Let's get this out of the way right away: Transcendent Life Condition Buddhism (TLC Buddhism) is not about dogma or blind belief. We will explain in the following paragraphs how there can be a religion or spiritual depth without these two elements so common to other belief systems.

Nichiren was a Japanese Buddhist reformist priest. In brief, he captured and honed the core aspects of Buddhism and the most profound teachings contained within it, ignored that which wasn't as profound or important, basically discarding most of the Buddhist canon, and in this way developed something better than was there before.

Importantly, Nichiren taught a new form of meditation, chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. The one phrase, Nam-myoho-renge-kyo, is the most advanced religious philosophy there is. It takes people years to fully comprehend its deepest meanings. We don't say this to intimidate or out of arrogance but as a statement of obervation from a lifetime of experience watching people develop their understanding of Buddhism over time.

Fortunately, one need not understand the meaning of the phrase to begin benefiting from chanting it. Over time, with Buddhist practice, understanding grows.

The main message of Buddhism is that all people can enlightenment, which is an altered, happier, better version of yourself. There are different kinds of enlightenment in Buddhism. Here, we call our form of enlightenment "Buddhahood." Buddhahood is a term referencing the Ten Worlds, a concept unique to Nichiren Buddhism specifically. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

In Nichiren Buddhism, enlightenment isn't so much about attaining tranquility, although that is often one of the benefits. Tranquility is considered a lower state of life in Nichiren Buddhism compared to Buddhahood. There is something so much more fantastic to the benefit of this practice than tranquility. There is an energy to it. A vibration.

"Nichiren Shoshu Basics of Practice" explains it this way:

“Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime” does not mean changing your human form. Nor does it mean becoming a Buddha when you die, a mistaken view commonly held in other Buddhist denominations. Rather, it means achieving, in this lifetime and in our present form, the greatest potential life condition contained within the depths of our lives....

Buddhahood is a mighty force that manifests a solution to every kind of suffering. It is a source of energy which manifests in our daily lives and propels each of us into a brilliant, truly joyful and fulfilled existence in the present moment. Striving in faith, we aim to establish an absolutely indestructible life condition of spiritual strength, wisdom and peace grounded in the world of Buddhahood.

Of course, situations in which an ill person becomes healthy, an unhappy family finds harmony, or poverty changes to financial security are necessary conditions for a happy life. However, if these conditions are examined closely, they can all be seen to be relative, partial forms of happiness in comparison to an inner condition based on Buddhahood. In many cases, relative happiness is manifested only temporarily or partially.

However, within the reality of our daily lives, we are often embroiled in so many kinds of hardships that we cannot keep track of them all. Though we are able to make money, we may suffer with family discord, or even if we are healthy we may have unhappy children. Uncovering and revealing the world of Buddhahood is the fundamental source for attacking the root cause of suffering in human life, and for resolving every possible form of distress. This is the absolute happiness each and every person in the world is longing for in the depths of his or her heart.

Just as a single drop of water is included within a great ocean, a person who has established an absolutely happy life condition through embracing True Buddhism will definitely be able to resolve flaws in his or her character, and overcome sickness, poverty, or family problems.

Thus, it is important for us to have unshakable faith and tenaciously seek the attainment of Buddhahood in this lifetime, without being swayed by external circumstances. With strong faith, we need not be joyful one moment and depressed the next because of the ups and downs of life.

When one is happy, they approach the world with more vigor and confidence and can do more good for society. But it's not just about what we can do for society. Wouldn't it be great if everyone had a tool they could use to become remarkably happy? Wouldn't that alone be big benefit to mankind? This is such a tool.

This is not something we speak of as attainable after death, in some other lifetime, or something attained by a revered one or two people, such as the Buddha or Nichiren or the High Priest. It is something we have personally experienced firsthand, or we wouldn't be here talking about it. It's something known to us. Something that can be known to every practitioner of Nichiren Buddhism, from high to low. All one needs is sincerity, determination, and the right kind of practice.

This is why we say this is not about dogma. We have tested this practice for ourselves and found it to be true. And every single individual can test it for themselves and determine whether it lives up to its claims or not.

We of TLC Buddhism are reformers of Nichiren Buddhism, capturing what is best about Nichiren Buddhism and discarding that which is least.

Our focus is on the life condition of Buddhahood. We favor those teachings that provide a clearer and more direct path to Buddhahood or are spiritually deeper (or closer to expressing Buddhahood) over those that are relatively shallow or factually incorrect.

We can choose to focus our attention in many different ways. In a way, that's kind of at the heart of Buddhism, isn't it? When we meditate, aren't we choosing how to focus?

Imagine for a minute that you once wrote a book about something you're very passionate about, something you think would change the world. Let's say that the main point of your book was that we should have compassion for all people. In 100 years, your book is still widely read and revered. Nice, huh?

Somewhere in your book you make a passing reference to the current theory of genetics. Now imagine that in that time, science discovered that it had gotten genetics quite wrong in our time. The way they think traits are passed down now, through DNA, is overturned in the future. Say they later discover that traits are really passed down through a much more sophisticated means than we can even grasp with our current knowledge. Let's say it turns out that Morphic Resonance is a more correct version of genetic theory.

Now imagine some of these future people, rather than focusing on your real point about compassion, the point you intended to make and passionately believed would change people's lives, instead spend all of their time talking about and propagating the theory of DNA, as if that were your primary point. They completely overlook your real message and the whole intent of writing the book in the first place and go around teaching the importance of belief in DNA.

Imagine how frustrating that would be for you. Nichiren spent his life dedicated to providing for us a better, quicker, more powerful, more spiritually advanced, and more sophisticated path to Buddhahood. Imagine how frustrating it would be for him if we now focused on mundane elements of his writing that had nothing to do with his primary mission in life. Surely, it would be irritating. But we're intent on getting to the heart of his message to understand it, practice it, and teach it to others.

When we study Buddhism, we can focus on lesser matters, more irrelevant matters or things that were common beliefs in the societies where our Buddhist teachers lived. Or we can focus our attention on the primary point of the religion -- on how we can attain Buddhahood and help others to do the same.

Nichiren zeroed in on the most profound aspects of Buddhism, the ones that were about how ordinary people can attain Buddhahood. He enhanced the practice and deepened the philosophy of Buddhism. Now it's our turn. The primary focus of TLC Buddhism is zeroing in on the most profound aspects and the most effective practices of Nichiren Buddhism. Following in his footsteps, we of TLC Buddhism take the path of ignoring or discarding that which is unnecessary while fervently and passionately embracing the core teaching of Buddhism, particularly Nichiren Buddhism, which is all about you, the individual, becoming a Buddha in this lifetime.

Some may wonder where the spirituality fits into all of this talk about happiness and self-development. In Buddhism, Buddhahood is spirituality. In our opinion, it is the deepest form of spirituality there is. This can be felt when one practices. Chanting Nam-myoho-renge-kyo sincerely and assiduously allows one to penetrate deeper and deeper into their internal selves, reaching places and having experiences that are otherwise impossible to have.

There is a depth to us that we do not know prior to chanting. This revelation to us as we chant is what makes this Buddhism so deeply spiritual.