It has been 2,200 years or so since the Buddha expounded the Lotus Sūtra. As the life span of human beings is short, there is no one still alive who was able to see the Buddha in person. The length of a day as well as the life span in the realm of heavenly beings, however, are so long that there exist numerous heavenly beings who listened to the Buddha preach the Lotus Sūtra. Fifty years for human beings is equivalent to one day and night for the Four Heavenly Kings. Passing the day and night in this way, with 30 days in a month and 12 months to a year they live altogether 500 years. Accordingly, 2,200 years or so in the human realm is equivalent to 44 days of the Four Heavenly Kings, and it has been only 44 days since the sun and moon and Vaiśravaṇa (Bishamon, one of the Four Heavenly Kings) saw the Buddha enter Nirvana. In other words, it has not been two months yet since the Buddha passed away. To such heavenly beings as Indra and the King of the Brahma Heaven it has been a month or so since the Buddha passed into Nirvana. How can they forget all about the vow they made before the Buddha, the great favor of the sūtra in which they attained Buddhahood, and abandon the practicers of the Lotus Sūtra in such a short span? When we think of things in this way, we are sure we can depend on these heavenly beings.

Accordingly, the prayer said by the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra will inevitably be fulfilled just as a sound is echoed, a shadow follows the body, the moon reflects upon the clear water, a water nymph invites the water, a magnet attracts iron, amber eliminates dust, and a clear mirror reflects the color of everything.

Kitō Shō, Treatise on Prayers, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 66-67

Although Śubh̄karasimha was such a splendid person, he once experienced a sudden death. Upon regaining consciousness, however, he is said to have declared:

Upon my death, a hell guard came to tie me with seven iron ropes, hit me hard with an iron stick, and dragged me to the palace of King Yama. Somehow I completely forgot all Buddhist scriptures said to be 80,000 in number, not remembering even one word or a phrase except the title of the Lotus Sūtra. When I recalled it, the iron ropes that tied me got loose somewhat. Breathing a sigh of relief, I recited a passage in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra resoundingly: “This triple world is all My domain, in which all the living beings are my children without exception. Although there exist many sufferings and difficulties in this world, only I, the Buddha, alone can save and protect all living beings.” Then the seven iron ropes were broken into pieces and scattered all over. Seeing this scene, King Yama took off his crown, came down to the courtyard, and said to me, “This experience of death has not exhausted your entire life span.” Thus he sent me back to this world.

Zemmui-shō, Treatise on Śubh̄karasimha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 54

QUESTION: You cannot burn anything by simply uttering the word, “fire,” repeatedly. Indeed, you have to use your hand in order to burn something. You cannot quench your thirst by just saying “water.” You need to use your mouth for drinking water. The same is true with the daimoku. I doubt it is possible to escape from the evil realms through the mere chanting of the daimoku, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. Isn’t it necessary to understand what the daimoku means and what it entails?

ANSWER: When the sinew of a lion is used as a string for a koto, the sound is so powerful that all the strings made from other threads will snap. And when hearing of the sourness of a pickled plum, saliva fills the mouth without eating it. Such mysterious things happen even in worldly affairs. How then can it be denied that something wonderful happens with the Lotus Sūtra? Even a parrot is said to have been reborn in the realm of heavenly beings just by repeating the name of the Four Noble Truths of the Hinayāna teaching. Moreover, a man who dedicated himself to the Three Treasures – the Buddha, Dharma, and Saṃgha – was able to escape the attack of a monster fish in the ocean. Imagine the wonders that would occur with the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, the essence of all the 80,000 teachings, and the eye of all the Buddhas. Do you still hold the belief that you cannot escape the four kinds of evil realms by just chanting the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra?

Hokke Daimoku Shō, Treatise on the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4,
Page 38-39

[T]he Lotus Sūtra is likened to the sun. The moon appearing at night with twinkling stars cannot put out the starlight although the moonlight is stronger. During the day, on the contrary, sunlight extinguishes not only starlight but also moonlight. Likewise, pre-Lotus sūtras are like the stars and the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra is like the moon whereas the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra is like the sun. Seen from the standpoint of the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter, even the theoretical section is like the moon, which is not comparable to the sun, not to speak of other sūtras. People cannot work at night with either starlight or moonlight. When day breaks and the sun rises, people begin to work. Likewise, in the pre-Lotus sūtras and in the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra, as at night, nobody can cut the chain of life and death to attain enlightenment no matter how hard one tries. On the contrary, in the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, like the sun rising at daybreak, everyone necessarily gets rid of the chain of life and death to attain enlightenment.

