Nichiren Buddhism understands spiritual teachings through a clear hierarchy, with the Lotus Sutra at the summit. The Lotus Sutra is regarded as the Buddha’s highest and final revelation, uniquely disclosing the full reality of universal Buddha-nature and the direct path to enlightenment. Other Buddhist sutras and non-Buddhist teachings are often described as provisional or expedient means, containing partial truths that may guide people to a certain point but not to complete and universal liberation. In this view, such teachings can be karmically meaningful, encouraging morality, devotion, or compassion, yet they do not fully reveal the ultimate truth embodied in the Lotus Sutra.

This perspective leads to a strong distinction between respect for individuals and critique of doctrines. Nichiren’s writings are sharply critical of Buddhist schools that prioritize other sutras or practices—such as Pure Land, Zen, Shingon, or Ritsu—as these are seen as leading practitioners away from the most direct path to Buddhahood. The issue is not merely that these paths are different, but that they are judged fundamentally mistaken or incomplete when measured against the Lotus Sutra. Non-Buddhist religions, including traditions such as Christianity or Confucianism, are likewise viewed as incomplete paths that lack the ultimate teaching necessary for true liberation, even if they have played positive roles in particular times and places.

From this standpoint, classical Nichiren teaching emphasizes exclusive devotion to the Lotus Sutra and the practice of chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo as the effective means to realize Buddha-nature in the present age. Mixed practice—treating other teachings as equal to the Lotus Sutra—is often regarded as spiritually ineffective or even harmful, because it obscures what is held to be the Buddha’s final intent. At the same time, many contemporary Nichiren communities stress a posture of respect toward people of all faiths, even while maintaining that the Lotus Sutra and the Mystic Law represent the supreme and definitive path to liberation. This creates a distinctive combination of doctrinal exclusivity and, in some cases, interpersonal openness, grounded in the conviction that all beings can ultimately awaken through faith in the Lotus Sutra.