1)Nam Myōhō Renge kyo is the central mantra chanted within all forms of Nichiren Buddhism.

The mantra is referred to as daimoku, was first revealed by the Japanese Buddhist
priest Nichiren Daishonin who named it as the ultimate law of the universe. The words Myōhō
Renge Kyō refer to the Japanese title of the Lotus Sūtra. To this Nichiren prefixed Nam,
indicating devotion to “Myoho-renge-kyo”.The purpose of chanting daimoku is to reduce
sufferings by eradicating negative karma along with reducing karmic punishments both from
previous and present lifetimes, with the goal to attain perfect and complete awakening.

2)Gongyo In Nichiren Buddhism, gongyo means to recite part of the Expedient Means (2nd)
chapter and the verse section of the Lifespan (16th) chapter of the Lotus Sutra and chant Nam-
myoho-renge-kyo in front of the Gohonzon. The recitation of the sutra is the preparatory
practice which helps to manifest the benefits of the primary practice, chanting Nam-myoho-
renge-kyo. Gongyo is performed each morning and evening, and is the most fundamental
practice of Nichiren Daishonin’s Buddhism. It is important for each person to make wise
judgments so that he or she will be able to carry out a practice of gongyo filled with joy at all
times.
3)Gohonzon can be literally translated as “object of devotion” in Nichiren Buddhism. The
Gohonzon is a scroll containing Chinese and Sanskrit characters that aids practitioners of
Nichiren Buddhism in the process of perceiving and bringing forth the life condition of
Buddhahood from within their lives.

4)Faith, Practice & Study are the three fundamentals in the practice of Nichiren’s teachings.
Faith means to believe in the Gohonzon, or the object of devotion. Practice means to chant
the daimoku of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, as well as to explain Nichiren’s teachings to others.
Study means to study and understand the Buddhist teachings. Among these three, faith is the
most fundamental for the attainment of Buddhahood. Faith gives rise to practice and study,
and practice and study serve to deepen faith.

5)Human revolution- Second Soka Gakkai President Josei Toda coined the term human
revolution to describe the process of individual inner transformation that results from
Buddhist practice. It addresses the real possibility for human beings to change, and in
particular, to reveal the inner potential for enlightenment, or Buddhahood, which is the core
purpose of Nichiren Buddhism. In that sense, human revolution can be seen as a modern
expression of the principle of “attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime.

6)Shakubuku- The act of introducing others to Nichiren Buddhism is called shakubuku. In the
Soka Gakkai, shakubuku means to teach others about Nam myoho Renge kyo . Our practice
will not be complete unless we share the key principles of this philosophy with others.

7)Kosen-rufu- The term kosen-rufu means to ‘declare and spread widely’ the teachings of the
Buddha to realize the vision of a peaceful society. In other words it is an act of spreading
happiness around the world.