Yakuō-bon Tokui-shō, The Essence of the ‘Medicine King Bodhisattva’ Chapter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 33

QUESTION 10: What should a believer of the Lotus Sūtra regard as the Honzon (the Most Venerable One)? How should one perform the Buddhist rites and practice daily training?

ANSWER 10: First of all, the Honzon could be eight fascicles, one fascicle, one chapter or the title alone of the Lotus Sūtra. This is preached in the “Teacher of the Dharma” and “Divine Powers of the Buddhas” chapters. Those who can afford to may have the portraits or wooden statues of Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddha of Many Treasures made and placed on both sides of the Lotus Sutra. Those who can further afford to may make the portraits or wooden statues of various Buddhas all over the universe or Universal Sage Bodhisattva. As for the manner of performing the rites, standing or sitting practices must be observed in front of the Honzon. Outside the hall of practice, however, one is free to choose any of the four modes of acts: walking, standing, sitting and lying down. Next, regarding the daily practices, the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra should be chanted, “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. ” If possible, a verse or phrase of the Lotus Sūtra should respectfully be read. As an auxiliary practice one may say a prayer to Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, the numerous Buddhas throughout the universe, various bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles, Heavenly Kings, dragon gods, the eight kinds of gods and demi-gods who protect Buddhism as one wishes. Since we have many ignorant people today, the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine may be difficult to contemplate from the beginning. Nevertheless, those who wish to study it are encouraged to do so from the start.

Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treatise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sutra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 20

Concisely speaking, the honzon (Most Venerable Ones) of Buddhist sects are as follows:

• The three Hinayāna sects of Kusha (Chü-she), Jōjitsu (Ch’êng-shih, Establishment of Truth) and Ritsu (Lü, Precept) regard Śākyamuni Buddha appearing in this world in the capacity of the Inferior Accommodative Body as the Most Venerable One.
• The honzon of the Flower Garland Sect is Vairocana Buddha in the Reward Body.
• The Hossō (Dharma Characteristics) Sect regards Śākyamuni Buddha in the Superior Accommodative Body as the honzon.
• The Sanron (Three Discourses) Sect also worships Śākyamuni in the Superior Accommodative Body.
• The Shingon (True Word) Sect’s honzon is the Great Sun Buddha, whose Dharma Body resides in the Matrix-store Realm Mandala and Reward Body in the Diamond Realm Mandala.
• Amitābha (the Buddha of Infinite Life), the Most Venerable One of the Jādo (Pure Land) Sect, is a Buddha in the Reward Body according to Shantao but in the Accommodative Body according to T’ien-t’ai. The Accommodative Body can be divided into two – inferior and superior.

Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 232

Śākyamuni Buddha’s lifetime preaching can be divided into five periods:

