Of course, one might wonder why simply repeating a phrase is considered the most important practice for Nichiren Buddhists. Nichiren Shonin himself explained that the Buddha prescribed the Odaimoku as a good medicine to cure living beings of the sufferings of birth and death. To become more like someone we admire, it is helpful to act like that person. If we want to become like the Buddha, we must act like the Buddha. In the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha revealed that all Buddhas including himself became enlightened by revering the Lotus Sutra itself. This is what we are doing when we chant the Odaimoku. Through this practice, we become one with the Buddha and cultivate our own Buddha nature.