History and Teachings of Nichiren Buddhism, p 56-57The Japanese word for “śrāvaka” is shōmon, written using the characters for the words “voice,” shō, and “hear,” mon. Originally this meant “those who heard the voice of the Buddha,” with no distinction as to man, woman, monk or lay person. In this way, the term śrāvaka must be used with care, as it has historically been used with dual meanings.