Within Nichiren Shōshū, priests serve as doctrinal teachers, ritual leaders, and spiritual guides, helping believers root their lives in faith centered on the Lotus Sutra and the chanting of Nam-myōhō-renge-kyō. They explain the core teachings of Nichiren’s Buddhism, clarifying the significance of the Gohonzon and the meaning and attitude behind daimoku and Gongyō. Through lectures, study meetings, and instruction in Nichiren’s writings, they work to preserve correct understanding and to prevent the practice from becoming mixed with other religious or philosophical currents. In this way, they function as custodians of orthodoxy, transmitting the tradition in a clear and consistent manner.

Guidance from priests extends deeply into the sphere of daily practice. They teach believers how to set up and maintain a proper Buddhist altar, how to enshrine and protect the Gohonzon, and how to conduct regular Gongyō and chanting at home. When practice becomes lax or confused, priests offer correction and encouragement, emphasizing perseverance, the development of faith, and the view that obstacles can be approached as opportunities to strengthen one’s resolve. Their role is not merely technical but formative, shaping the inner spirit with which believers engage their practice.

Priests also carry the responsibility for major rituals and ceremonies that mark the rhythm of a believer’s life. They conduct conversion ceremonies, bestowal and enshrining of the Gohonzon, funerals, memorial services, weddings, and other observances held at temples. Regular temple services, special ceremonies, and pilgrimages to the head temple are led and organized by priests, offering believers a chance to reconnect with the broader spiritual lineage. Through these rites, the abstract teachings of the tradition are embodied in concrete, communal acts of devotion.

On a more personal level, priests offer one‑on‑one counseling and life guidance, helping believers apply Buddhist principles to illness, family conflict, work difficulties, and other pressing concerns. They encourage those facing doubt or discouragement, advising on decisions so that they align with faith and practice. At the same time, priests organize and oversee local temple communities, coordinating lay groups, study activities, and propagation efforts. By maintaining the link between lay believers, the local temple, and the priestly lineage, they foster a network of mutual support in which individual faith can mature within a shared spiritual environment.