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Mr. Lamont wrote in his essay the:

"The Fundamental Principles of the Kempon Hokke Faith."

Preface

Nichiren Daishonin (1222-1282 C.E.), who is the earthly descent of the Bodhisattva Jogyo sent by the Master of Teachings the Buddha Lord Shakya Who Attained Enlightenment in the Most Distant Past, began to spread a religion appropriate to his times. Because we revere as our exemplars the True Teacher Nichiju (1328-1379), who restored the truth of the Patriarch Nichiren’s sect, and the martyrs of Myomanji of past times, who inherited his tradition, we have a duty to strictly preserve their pure doctrine. And so we publicly proclaim the fundamental principles of our faith.

A) The Goal of the Faith

The Hokekyo (Lotus Sutra ) is the teaching in which the Lord Shakya
“forthrightly abandons expedience and only preaches the Supreme Way”
and, according to that Sutra, His Fundamental Intention is to lead all beings
to rapidly attain the Buddha Body (Buddhahood) “equal to Myself without difference.” His goal is to lead the lowest, most evil unenlightened worldlings
of this evil era of the Latter Dharma to Rebirth in the Pure Land and the
Attainment of Buddhahood. According to the Sutra all beings attain Buddhahood because “there is not one who, having heard the Dharma, does not attain Buddhahood” and so the goal of this religion is not the salvation of the individual only. When the True Teaching of the Hokekyo is spread, the benefit reaches the believer’s family and society. That is, both his or her ancestors and descendants become able to enter the Pure Land and attain Buddhahood and, moreover, the believer’s land (environment) is transformed into the Buddha’s Country (the Pure Land, the ideal world). Because this is the realization of the promise of the Sutra concerning “peace and security in the present world and a good place of rebirth
in the afterlife”, we do not deny “worldly benefits." However, if we take Nichiren Shonin as our exemplar, he holds “I have no prayers for this life but only think of becoming a Buddha.” Rather than praying for the transient benefits of the present world it is better to pray about approaching our end, which concerns our Rebirth
in the Pure Land and the Attainment of Buddhahood. We believe that “there cannot be an instance where the prayers of the Practicer of the Hokekyo are not fulfilled” and “if the Practicers of the Hokekyo have no backsliding in the mind of faith or false affection in their persons, but leave themselves to the Hokekyo in
all things and practice in accordance with the Golden Words, they will for certain even in this life, not to speak of the afterlife, end disasters and extend the life span, obtain the reward of the Superior, Sublime Great Effect and accomplish the Great Vow of ‘widely proclaiming and diffusing’”, we take the afterlife, Rebirth in the Pure Land, Attainment of Buddhahood and spreading the teaching to be our principal goal. By our receiving and keeping the Odaimoku (“Namu Myoho renge kyo”) based on the mind of faith we are certain to achieve Rebirth in the Pure Land and Buddhahood and hence we must accomplish the Grand Endeavor of ‘widely proclaiming and diffusing’ to benefit others.

(B) The Basis for the Faith

This religion is none other than a teaching based on the “complete possession
of Three Types of Proof.” In other words, we hold Textual Proof (proof from authoritative documents), Reasonable Principles (rational proof), and Actual
Proof (proof based on actual reality or experience) to be its basis.

(1) ‘Textual Proof’ means the Golden Words of the Sutra: the Hokekyo or Lotus Sutra, which is the Fundamental Intention and Real Teaching of Lord Shakya, is the highest authority. Our sect differs from other Nichiren lineages because it has
a “Succession Through the Scrolls of the Sutra”, relying on the Dharma and not
on people. It has been truly said that the Sutra text “is very clear and very obvious” but when we expound and explain the Sutra we base ourselves on the authentic works of Nichiren Shonin (the autographs in his own hand, ancient copies from the first period after Nichiren Shonin’s decease, and works which accord with these) and the words of ancient Tendai as cited by Nichiren Shonin.
(In general, we do not take the forgeries created under the influence of medieval Tendai as evidence.)

(2) ‘Reasonable Principles’ mean that we explain and expand upon the fundamental doctrines by means of rational principles.

(3) ‘Actual Proof’ means the proof which appears in actual reality. This proof
is not merely miraculous occurrences but is also the unfolding of history.