Nichiren Buddhism is a Japanese school of Mahāyāna Buddhism founded by the monk Nichiren, who regarded the Lotus Sūtra as the ultimate and complete expression of the Buddha’s teaching. It rests on the conviction that this scripture reveals the universal possibility of enlightenment, asserting that all people, regardless of background or circumstance, possess Buddha nature and can realize it in this very lifetime. Within this perspective, the Lotus Sūtra is not merely a text but a living principle that illuminates the dignity and potential inherent in every being. The school thus treats the sutra as both doctrinal foundation and spiritual mirror, reflecting back the latent Buddhahood within ordinary life.

At the heart of Nichiren Buddhist practice is chanting the phrase “Nam‑myōhō‑renge‑kyō,” often called the daimoku, which is the title of the Lotus Sūtra and an expression of devotion to its Mystic Law. This vocal practice, performed before a mandala known as the Gohonzon in many lineages, is regarded as the direct means to awaken one’s inherent Buddha nature. Alongside chanting, practitioners may recite portions of the Lotus Sūtra, study Nichiren’s writings, and engage in propagation of the teaching as an act of compassion. The emphasis falls not on withdrawal from the world but on engaging daily challenges as the very arena of awakening, allowing spiritual insight to be tested and deepened in the midst of ordinary affairs.

Nichiren Buddhism understands transformation as beginning with inner change and radiating outward into one’s environment and society. Through steady chanting and study, personal suffering is reinterpreted as a site of growth, and karmic tendencies are seen as capable of being redirected toward wisdom and compassion. This inner “human revolution,” as some traditions describe it, is believed to contribute to broader social harmony and peace, a vision sometimes articulated as the establishment of a Buddha land in this world. In this way, personal and global transformation are viewed as inseparable: the awakening of a single life is understood to resonate with the well-being of the larger human community.

Over time, several major branches of Nichiren Buddhism have developed, including priesthood-centered schools and lay movements that emphasize peace, culture, and education. While these currents differ in institutional form and certain doctrinal interpretations, they share a common focus on the Lotus Sūtra and the central practice of chanting “Nam‑myōhō‑renge‑kyō.” Across these diverse expressions, Nichiren Buddhism presents a path that is both rigorous and accessible, inviting practitioners to discover enlightenment not in some distant realm but within the fabric of everyday existence.