1. The first is called the Flower Garland period, when the Buddha expounded the Flower Garland Sūtra for two or three weeks on the Diamond-seat under the Bodhi Tree for bodhisattvas in the Dharma Body during the eight meetings at seven places. The Flower Garland Sūtra is a provisional Mahayana teaching compared to the Lotus Sūtra, however, it is the distinct teaching (teaching for bodhisattvas) as well as the perfect teaching. The conclusion of this sūtra is in the Brahma-net Sūtra, which expounds the Mahayana precepts for bodhisattvas. …
2. The second of the five periods is the Āgama (or Deer Park) period, when for 12 years Śākyamuni Buddha preached the Hinayana Āgama sūtras in the Deer Park in Bārāpasī and various other places in 16 great states. The Āgama sūtras roughly consists of four groups: Long Āgama Sūtras; Middle Length Āgama Sūtras; Increasing-by-One Āgama Sūtras; and Miscellaneous Āgama Sūtras. These sūtras preach such doctrines as the “four noble truths” (the truth of suffering, the truth regarding the cause of sufferings, the truth regarding the extinction of suffering, and the truth regarding the path to Nirvana) and the “eightfold holy path” (right views, thoughts, speech, acts, living, effort, mindfulness, and meditation), which preach for men of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) that all things and phenomena are transient and void. The concluding sūtra is the Sūtra of Legacy Teachings preached just before Śākyamuni Buddha’s death as His final instruction to His disciples. This is known as the Hinayana precepts. …
3. The third of the five periods is the Hōdō period, when Śākyamuni Buddha preached a variety of Mahayana sūtras. This period of preaching is said to have lasted eight years, sixteen years, or an indeterminate amount of years. The sūtras preached in this period include the Revealing the Profound and Secret Sūtra, the Necklace Sūtra, the Entering Laṅkā Sūtra, the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra, the Diamond Peak Sūtra, the Sūtra on the Act of Perfection, the Sūtra of the Buddha of Infinite Life, the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life, and the Amitābha Sūtra. …
4. The fourth of the five periods is the Hannya (Wisdom) period, when Śākyamuni Buddha preached the doctrine of void for 14 or 22 years. The Hannya sūtras include such as the Kōsan hannya, Kongō hannya, Tennōmon hannya, Maka hannya, Daibon hannya, Ninnō hannya, etc. The last mentioned is considered the conclusion of the Hannya sūtras. …
5. The last of the five periods is the Lotus-Nirvana period, when the two sūtras of Lotus and Nirvana were preached. Of the two, the Lotus Sūtra is the principal text while the Nirvana Sūtra is like a gleaning after the harvest in autumn. Established on the basis of the Lotus Sūtra is the Tendai (T’ien-t’ai) School, which is also known by various designations such as the Lotus School, School Established by the Buddha, School Depended-on by Various Other Schools, Secret School, and Exoteric School of Illumination. The Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Universal Sage Bodhisattva, the conclusion of the Lotus Sūtra, provided the spiritual foundation for the establishment of the Mahayana Perfect and Sudden Precept Dais on Mt. Hiei.

Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 222-226

The Collection Concerning the Immediate Attainment of Buddhahood [by Grand Master Jikaku] further states:

“First, speaking of the gist of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached that various Buddhas have appeared in this world for the one important purpose and that all the people have the Buddha-nature. People will be able to attain Buddhahood if they hear and practice the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. For what reason has the Buddha expounded the Three Inherent Potentials of the Buddha-nature (innate Buddha-nature, ‘wisdom’ to develop the innate Buddha-nature, and virtuous deeds which enable one to develop ‘wisdom’)? It is said in the first fascicle of the Dependent-Origination section of the Treatise on the Buddha-nature by Bodhisattva Vasubandhu that the Buddha insisted on the existence of the Buddha-nature in all the people for the purpose of helping them eliminate five kinds of mistakes and obtain five kinds of merit. The five kinds of mistakes are despicable mind, conceit, attachment to delusion, slandering the True Dharma and attachment to self-interest. On the other hand, the five kinds of merit are diligence, respect, wisdom, intelligence, and great compassion. It is ‘despicable’ to harbor doubts about the Buddha-nature in oneself and fail to aspire to Buddhahood; it is called ‘conceit’ to think that one has the Buddha-nature and can aspire to Buddhahood by oneself; it is the ‘attachment to delusion’ to believe that all things have substance though they actually exist only through conditions; it is ‘slandering the True Dharma’ to speak ill of the pure wisdom and virtue of all things; and it is called ‘attachment to self -interest’ to think only about oneself without compassion for all the people. We should eliminate these five kinds of mistakes, know the existence of the Buddha-nature in ourselves, and aspire to Buddhahood.”

Nizen Nijō Bosatsu Fu-sabutsu Ji, Never-Attaining Buddhahood by the Two Vehicles and Bodhisattvas in the Pre-Lotus Sūtras, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 207-208

The six stages in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra established by the Lotus School can be divided into two categories: (1) first four stages of ri-soku, my ōji-soku, kangy ō-soku and sōji-soku practiced by the ignorant (ordinary) people in the Impure Land; and (2) last two stages of bunshin-soku and kukyo-soku practiced by bodhisattvas in the Actual Reward Land.

