Nichiren Shu Creed

This picture hangs on the wall adjacent to the altar at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church.
This picture hangs on the wall adjacent to the altar at the Sacramento Nichiren Buddhist Church.

We believe in Shakamuni (Sakyamuni) Buddha. He is eternal. He lives in this world. He is our Teacher. He is the Saviour of this world.

We express our faith by uttering the Daimoku (Sacred Title): Namu Myoho Renge Kyo (We devote ourselves to the Myoho Renge Kyo). The Myoho Renge Kyo represents not only the title of a sutra (also called Hokekyo, the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Law, the Lotus Sutra) in which Shakamuni Buddha declares his eternity but also the Law (teachings) expounded in this sutra, and also the Eternal Buddha as Shakamuni Buddha calls himself in this sutra.

We believe that Nichiren (1222-1282) was the messenger of Shakamuni Buddha. He never gave up propagating the Daimoku after he founded the Nichiren Shu on the twenty-eighth day of the fourth month of the fifth year of Kencho (1253) although he was persecuted many times by arrogant people. The persecutions were just as those prophesied in the Lotus Sutra.

We vow to the Buddha and Nichiren that we will make efforts to secure the peace of the world as well as ours by disseminating the teachings expounded in the Lotus Sutra.