Buddha, born as Prince Siddhartha Gautama, has often been called the world’s first ratiol man. Experts who have adopted Buddhism as a way of life, non-practising Buddhists included, often hail Buddhism as a way to enlighten oneself with the mysterious law of existence – or what they call “the law of cause and effect”. In Nichiren Buddhism, which is a Japanese stream of Buddhism introduced by the Japanese monk Nichiren Daishonin in the 13th century, the stress on the law of cause and effect is far stronger, with the mantra m myoho renge kyo, translating to “I am devoted to the mystic law of life and its manifestation”, guiding its followers towards self-awakening. Nichiren Buddhists, most of whom are Buddhist by choice, say the mantra has salvaged them from their hours of gloom and despondency, coming to their aid whenever they felt there was no reason to hope for anything better in the world. They say the mantra, when chanted repeatedly, has helped them attain an extraordiry state of peace or calmness leading to a state of unconditiol love and compassion, which the modern world, torn asunder by terrorism and senseless violence of varied shades, so badly lacks.