After the death of the founder Nichiren, the differences of the thoughts about honbutsu (the true Buddha) and of the thoughts about the relative merit of the early part and the latter part of "Myohorenge-kyo" made branch groups which is roughly divided into three schools.
宗祖日蓮以降、本仏の位置付けや、所依の妙法蓮華経に対し勝劣の別を設けるかどうかなどの点から、思想面では大別して3つの分派が成立した。