Therefore, a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra who believes in the Lotus Sūtra and recites the daimoku has all the merit of the Buddha of Infinite Life and all other Buddhas throughout the universe without saying the nembutsu even once in his lifetime. It is like a wish-fulfilling gem equipped with all the treasures such as gold and silver.
Jisshō-shō, A Treatise on the Ten Chapters of the Great Concentration and Insight
It is the “wide” practice to uphold, read, recite, and defend with delight the total of the Lotus Sūtra consisting of 28 chapters in 8 fascicles. It is the “abbreviated” practice to uphold and keep the important chapters such as the “Expedients” and “The Life Span of the Buddha” of the Lotus Sūtra. It is the “essential” practice to chant only the four-phrase verse of “The Divine Powers” chapter or the daimoku or to protect those who do so. Of these three kinds of practices to chant only the daimoku devotedly is the essence of the essential.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
You should not forget that the ultimate doctrine of compassion with which these Buddhas and bodhisattvas guide the people is solely in the Lotus Sūtra. You should remember that the secret doctrine to save the evil, the stupid, women, and those without Buddha-nature is not revealed in sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra. This is the very reason why the Lotus Sūtra is superior to all other Buddhist scriptures.
Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treastise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
QUESTION: Why do you claim that the daimoku contains all the Buddha’s teachings?
ANSWER: Interpreting the preface of the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, Chang-an says, “The daimoku at the beginning is the king of the Lotus Sūtra that expresses the profound meaning of the sūtra. The sūtra’s profound meaning is the heart of the text. The heart of the text is unsurpassed by even the theoretical and essential teachings.” Miao-lê says, “By the daimoku, the heart of the text of the Lotus Sūtra, the comparative superiority among all the teachings of the Buddha is discerned.”
Shishin Gohon-shō, The Four Depths of Faith and Five Stages of Practice
Not only those sutras preached by Śākyamuni Buddha but also those expounded by seven Buddhas and 1,000 Buddhas in the past, numerous Buddhas from the remotest past, as well as various Buddhas of all the worlds in the universe today are all subordinates to the Chinese character kyō of the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, the Lotus Sūtra says to Star King Flower Bodhisattva in the 23rd chapter, “Medicine King Bodhisattva,” that just as the sea is larger than any river, Mt. Sumeru is the largest of all the mountains, and the moon is brighter than any star, the Lotus Sūtra is supreme of all the sūtras. Grand Master Miao-lê interprets this saying that the Lotus Sūtra is the best of all the Buddhist scriptures preached in the past, being preached at present, and to be preached in the future. That is to say, all the Buddhist scriptures of all the worlds in the universe are contained in the Chinese character kyō of the Lotus Sūtra.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
The character myō of the Lotus Sūtra is likened to the sunshine of spring through summer, and blossoming and bearing fruits mean aspiration for and attainment of Buddhahood by those people. Bodhisattva Nāgārjuna says in his Great Wisdom Discourse that it is “like a great medicine master turning poison into medicine.” This is his explanation of how virtuous “myō” of the Lotus Sūtra was. Grand Master Miao-lê says also that the Lotus Sūtra is named “myō” because it was able to heal all the sick people with obstinate diseases that had not been cured by any other sūtras.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
Generally speaking, there are four kinds of people who cannot attain Buddhahood or enter the Buddha land. The first is the Two Vehicles with fixed natures namely pratyekabuddha and śrāvaka. Next is the icchantika, who did not listen to the teaching of the Buddha and spoiled the seed of Buddhahood. The third is those with empty mind who do not believe in the doctrine of cause and effect expounded by the Buddha. And finally those who slander the True Dharma. These people, who have long been denied the attainment of Buddhahood in the various pre-Lotus sūtras, were allowed to become Buddhas for the first time in the Lotus Sūtra. This is the reason why the Lotus Sūtra is called “myō.”
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
“Myō” means revival. For example, when a mother crane calls out to her dead child, “Shian,” the dead crane will come back to life. When a poisonous bird called chinchō enters the water, fish and clam will die from the bird’s poison, but the touch of a rhinoceros horn will bring them back to life. Similarly, when the Two Vehicles of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, (who were nearly dead because their seeds of Buddhahood were roasted in various sūtras,) icchantika, women and others who uphold the character “myō,” their dead seeds will be revived and they will all be resuscitated.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
Of all the sūtras preached by all Buddhas throughout the lifetime of the Buddha and the Ages of the True Dharma, the Semblance Dharma, and the Latter Age of Degeneration after His passing, women could not attain Buddhahood without the Lotus Sūtra. This has been pointed out by Grand Master T’ien-t’ai of China, who had been guided directly by the Buddha on Mt. Sacred Eagle in India and attained enlightenment. In the seventh fascicle of his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra T’ien-t’ai declares that the other sūtras mention the enlightenment of men only, not of women, while the Lotus Sūtra explains the enlightenment of everyone regardless of sex, whether or not one is evil.
Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra
These Buddhas in manifestation from all over the universe wanted to clarify that they are one with Śākyamuni Buddha. Śākyamuni Buddha is like the moon up in the sky; those Buddhas in manifestation are like moons reflected on the water. The land of Śākyamuni Buddha is this Sahā World. If the Buddha, the moon in the sky, does not move, the Buddhas in manifestation do not move either. They live in this Sahā World to protect the practicers of the Lotus Sūtra just as the retainers living in the Sahā World pay respect to their lord, and parents love an only child.
Shimoyama Goshōsoku, The Shimoyama Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin