These four great bodhisattvas were like the four wise men of Shang-Shan. Appearing in the Lotus assemblies, they glorified Śākyamuni Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and Buddhas in manifestation, and they knocked down the proud banners of slanderers of the True Dharma just as the gale winds blow away twigs. Attendees of the assemblies showed respect to them as if heavenly beings obeyed Indra. Devadatta, who had struck Śākyamuni Buddha, pressed his palms together to express heartfelt respect to them; and Kokālika, who had lied to present himself as innocent and slandered Śāriputra, prostrated to repent his past sins. Great bodhisattvas like Mañjuśrī were ashamed of themselves and speechless, while Hinayāna sages like Śāriputra silently bowed.

Then the Enlightened and World Honored One, Śākyamuni Buddha, expounded “The Life Span of the Buddha” chapter and entrusted the four great bodhisattvas with the task of transmitting it after displaying the ten kinds of divine powers in “The Divine Powers of the Buddha” chapter. What was the dharma that was entrusted to them? Reducing the whole of the Lotus Sūtra, we produce its condensed form. By reducing this condensed form further we get the essence of the Lotus Sūtra: the five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, in which the Five Profound Meanings of the Lotus Sūtra—its name, entity, quality, function and teaching—are all contained. For instance, this is like Chiu Pao-yüan who selected the horse not by the color of its hair but its speed of running, and Shih T’ao-lin who concentrated on grasping the gist of Buddhist teachings while discarding the particulars in lecturing on the sūtras.

Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 159.