five time periods and eight categories ( 五時八教: goji-hakkyō ), its theory of 3, 000 interpenetrating realms within a single life-moment ( 一念三千: Ichinen Sanzen ), and its view of the Three Truths ( 三諦: Santai ).

Nichiren Shōshū's belief of Nichiren Daishonin being the True Buddha is its reason for referring to him as Nichiren Daishōnin (" Great Sage Nichiren ").

In Nichiren Shoshu, it is believed that the Dai-Gohonzon ( and its constituent facets ) is the ultimate Buddhist teaching revealed by the True Buddha, Nichiren Daishonin.

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

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

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

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

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

* 1271 – September 12 – According to the followers of Nichiren Buddhism, the sect's founder, Nichiren, reaches a turning point known as hosshaku kempon as he discards his identity as a mortal priest and begins to reveal himself as a reincarnation of the Buddha.

* 1282 – October 13 – Nichiren, founder of Nichiren Buddhism ( b. 1222 )

* Nichiren, founder of Nichiren Buddhism, enters a voluntary exile on Mount Minobu.

* September 12 – According to the followers of Nichiren Buddhism, the sect's founder, Nichiren, reaches a turning point known as hosshaku kempon, as he discards his identity as a mortal priest and begins to reveal himself as a reincarnation of the Buddha.

Called the Gohonzon, it was originally inscribed by Nichiren, the founder of this branch of Japanese Buddhism, during the late 13th Century.

SGI refers to the founder of Nichiren Buddhism by the title: the Buddha of this Latter Age of the Law: “ Nichiren revealed and spread the Law of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo and inscribed it in the form of a mandala Gohonzon, to enable all people in the Latter Day of the Law to attain Buddhahood ; for this reason he is regarded as the Buddha of the Latter Day of the Law .”.

* 1222: Birth of Nichiren Daishonin ( 1222 – 1282 ), the Japanese founder of Nichiren Buddhism.

Nichiren believed, that directly revealing one ’ s Buddha nature is possible through the practice of the Bodhisattvas who: “ do not carry out the practice of gradual progress.

However, followers of Nichiren Buddhism consider Myōhō Renge Kyō to be the name of the ultimate law permeating the universe, and the human being is at one, fundamentally with this Law and can manifest realization, or Buddha Wisdom ( attain Buddhahood ), through Buddhist Practice.

# SGI shall promote an understanding of Nichiren Daishonin's Buddhism through grass-roots exchange, thereby contributing to individual happiness.

Nichiren wrote frequently, and readers can verify or correct their understanding of the doctrines of Nichiren Buddhism through his surviving works.

Appart from other fundamental issues on dogma, Nichiren Shū does not believe the Dai-Gohonzon, which is revered in Nichiren Shōshū, to be superior to other Gohonzons nor that it has been inscribed by Nichiren at all: “ Although the Daigohonzon in itself is a valid Mandala Gohonzon, this concept of a super Gohonzon that empowers all the others blatantly contradicted Nichiren Daishonin's teachings and consequently, created a great feeling of mistrust with other Nikko temples .” This view is very similar to SGI teaching on this matter: “ First, the power of any Gohonzon, including the Dai-Gohonzon, can be tapped only through the power of faith.

In his role as president of SGI, Ikeda acts to support the membership in a number of ways, including support and encouragement through his writings and lectures, and striving to promote a dialogue with many of today's world leaders on the relevance of Nichiren Buddhist principles to today's global challenges.

According to Nichiren Buddhists ' interpretation of the Lotus Sutra, one may awaken one's Buddha Nature through a practice of chanting the phrase:.

* July 16, 1260 ( Bun ' ō 1, 7th day of the 6th mongh ): Nichiren submitted a formal remonstrance to Hojo Tokiyori ; this was the " Treatise on Securing Peace in the Land through the Establishment of True Buddhism " ( Rissho Ankoku Ron )

Offering the sutra entails reciting the Expedient Means ( second ) and the Life Span of the Tathagata ( sixteenth ) chapters of the Lotus Sutra ; the silent prayers are five formal meditations expressing gratitude for the Three Treasures as defined in Nichiren Shoshu, and the merit accrued through Buddhist practices.

Though in principle Nichiren Shoshu clergy and lay practitioners alike perform gongyo following the three-prayer – five-prayer format passed down through the ages at Head Temple Taisekiji, sometimes people under schedule pressure perform shorter variations while increasing the amount of daimoku they offer.

Nichiren explained that attaining enlightenment is achieved through awakening to the fact that one ’ s own life embodies the Dhrama.

While imprisoned, Toda, through his study of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism, had come to the conclusion that Buddhahood, or enlightenment, is inherent in life itself, and that all people can manifest it.

Several Shōshinkai priests have also reverted to Nichiren Shōshū, and a number of men who joined the priesthood through Shōshinkai have converted to Nichiren Shōshū as well.