Contemplating the state of affairs today through the examples of Venerables Aniruddha and Mahā-Kāśyapa, isn’t it unreasonable to say that a bowl or rice cooked with barley offered by Venerable Mahā-Kāśyapa was so precious that the donor with its merit became the Light Buddha, but a bale of polished barley donated today does not have the same value and will not lead you to become a Buddha? This is impossible. The moon during the lifetime of the Buddha is the same as the moon today. The flower at the time of the Buddha is the same flower today. The merit of offering in the past remains the same today. Even more so, I am today a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, despised by all the people in Japan, the ruler on top to his subjects below, and about to die of starvation. Feeling sorry for me, you kindly sent me articles of your goodwill all the way over the mountains and across rivers. They are not just barley and wheat but pieces of gold. They are not pieces of gold. They are the characters of the Lotus Sūtra. They look like barley and wheat to our human eyes, but the ten female rākṣasa demons will see the seed of Buddhahood in them.

Nanjō-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Nanjō , Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 13

Interpreting the earth trembling in six ways, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 3:

The east is blue in color, and it controls the liver, which in turn controls the eyes. The west is white in color, and it controls the lungs, which in turn control the nose. Therefore, saying that the east was raised and the west was lowered means the rise of the merit of the eyes and the decrease in the worldly passions of the nose. In contrast, saying that the west was raised and the east was lowered means that the merit of the nose appears while the evil passions of the eyes decrease. Likewise, the rise and fall of the south and north and those of the center and the four directions mean either the appearance of merit or the decrease of evil passions in the ears and the tongue and in the mind and body respectively.

Grand Master Miao-lé explains the above in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “As the eyes and nose represent the east and west, the ears and tongue logically represent the south and north. The center is the mind and the four directions represent the body. The body is equipped with the four sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, and tongue) and the mind reacts to them all. Therefore, it is said that the body and mind rise and fall alternately.”

Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 123

Now, the great omens of the Supernatural Powers of the Tathāgata chapter are excellent signs for the essence of the Lotus Sutra, the five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, to be spread in the Latter Age of Degeneration after 2,000 years of the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas following the passing of the Buddha. Therefore, it is preached in the Lotus Sūtra, “Rejoicing at the good news of this Lotus Sūtra to be upheld after the passing of the Buddha, various Buddhas all demonstrated numerous supernatural powers (in the ‘Divine Powers of the Buddha’ chapter),” and “Those who uphold this sūtra in the evil world during the Latter Age of Degeneration earn the same merits gained by donating various offerings to the Buddha (in the ‘Variety of Merits’ chapter).”

Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 125

[R]egarding the three rebellious sins committed by Devadatta, although he caused the Buddha to bleed, this Buddha was the Buddha before the Lotus Sūtra was preached and not the Original and True Buddha who attained Enlightenment in the eternal past. He also killed an arhat, but this arhat was the one before the Lotus Sūtra was preached, not the practicer of this sūtra. He disrupted the harmony in a Buddhist order, but it was not the order based on the great sudden and perfect Lotus precepts, but on the Hinayāna precepts before the Lotus Sūtra was preached. As a result, although the earth split open and Devadatta fell into the Hell of Incessant Suffering, because he had not actually committed the three rebellious sins against the Lotus Sūtra, he could therefore still become the Heavenly King Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra.

Ha Ryōkan-tō Gosho, A Letter Refuting Ryōkan-bō and Others, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 58

Although the Lotus Sūtra consists of only eight fascicles, it is as valuable as reading 16 fascicles because it is the teachings expounded by both Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddha of Many Treasures. These 16 fascicles in turn hold the value of innumerable fascicles because they were verified by innumerable Buddhas all over the universe. In other words, a single character of the Lotus Sūtra is as valuable as two characters because it was confirmed by the two Buddhas, Śākyamuni and Many Treasures. It is equal to the value of numerous characters because it was verified by numerous Buddhas all over the universe. Just as treasures produced by a wish-fulfilling gem hold the equivalent value as those produced by numerous gems, the merit of one character of the Lotus Sūtra is as valuable as those of numerous characters.

Nichimyō Shōnin Gosho, A Letter to Nichimyō Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 138

Aniruddha, a disciple of Śākyamuni Buddha, was named Wish Fulfilling when he was a child. The reason why he was so named was due to his ability to send down treasures as he wished. Asked how he became such a person, Śākyamuni Buddha answered: “It was due to the merit of offering a bowl of barnyard millet rice to a sage named Pratyekabuddha at a time of famine in the past.”

Also, Venerable Mahākāśyapa was the most honorable priest in the world Jambudvīpa), second only to the Buddha. As a layman he was a wealthy person with 60 warehouses, each of which contained 140 koku (about 500 metric tons) of gold. He owned other treasures, too numerous to count. Asked about the previous life of Mahākāśyapa and how he became such a wealthy person, Śākyamuni Buddha answered, “With the merit of offering a bowl of rice mixed with barley to a pratyekabuddha during a famine in the past, Mahākāśyapa was reborn in the Trāyastriṃsá Heaven 1,000 times. Then he encountered Śākyamuni in this life, becoming foremost among His disciples, and was guaranteed to be a Buddha named Light Buddha in the future.” Thus, it is stated by Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sutra, fascicle one.

