To Nichiren Shonin, the essence of the Buddha’s true will was distilled in a scripture called the Lotus Sutra, which recorded his most important teaching. More specifically, Nichiren Shonin believed the essence of this was expressed in the Odaimoku. Odaimoku is the Japanese word for “Sacred Title.” This refers to the expression of faith in the ultimate truth that is embodied in the full title of the Lotus Sutra, prouounced “Namu Myoho Renge Kyo” in Sino-Japanese. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo means “I devote myself to the Sutra of the Lotus Flower or the Wonderful Dharma.” Nichiren Shonin saw himself as the Buddha’s messenger, and taught with the conviction that the Buddha had entrusted him with a teaching and practice that would enable all people to attain awakening.

Buddhism does not focus on worshiping or appeasing some superhuman being whose powers and understanding are forever beyond our reach. Neither is Buddhism idolatry: Buddhists do not worship arcane symbols, statues, or a group of deities. It is true that Buddhists believe in an ultimate reality, sometimes called the Buddha-nature, that enables us to attain awakening, but this should not be confused with the historical person called the Buddha. The historical Buddha is revered as the one who taught the Way, but he does not transcend our ability to emulate him. Likewise, the Buddha-nature is not a person to worship, but is the fertile ground from which we can bring out our own Buddha-like qualities by practicing the Buddha’s teachings.

Just as a fertile field has the capacity to produce a bountiful harvest of fruits and vegetables if the right seeds are planted, we have the capacity to manifest the wisdom and compassion of a Buddha if the seed of Buddhahood is planted in our lives. Our Buddha-nature is like the fertile field which awaits the seed; Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is that seed. All the awakened qualities and merits spring from that seed, which we receive through our faith in the Lotus Sutra. That is why chanting Namu Myoho Renge Kyo, “I devote myself to the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma” is the primary practice of Nichiren Buddhism.

Understanding the Truth of Provisionality can help us to overcome indifference and carelessness. We overcome indifference when we acknowledge the beauty of things as they are. We overcome carelessness when we recognize that our own existence influences and is influenced by the world around us. The Truth of Provisionality ensures that we do not focus solely on the Truth of Emptiness and thus lose sight of the fact that phenomena actually do exist, though impermanently. The Buddha Dharma does not ignore the world and the sufferings of its inhabitants simply because of their provisionality.

The Truth of Provisionality is the teaching that all things do have a provisional existence determined by causes and conditions. Even if nothing has an unchanging or independent existence, everything we experience, including ourselves, does exist provisionally as part of the ever-changing and interdependent process of life. Holding a ripe, red tomato in our hands, biting into it, and enjoying its flavor and texture is appreciating the provisional existence or a tomato.

Dependent Origination is the deeper meaning of the Middle Way taught by the Buddha as the path to Nirvana. It is the Middle Way between the one-sided view of existence, which a states that life is made up of separate independent substances, and the one-sided view of non-existence, which asserts that nothing in life is real. Neither of these extreme views recognizes life as a dynamic and interdependent process. Dependent Origination is the teaching that things have an existence based on causes and conditions. Therefore, one who is following the Middle Way will think in terms of causes and conditions rather than in terms of existence and non-existence. For the follower of the Middle Way, there are no longer any static or unchanging categories or boundaries.

Dependent Origination is the awareness of cause and effect, and the interdependence of all things. This awareness gives rise to an authentic sense of responsibility, genuine love, and compassion.

Buddhism can be confusing because to some people it seems like a religion, to others it seems like a philosophy, and to others it seems like an ancient tradition of psychology. Buddhism, however, cannot be reduced to any of these categories. At its heart, Buddhism is a world view based upon the awakening of the Buddha, and a way of life that leads to and is consistent with an awakened world view. This “awakening” refers to an awakening from the sleep of delusion and self-centeredness. This is the enlightenment that freed the Buddha from suffering and enabled him to reach out compassionately to others so that they could share his freedom. The Buddha also described and demonstrated the perfect wisdom and great compassion of one who had awakened to the true nature of reality.