Now, when you decide to convert your faith to the Lotus Sūtra, you may be puzzled whether you should abandon the pre-Lotus sūtras preached in the first forty years or so, or whether you should still keep them and continue to chant the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life. We ordinary people should not decide this issue on our own. We should follow what our father Śākyamuni Buddha tells us. He declares in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “Having abandoned all expedient teachings, I will expound only the unsurpassed way (Lotus Sūtra).” Expedient teachings here means the expedient means mentioned in the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning stating, “The truth has not been revealed for forty years or so as an expedient means.” All words of all sūtras such as the triple Pure Land sūtras are included in the word ‘expedient’ defined by Śākyamuni Buddha.

Therefore, those who do not abandon the various sūtras preached during some forty years or so and convert themselves to the Lotus Sūtra must be called the most impious in Buddhism, no matter how proud they may be in secular society. This is the reason why it is preached in the “Parable” chapter of the second fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra, “This triple world is My domain, where all living beings are My children. There are many sufferings in this world and only I can save all living beings. Although I taught and told this to all living beings, they did not believe in me because they are at a loss.” Those who refuse to abandon the provisional sūtras preached during forty years or so or practice them along with the Lotus Sūtra do not follow the wishes of the ruler, teacher, and parent. The word ‘taught’ in the citation from the “Parable” chapter means what is taught by a teacher or a parent, and the word ‘told’ means what is ordered by the emperor. The Buddha is the wisest king, the most venerable teacher, and the smartest father in the world. Therefore, those who do not convert themselves to the Lotus Sūtra by abandoning the various sūtras preached during the forty years or so or those who do not abandon the provisional sūtras even after converting themselves to the Lotus Sūtra are those who do not follow the instructions of our father Śākyamuni Buddha, who has the three virtues of the ruler, teacher, and parent. They should not live in this world.

Hōmon Mōsaru-beki-yō no Koto, The Way to Refute the Evil Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Desciples, Volume 5, Page 142