Now in the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures,” the eleventh chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, a step was taken in preparation for revealing the Eternal Buddha in the sixteenth chapter on “The Life Span of the Buddha.” It is stated in the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” chapter that Śākyamuni Buddha, who had attained enlightenment for the first time only forty years or so before under the bodhi tree at Buddhagayā, India, called the crowd of Buddhas, who had obtained Buddhahood as far before as a kalpa or ten, “My manifestations.” This was against the principle of equality among Buddhas and greatly surprised everyone. If Śākyamuni Buddha had attained enlightenment only forty years or so before, large crowds of people all over the universe would not be waiting for His guidance. Even if He was capable of appearing in manifestation to guide them in various worlds, it would have been of no use. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 9, “Since there are so many of His manifestations, we should know that He has been the Buddha for a long time.” It represents the consternation of the great assembly, men and gods who were surprised at the great number of Buddhas in manifestation (funjin).

To add to their surprise, the numerous great bodhisattvas, who had been guided by the Original Buddha in the past, sprang out of the earth of the whole world, according to the “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” the fifteenth chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. They looked incomparably superior to Bodhisattvas Fugen (Universal Sage) and Monju, (Mañjuśrī), who had been regarded as ranking disciples of Śākyamuni Buddha. Compared to these bodhisattvas coming from underground, those great bodhisattvas, who had gathered upon the preaching of the Flower Garland Sūtra, Hōdō sūtras, and Wisdom Sūtra and of the “Appearance of the Stupa Of Treasures” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, or the sixteen bodhisattvas such as Bodhisattva Vajrasattva in the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra and other sūtras, looked like monkeys waiting on Indra or woodcutters associating with court nobles. Even Bodhisattva Maitreya, successor to Śākyamuni Buddha, did not know who they were, not to speak of gods and men below him.

Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 69-70