The true teaching is what Śākyamuni Buddha has now preached in the Lotus Sūtra. In order to help all the people in the world believe in the daimoku (Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō) consisting of seven (Chinese) characters, the essence of the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter in the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha of Many Treasures and the Buddhas in manifestation from all over the universe verified this.
Shimoyama Goshōsoku, The Shimoyama Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin
QUESTION: How can anyone escape the three evil realms just by hearing the daimoku, the title of the Lotus Sūtra, without understanding its meaning?
ANSWER: It is due to the meritorious acts of past lives that anyone happens to be born in a land where the Lotus Sūtra is known, hears the title of the sūtra and has faith in it. Even though he is ignorant and wicked in this life, because of the meritorious acts in previous lives, he can believe in this sūtra upon hearing its name. As a result he will not fall into evil realms.
Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation
Likewise, those who uphold the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra can change the black (evil) karma, which they committed in this life or during the numerous kalpa (aeons) in the past, into white (good) great karma, not to speak of the meritorious good acts performed in the past since the eternal past, which will all be changed to golden-colored.
Myōhō-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady, the Nun Myōhō
The Lotus School … is based on the most truthful words of all teachings of the Buddha. Not only does the Lotus Sūtra consist of true words but also provisional sūtras preached by the Buddha during His lifetime, upon flowing into the great ocean of the Lotus Sūtra, are all converted to the sūtra of the true words by the power of the Lotus Sūtra. Let alone the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra.
Myōhō-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady, the Nun Myōhō
Note: This is another in the monthly excerpts from “Tales of the Lotus Sutra.”
There was a certain bhikṣunī, her name [long since] forgotten, who lived on the outskirts of the Kunshan district of Suzhou. She became a nun at an early age and took to constant recitation of the Lotus Sūtra, which she performed devotedly a day for some twenty-odd years. In appearance she was unusually beautiful and refined, so much so that anyone who caught sight of her was struck immediately with affection for her. During the first year of the Yongchang era [689] a certain district office manager named Zhu began to entertain wicked fantasies about her and sought to press her with his less than honorable designs. Yet the bhikṣunī remained firm in her chastity and refused to give in to him.
Angered by her rejection, Zhu made a great deal of trouble for the abbey and intentionally sought to disrupt their regular means of livelihood. The bhikṣunīs were at a total loss as to where to turn to rid themselves of this plight. Whereupon, the nun who kept the Lotus said, “How could the Lotus Sūtra fail to show its spiritual potency in this matter?” She then donned her purified robe, entered the Buddha hall, burned incense, and professed [solemn] vows.
Not long thereafter the office manager, availing himself of some official pretext, came to the abbey to pass the night. His heart, of course, harbored other intentions. But the very instant he sought to find his way to the nun’s quarters, his lower extremities were seized with a burning pain and his male member dropped off. Rivulets of perspiration streamed from his skin, leprous ulcers broke out over his entire body, and his eyebrows, beard, and sideburns all fell out. The office manager grievously recanted, but even after trying a hundred remedies, he still was never completely cured.
Except for bodhisattvas such as Superior Practice and Limitless Practice, highest-ranking leaders of the bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth, no one is allowed to appear in the 500-year period at the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration and to spread the five letters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, which is the substance of all existing things. Furthermore, no one else can form the Most Venerable One (honzon) with the two Buddhas, Śākyamuni and Many Treasures, seated side by side inside the Stupa of Treasures. This is because these (daimoku and honzon) are the gist of the “actual three thousand existences contained in one thought” doctrine expounded in the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, and it should be spread by bodhisattva disciples of the Original Buddha.
Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality
In the future, when you see good men or women who believe in the wisdom of the Tathāgata, you should expound Myōhō Renge Kyō to them, and cause them to hear and know Myōhō Renge Kyō so that they may be able to obtain the wisdom of the Buddha. When you see anyone who does not receive Myōhō Renge Kyō by faith, you should show him some other profound teachings of mine, teach him, benefit him, and cause him to rejoice. When you do all this, you will be able to repay the favors given to you by the Buddhas.”
Having heard these words of the Buddha, the Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas were filled with great joy. With more respect than ever, they bent forward, bowed, joined their hands together towards him, and said simultaneously. “We will do as you command. Certainly, World-Honored One! Do not worry!”
Anyone who keeps Myōhō Renge Kyō
Will have his mind purified as previously stated.
Although he has not yet obtained the wisdom-without-āsravas,
He will be able to obtain these merits of the mind.
“A man on a plateau, feeling thirsty,
Dug a hole in order to get water.
As long as he saw the dug-out lumps of earth were dry,
He knew that water was still far off.
When he found the earth wet and muddy,
He was convinced that water was near.In the same manner, Medicine-King, know this!
Those who do not hear
Myōhō Renge Kyō
Are far from the wisdom of the Buddha.”
“A Bodhisattva-mahāsattvas who performs this third set of peaceful practices in the latter days after [my extinction] when the teachings are about to be destroyed, will be able to expound the Dharma without disturbance. He will be able to have good friends when he reads and recites Myōhō Renge Kyō. A great multitude will come to him, hear and receive Myōhō Renge Kyō from him, keep Myōhō Renge Kyō after hearing Myōhō Renge Kyō, recite Myōhō Renge Kyō after keeping Myōhō Renge Kyō, expound Myōhō Renge Kyō after reciting Myōhō Renge Kyō, copy Myōhō Renge Kyō or cause others to copy Myōhō Renge Kyō after expounding Myōhō Renge Kyō, make offerings to the copy of Myōhō Renge Kyō, honor Myōhō Renge Kyō, respect Myōhō Renge Kyō, and praise Myōhō Renge Kyō.”