Nam Myoho Renge Kyo (Devotion to the Mystic Law of the Lotus Sutra) is the central mantra chanted within all forms of Nichiren and Tendai Buddhism is referred to as Daimoku.

The practice of prolonged chanting is referred to as Shōdai while the purpose of chanting Daimoku is to reduce sufferings by eradicating negative Karma.

Also reducing karmic punishments both from previous and present lifetimes, with the goal to attain perfect and complete Awakening.

The most famous and well-known attribution in pop culture is in Tina Turner’s autobiographical movie ‘What’s Love Got To Do With It’, featuring her conversion to Nichiren Shōshū in the early 1970’s.

After the excommunication of Soka Gakkai on 28 November 1991, Turner became an Independent Buddhist.

In the film, after an attempted suicide, Tina Turner begins to chant this mantra and turns her life around.

Myoho renge kyo — The wonderful Law of the Lotus Sutra
Ho ben pon dai ni – Skillful Ways
Ni Ji Se Son — There the World Honored One
Ju San Mai — Quietly came up
An Jo Ni Ki — From his samadhi
Go Shari Hotsu — And said to Shariputra
Sho Bu’ Chi E — The wisdom of the Buddhas
Jin Jin Mu Ryo — Is profound and cannot be measured
Go Chi E Mon — Its gate is hard to understand
Nange Nan Nyu — And difficult to enter.
Is Sai Sho Mon — No Shravaka-Disciple
Hyaku Shi Butsu — Or Self-taught buddha
Sho Fu No Chi — Can understand it.
Sho I Sha Ga — Why is that?
Butsu Zo Shin Gon —the present Buddhas attended on many
Hyaku Sen Man Noku — hundreds of thousands of billions
Mu Shu Sho Butsu — Of past Buddhas,
Jin Gyo Sho Butsu — And practiced the many teachings
Mu Ryo Do Ho — Of those Buddhas bravely and energetically
Yu Myo Sho Jin — To their far-flung fame till they attained
Myo Sho Fu Mon — The profound Law
Jo Ju Jin Jin — Which you’ve never heard before,
Mi Zo U Ho — And also because they are exposing
Zui Gi Sho Setsu — The Law according to the capacities
I Shu Nan Ge — Of all living beings a way that the intention is hard to understand
Shari Hotsu — Shariputra!
Go Ju Jo Butsu I Rai — Since I became Buddha, I also
Shu Ju In Nen — Have been stating various teachings
Shu Ju Hi Yu — With different stories of previous lives,
Ko En Gon Kuyo — Various parables, and various similes.
Mu Shu Ho Ben — I have been leading all living beings
In Do Shu Jo — With countless expedients
Ryo Ri Sho Jaku — In order to save them from materialism,
Sho I Sha Ga — Because I have the power
Nyo Rai Ho Ben — To employ skills,
Chi Ken Hara Mitsu — And the power to perform
Kai I Gu Soku — The Paramita reached goal of wisdom of insight
Shari Hotsu — Shariputra!
Nyo Rai Chi Ken —The insight of the Tathagatas
Ko Dai Jin Non — Is wide and deep.
Mu Ryo Mu Ge — They have all the states of mind
Riki Mu Sho I — Towards countless living beings,
Zen Jo Ge Da’s’ San Mai — unchecked intelligence, powers,
Jin Nyu Mu Sai — Fearlessness, dhyana-concentrations,
Jo Ju Is Sai — Liberations and samadhis. They entered
Mi Zo U Ho — Deep into no limits, and attained the Law which you’ve never heard before
Shari Hotsu — Shariputra!
Nyo Rai Nyo Shu Ju Fun Betsu —The Tathagatas divide the Law
Gyo Ses Sho Ho — Into various teachings, and state
Gon Ji Nyu Nan — Those teachings so gently and skillfully
Ek Ka Shu Shin — That living being are delighted.
Shari Hotsu — Shariputra!
Shu Yo Gon Shi — In short, the Buddhas attained
Mu Ryo Mu Hen — The countless teachings
Mi Zo U Ho — Which you’ve never heard before
Bus Shitsu Jo Ju — No more
Shi — Will I say
Shari Hotsu — Shariputra
Fu Shu Bu Setsu — Because the Law
Sho I Sha Ga — attained by the Buddhas
Bus Sho Jo Ju — Is the highest Truth.
Dai Ichi Ke U — Rare to hear and hard
Nan Ge Shi Ho —To understand.
Yui Butsu Yo Butsu — Only the Buddhas attained
Nai No Ku Jin — The highest Truth, that is
Sho Ho Jis So — The Reality of All Things
Sho I Sho Ho — In regards to:
Nyo Ze So — Their appearances (form) as such,
Nyo Ze Sho — Thier natures (essence) as such,
Nyo Ze Tai — Their embodiments (present incarnation) as such,
Nyo Ze Riki — Their powers (potentiality also possibilities) as such,
Nyo Ze Sa — Their activities (function or role) as such,
Nyo Ze In — Their primary causes (obvious cause) as such,
Nyo Ze En — Their environmental causes (process) as such,
Nyo Ze Ka — Their effects (latent or hidden effect) as such,
Nyo Ze Ho — Their requital (final outcome or return) as such,
Nyo Ze Hon Ma’ Ku Kyo To — And the combination of these factors as such

(over and over again)