Nichiren is the founder of the Buddhist school and teachings on which Soka Gakkai is based. Born a fisherman's son, Nichiren was sent by his parents to study at a temple near his birthplace in eastern Japan. There, he devoted himself to Buddhist studies and was ordained a priest. His subsequent studies at Japan's major temples (centers of Buddhist learning at the time) deepened his conviction that the Lotus Sutra was the highest of all teachings. In 1253, at age 31, he established a practice of Buddhism based on the Lotus Sutra and its essence, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

According to Nichiren, steadfast faith and recitation of Nam-myoho-renge-kyo offer a path to enlightenment open to everyone, irrespective of class, gender or other differences. His teachings impart hope, courage, life force and wisdom, enabling individuals to overcome the inevitable sufferings of life and, further, to positively influence their families, their communities, and the world.

Japan in Nichiren's time was suffering from frequent disasters such as earthquakes, droughts, famines and epidemics--calamities that took a tragic toll on the populace. Deeply concerned, Nichiren submitted his treatise "Rissho ankoku ron" to Hojo Tokiyori, the most powerful person in Japan at the time. In it, Nichiren asserted that the environment, good or bad, mirrors the state of people's lives; therefore, a positive change in human beings brings about a corresponding change in their surroundings. He wrote that "the correct teaching" referred to in various Buddhist sutras, defined as Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, made such fundamental changes possible. Nichiren criticized Japan's prevailing schools of Buddhist thought for their refusal to acknowledge this pivotal point.

His criticism brought severe persecutions, directed not only at himself but also at his followers. From 1261, Nichiren underwent two exiles and, in 1271, narrowly survived an attempted beheading. Yet he remained true to his convictions.

Although Nichiren's emphasis on the welfare of Japan and its people is taken by some as "nationalistic," his writings clearly demonstrate his compassion and generosity toward all people, even his oppressors. He relied exclusively on the power of persuasion and nonviolence; for example, on numerous occasions he invited priests from other schools to discuss the relative merits of the various types of Buddhism active in Japan at that time. Moreover, his letters of encouragement and advice to his followers, which explains profound Buddhist concepts in an easy-to-understand way, reveal his true concern and warmth.

In spite of a lifetime of ordeal and persecution, Nichiren established a timeless philosophical framework, both practical and spiritual, based on Buddhist principles of personal growth and development along with the bodhisattva creed that is shared today by millions of Soka Gakkai International (SGI) members around the world.

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