History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 139The word “Nichi” of Nichiren comes from the following passage from Chapter 21, “The Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgata,” of the Lotus Sūtra: Nyo nichi gak-kō myō. Nō jo sho yū myō. Shin nin gyō se-ken. Nō metsu shu jō an: Just like the sun and the moon can dispel darkness, such a person practicing in the world can dispel the fundamental darkness of all living beings.
“Ren” is derived from Chapter 15, “The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” of the Lotus Sūtra: Fu sen se ken bō. Nyo ren ge zai sui: They are untainted by the ways of the world, just as a lotus flower in the water. The name of “Nichiren” appears [written] for the first time in the Record of Seeing Fudo and Aizen Myoo, Fudō-Aizen Kanken-ki, dated June 25, 1254.