Contemplating the state of affairs today through the examples of Venerables Aniruddha and Mahākāśyapa, isn’t it unreasonable to say that a bowl or rice cooked with barley offered by Venerable Mahākāśyapa was so precious that the donor with its merit became the Light Buddha, but a bale of polished barley donated today does not have the same value and will not lead you to become a Buddha? This is impossible. The moon during the lifetime of the Buddha is the same as the moon today. The flower at the time of the Buddha is the same flower today. The merit of offering in the past remains the same today. Even more so, I am today a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, despised by all the people in Japan, the ruler on top to his subjects below, and about to die of starvation. Feeling sorry for me, you kindly sent me articles of your goodwill all the way over the mountains and across rivers. They are not just barley and wheat but pieces of gold. They are not pieces of gold. They are the characters of the Lotus Sūtra. They look like barley and wheat to our human eyes, but the ten female rākṣasa demons will see the seed of Buddhahood in them.

Nanjō-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Nanjō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 12-13

Another example of slandering the Lotus Sūtra is treating the Lotus Sūtra as equal to the pre-Lotus sūtras and regarding the doctrine of “achieving Buddhahood through a minor act of merit” preached in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 2, on the “Expedients” as a mere expedient means of encouraging idlers. Therefore, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai declares in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 5, “If a person does not believe in the attainment of Buddhahood through a minor act of merit, he immediately destroys all the seeds for attaining Buddhahood in this world.” Grand Master Miao-lê explains further in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 5, “This Lotus Sūtra elucidates that all those in the six realms of the unenlightened possess the seeds for becoming a Buddha. One who slanders this sūtra, therefore, destroys all the seeds for attaining Buddhahood.”

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 28

Grand Master T’ien-t’ai states in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra fascicle 6, “It is said in a secular society that a cobweb is an advance notice of a happy event and chirps of a magpie foretell the arrival of a traveler. Even such trifle matters in the secular world are foreshadowed by an omen, how much more so the advent of the Buddhist Dharma. Based on worldly matters, we can conjecture the profound truth of Buddhism.” Thus, the Buddha showcased the greatest omens that had never been seen during the more than 40 years in His lifetime when He expounded the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra.

Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 124

[I]t is stated in the first “Introductory” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra that when the Buddha showed a potent omen of emitting a ray of light from the white curls between His eyebrows, Bodhisattva Maitreya saw Buddhas of the numerous worlds in the universe expound major sūtras in five periods He then asked Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī what this all meant: “The Buddhas, Saintly Masters, the Lion-like Ones, expounded the most wonderful sūtra. I also saw them teaching many billions of bodhisattvas with pure and gentle voices.” This indicates that the first preaching of the Buddha was the Flower Garland Sūtra for bodhisattvas. Also, in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra the Buddha refers to His experience upon attaining enlightenment stating, “Sitting under a bodhi tree for the first time, I meditated on the tree, strolled about … then various heavenly beings such as the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, the Four Heavenly Kings who protect the world, and Great Freedom God and billions of their retainers respectfully held their hands in gasshō, bowed and requested Me to preach.” This passage from the Lotus Sūtra indicates when the Flower Garland Sūtra was preached. Hence the first fascicle of the Flower Garland Sūtra includes such names as moon god, sun god, Indra, King of the Brahma Heaven, and Great Freedom God, all of whom attended the assembly of the Flower Garland Sūtra.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 5

To become a Buddha is more difficult than trying to thread a needle by casting a thread from the top of one Mt. Sumeru to the needle on the top of another Mt. Sumeru. How much more difficult it will be if a strong head wind is blowing the other way! It is preached in the “Never Despising Bodhisattva” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “For the first time in an innumerable number of kalpa (aeons) since the eternal past we can now hear the Lotus Sūtra. For the first time in an innumerable number of kalpa (aeons) since the eternal past the Buddhas, World-honored Ones, now preach this Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, those who practice the Lotus Sūtra after the passing of the Buddha should have no doubts upon hearing this sutra.”

This scriptural statement is especially precious among the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sūtra. From chapters one to ten (“Introductory” to “Teacher of the Dharma”) of the Lotus Sūtra, many listeners were gathered beginning with bodhisattvas of the highest stage, human beings, heavenly beings, the four categories of Buddhists, and the eight kinds of gods and demi-gods. As for the Buddhas, however, there was only one – Śākyamuni Buddha. Therefore, we can say that these chapters are somewhat “light” in a sense though they preach some important doctrines. The following 12 chapters, from chapter 11 to 22 (“Beholding the Stupa of Treasures” to “Transmission”) preach the more important doctrines. The reason why this is so is that the stupa of treasures with the Buddha of Many Treasures in it emerged from the earth in the presence of Śākyamuni Buddha. It was as if the sun appeared in front of the moon. The scene of numerous Buddhas gathered from all the worlds in the universe sitting under the Bodhi trees was as if all the plants in all the worlds throughout the universe were spectacularly lit. The teaching of the “Never Despising Bodhisattva” chapter was preached under such circumstances.

Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji, Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 93-94