Buddhism vs. Nichiren

Buddhism versus Nichiren comparison chart

	Buddhism	Nichiren
Use of statues and pictures	Common. Statues are used as meditation objects, and revered as they reflect the qualities of the Buddha.
Belief of God	The idea of an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent creator is rejected by Buddhists. The Buddha himself refuted the theistic argument that the universe was created by a self-conscious, personal God.
Place of worship	Buddhist monasteries, temples, shrines.
Place of origin	Indian subcontinent
Clergy	The Buddhist Sangha, composed of bhikkhus (male monks) and bhikkhunis (female nuns). The sangha is supported by lay Buddhists.
Founder	The Buddha (born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama).
Literal Meaning	Buddhists are those who follow the teachings of the Buddha.
Life after death	Rebirth is one of the central beliefs of Buddhism. We are in an endless cycle of birth, death and re-birth, which can only be broken by attaining nirvana. Attaining nirvana is the only way to escape suffering permanently.
Practices	Meditation, the Eightfold Path; right view, right aspiration, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, right concentration
View of the Buddha	The highest teacher and the founder of Buddhism, the all-transcending sage.
Marriage	It is not a religious duty to marry. Monks and nuns do not marry and are celibate. Advice in the Discourses on how to maintain a happy and harmonious marriage.
Human Nature	Ignorance, as all sentient beings. In the Buddhist texts, it is seen that when Gautama, after his awakening, was asked whether he was a normal human being, he replied, "No".
Means of salvation	Reaching Enlightenment or Nirvana, following the Noble Eightfold Path.
Goal of religion	To attain enlightenment and be released from the cycle of rebirth and death, thus attaining Nirvana.
Followers	Buddhists
Population	500-600 million
Original Language(s)	Pali (Theravada tradition) and Sanskrit (Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition)
Scriptures	Tripitaka - a vast canon composed of 3 sections: the Discourses, the Discipline and the Commentaries, and some early scriptures, such as the Gandhara texts.
Confessing sins	Sin is not a Buddhist concept.
Religious Law	The Dharma.
Geographical distribution and predominance	(Majority or strong influence) Mainly in Thailand, Cambodia, Sri lanka, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Tibet, Japan, Myanmar (Burma), Laos, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Korea, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Other small minorities exist in other countries.
View of other Dharmic religions	Since the word Dharma means doctrine, law, way, teaching, or discipline, other Dharmas are rejected.
Religion which atheists may still be adherents of	Yes.
Symbols	The conch, endless knot, fish, lotus, parasol, vase, dharmachakra (Wheel of Dharma), and victory banner.
Status of Vedas	The Buddha rejected the 5 Vedas, according to the dialogues seen in the nikayas.
Authority of Pope	N/A.
Views on Other Religions	Being a practical philosophy, Buddhism is neutral against other religions.
Holy days/Official Holidays	Vesak day in which the birth, the awakening, and the parinirvana of the Buddha is celebrated.
Goal of Philosophy	To eliminate mental suffering.
Place and Time of origin	The origin of Buddhism points to one man, Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Lumbini (in present-day Nepal). He became enlightened at Bodhgaya, India and delivered his first set of teachings at a deer park in Sarnath, India.
No. of Gods and Godesses	Numerous deities. No supreme creator.
Status of women	No distinctions between men and women. Women are equal to men, and men are equal to women in the Sangha. The Buddha gave Men and Women equal rights and a major part in the Sangha.
Principle	This life is suffering, and the only way to escape from this suffering is to dispel one's cravings and ignorance by realizing the Four Noble Truths and practicing the Eightfold Path.
Time of origin	2,500 years ago, circa 563 B.C.E. (Before Common Era)
Can atheists partake in this religion's practices?	Yes.
Concept of Deity	According to some interpretations, there are beings in heaven's realms but they are also bound by "samsara". They may have less suffering but have not yet achieved salvation (nibbana)
View of other Abrahamic religions	N/A.
Virtues in which religion is based upon	Compassion.
Authority of Dalai Lama	Dalai Lamas are tulkus of the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism. They are cultural figures and are independent of the doctrinal basis of Buddhism.
What They Believe	The principle of equality: that all living entities are equal
Teachings about General Conduct	Abstain from evil, strive for nirvana, constantly cleanse the mind.
Clothing	Bhikkhus (monks) and bhikkhunis (nuns) are supposed to wear the Buddhist robe. There is no such rule for lay followers.
Animal Rights	The Buddha taught that animals have equal rights as humans. They are still bound in samsara, and suffer as humans do. Although he urged vegetarianism, he didn't restrict monks from eating meat when it was offered.
Moral Obligations	The Buddha taught that karma is the reason that we exist. According to the teaching, all our actions of body, speech and mind, will yield results, either in this state of existence, or in a later one.
Sexual Conduct	The Buddha taught that a lay follower should subdue sexual misconduct, which includes consciously cheating on one's spouse, sexual intercourse with another's wife or husband, a minor, or an animal. Monks and nuns are celibate.
Compatibility with Science	Aside from the concepts of karma and rebirth, Buddhism is said to be compatible with many scientific findings. Most Buddhist practices can also be labeled as cognitive science.
Homosexuality	The Buddha accepted both homosexuals and asexuals into the Sangha. In the Buddhist understanding, it is a natural phenomenon, and not different than heterosexualiy.
Sources of Teachings	Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha), and later masters, such as Nagarjuna, Bodhidharma, and Dogen.
Offshoot Sects	None. Although Buddhism is divided into many sects in itself. Mahayana and Vajrayana are the two big yanas, while Theravada is closer to earlier Buddhism.
General Belief	Belief in the Buddha's doctrine until one experientally sees the Dependent Origination, which opens the door to nirvana.
Ontology	Existence is called samsara; literally, "rounds of becoming". To not become is only possible through attaining nirvana; literally, "blown out".
Belief of deities	Numerous non-creator deities.
Views about other religions	See no contradiction in following more than 1 religion.
Spiritual Beings	Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Devas, & gods & goddesses.
Most Common Sects	Mahayana, Theravada, Vajyana. Zen is the most well-known Mahayana sect. Tibetan is the most well-known Vajyana sect.
Founders and Early Leaders	Buddha & his disciples.
Three Jewels/Trinity	The Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha.
What is it?	Buddhism is the religion founded by Buddha, to which he is central to.
On Other Religions	Buddhists usually see no contradiction in following more than 1 religion.
On Afterlife	Reincarnation, Hell, or ultimate Nirvana.
On Atheism	Varies. It is possible for a Buddhist to be atheist.
Introduction (from Wikipedia)		Nichiren was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period.
Place of birth		Kominato village, Awa province, Japan
Died		13 October 1282 (aged 60), Ikegami Daibo Hongyoji Temple, Musashi province, Japan
School		Mahayana, Tendai
Date of birth		6 April 1222
Religion		Buddhism
Nationality		Japanese
Denomination		Nichiren Buddhism
Lineage		Shakyamuni Buddha, Tiantai (Zhiyi ), Saichō
Education		Kiyozumi-dera Temple (Seichō-ji), Enryaku-ji Temple on Mount Hiei
Other names		Dai-Nichiren (大日蓮 ,, Nichiren the Great) ; Nichiren Daishōnin (日蓮大聖人 ,, Great Sage Nichiren) ; Nichiren Shōnin (日蓮聖人 ,, The Sage Nichiren) ; Nichiren Dai-Bosatsu (日蓮大菩薩 ,, Nichiren Great Bodhisattva)
Teacher		Dōzenbo of Seichō-ji Temple

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