At noon on April 28, 1253, Nichiren Shonin gave his first sermon to his former mentor and fellow monks to commemorate the completion of his studies. In that sermon, he shocked his audience by criticizing the teaching of the Pure Land sect of Buddhism. … In place of that practice, Nichiren Shonin taught the practice of chanting the Odaimoku of the Lotus Sutra, which is Namu Myoho Renge Kyo. He taught the Odaimoku as a practical and accessible way by which all people can realize the deepest truths of Buddhism. Just as the name of a country can bring to mind all its characteristics, the title of the Lotus Sutra embodies all the merits and virtues of the Buddha expounded in the Sutra. Nichiren Shonin taught that by chanting the Odaimoku, we can directly receive the ultimate truth of the Lotus Sutra from the Eternal Shakyamuni Buddha and attain Buddhahood within our lifetime.