QUESTION: Suppose such Buddhist schools as the Kegon (Flower Garland), Hossō (Dharma Characteristics), Sanron (Three Discourses), three Hinayāna (Kusha, Jōjitsu and Ritsu Schools), Shingon (True Word) and Tendai (T’ien-t’ai) perform prayer services, which school will have the most miraculous efficacy?
ANSWER: Prayers of every Buddhist sect are based to some extent on the Buddha’s teaching. We can say, therefore, that in some sense they are all Buddhist prayers. Nevertheless, the prayer service conducted according to the Lotus Sūtra is nothing but the true prayer which will be most efficacious.
QUESTION: What is the reason for this?
ANSWER: First let us consider the case of the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha). Even though they practiced the pre-Lotus sūtras of the first four flavors for an inconceivably long period of time (as many kalpa as the number of dust-particles of the great earth) they were regarded as incapable of attaining Buddhahood. In the Lotus Sūtra, however, they were granted the status of Buddhas in a short while. Therefore, beginning with men like Śāriputra and Kāśyapa, 1,200 or 12,000 in number, all those former Two Vehicles who attained Buddhahood should not fail to answer the prayers said by the practicers of the Lotus Sūtra.
Kitō Shō, Treatise on Prayers, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 57