• Risoku is the stage at which one has not yet heard the True Dharma and is ignorant of Buddhism although in theory he possesses the Buddha-nature and his momentary thought is equipped with the principle of Triple Truth.
• Myōji-soku is the stage at which one hears the name of the truth and perceives it. This is the initial state in which one is awakened for aspiration for Buddhahood upon encountering Buddhism and listening to the name of the Triple Truth.
• Kangyō-soku is the stage at which one practices the principle of the Triple Truth. This corresponds to the five progressive stages of practice for believers of the Lotus Sūtra after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha. Illusions of view and thought are not yet eradicated in this stage.
• Sōji-soku: a practicer at this stage manifests the principle of the triple truth and is automatically in accordance with the Dharma-nature; having eliminated 88 kinds of delusions in view, 81 kinds of delusions in thought, and 9 kinds of delusions as numerous as particles of dust and sand (namely the first two of the three illusions), he outwardly resembles a Buddha.
• Bunshin-soku: a practicer at this stage partially awakens to the truth of Middle Way by eliminating the 41 kinds of illusions of darkness (ignorance), that is to say all illusions except the fundamental darkness.
• Kukyō-soku, is the highest stage of practice, at which one completely eradicates all illusions and fully realizes the Buddha-nature.

Hokke Jōdo Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers on the Lotus and Pure Land Sects, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3,
Pages 174-175

[A]bsolute subtlety (zetsudaimyō) is a doctrine of revealing the truth (single path to enlightenment) and merging all the provisional teachings for bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddha, and śrāvaka (kaie). Here the pre-Lotus sūtras, which are abandoned as expedient by the doctrine of relative subtlety (sōdaimyō), are all included in the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. Once entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra, the pre-Lotus sūtras will no longer be dismissed as expedient. All the sūtras entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra take up the one flavor of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō because of the wonderful merit of the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. There is no reason why they have to be referred to by other names such as nembutsu, Ritsu, Shingon, or Zen. Consequently, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “Just as water becomes salty when it flows into the sea, any wisdom ceases to exist in itself after it is taken in the True Wisdom.” Thus he instructs us that no original names be mentioned. People of the Tendai School generally maintain:

The pre-Lotus sūtras with the first four flavors, which were dismissed in comparing the Lotus Sūtra with other sūtras (relative subtlety), can be kept and any names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas can be recited even after the single path is revealed through the doctrine of absolute subtlety because these sūtras, Buddhas and bodhisattvas are included in the wonderful entity of the Lotus Sūtra. Waters in rivers before entering the sea differ in size, or in cleanliness, but once they flow into the ocean, we can see that it is a serious mistake to distinguish or select water saying that some waters are cleaner than others. Both the dirty water that is undesirable and clean water that is loved stem originally from the same ocean. Therefore, even when we put a special name on some water, water is water wherever it is taken out from, and it is a mistake to think that there is a difference in water. Likewise, it is not a terrible idea to believe in any teaching one likes or comes across.

Thus they accept and believe any teaching which comes to the mind such as the nembutsu and mantras.

When speaking in vague terms, a point of view such as this seems rational, but strictly speaking it is a serious fallacy leading to hell. The reason is that while one person who truly understands the doctrine of kaie may uphold various provisional sūtras or recite any names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, all other people generally keep or chant them with the usual prejudice without understanding the meaning of kaie. Consequently, such a view can be an evil teaching in which even if a person who understands the doctrine may get enlightened, most people will fall into hell. Any doctrines expounded in the pre-Lotus sūtras and the “ultimate truth” shown in those doctrines are all composed of biased thoughts and convictions. As stated in the second chapter, “Expedients,” of the Lotus Sūtra, “They are astray in the thick forest of wrong views on existence and non-existence.”

Then both those who know the doctrine of kaie and those who do not know it cannot avoid going down to hell if they uphold provisional sūtras and recite the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in them and contemplate the “ultimate truth” of the expedient teachings. Those who are convinced that they know the doctrine of kaie are no less wrong than those who believe that it is possible to put the water of the ocean into a puddle made by a hoof of a cattle. How can they escape from falling into the Three Evil Realms (hell, the realm of hungry souls, and realm of beasts and birds)? What’s worse, those who do not know the doctrine of kaie, basically taking in wrong teachings, are so attached to the wrong views or expedient teachings that they are sure to fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Even after realizing the doctrine of kaie, they should dismiss such ideas considering them expedient teachings with which enlightenment cannot be achieved. Do not recite or uphold the names and the “ultimate wisdom” of evil doctrines.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 165-166