Nichiren Buddhism

Nichiren Buddhism is a Japanese Mahayana Buddhist tradition centered on the Lotus Sutra and the teachings of the 13th-century monk Nichiren.

Lotus Sutra: A Mahayana Buddhist scripture that presents the Buddha’s teaching as universal and accessible to all beings. Nichiren regarded this sutra as the Buddha’s highest teaching and the basis of his tradition.
Shōdai: The practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo in Nichiren Buddhism. Shōdai is the tradition’s central devotional practice.
Nichiren: A 13th-century Japanese Buddhist monk who taught exclusive devotion to the Lotus Sutra. His writings and teachings gave the tradition its name and foundational doctrines.
Zen: A Mahayana Buddhist tradition emphasizing meditation and direct insight into the nature of mind. Nichiren criticized Zen’s reliance on meditation apart from the Lotus Sutra.
Sōka Gakkai International: A transnational lay Buddhist organization founded in 1975 and affiliated with Sōka Gakkai. It has made Nichiren Buddhist practice a global movement beyond Japan.
Nam-myoho-renge-kyo: A Japanese Buddhist chant meaning devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra. Nichiren prescribed this phrase as the central practice of his Buddhism.
Gongyō: A recitation practice involving passages from the Lotus Sutra, performed in several Nichiren traditions. Many practitioners pair gongyō with chanting the daimoku.
Kamakura Buddhism: The diverse Buddhist movements that developed in Japan during the Kamakura period, from the late 12th to 14th centuries. Nichiren Buddhism arose amid the religious renewal and social upheaval of this period.
Pure Land Buddhism: A Mahayana tradition centered on devotion to Amitābha Buddha and rebirth in his Pure Land. Nichiren rejected reliance on Pure Land teachings in favor of the Lotus Sutra.
Nikkō: A Japanese Buddhist monk and disciple of Nichiren who founded a lineage later associated with Nichiren Shōshū. His succession claims shaped one influential institutional branch of the tradition.

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