[In the sixth month of the 3rd year of the Kenji era (1277), Nichiren Shōnin wrote a letter of explanation in place of Inaba-bō Nichiei, a disciple of Nichiren, and submitted it to Nichiei’s father, Shimoyama Hyōgo Gorō Mitsumoto.]

I am sorry to trouble you, but I would like to inform you of one thing in advance. This master, Nichiren Shōnin, is the one and only master of virtue and is a sagacious and irreplaceable person. If the worst should happen, you would surely be sorry. It is rather foolish for you not to believe in him just because the people in the world do not believe in him. When the rulers of Japan put faith in him, everyone will believe in him. It will be useless for you to believe in him then. Putting faith in him because the rulers of Japan believe in him means that you believe in a man, not the dharma. The people in the world think that children must obey their parents, retainers obey their lord, and disciples follow their masters, but this is a wrong idea held by those who know neither Buddhism nor non-Buddhist teachings. In the Filial Piety, a Confucian classic, it is stated that when a father makes a mistake, his son should remonstrate with him, and that when a lord makes a mistake, his retainer should admonish him. In Buddhism it is preached: “He who enters Buddhism, discarding the favors of his parents, is one who truly compensates the favors received from his parents.”

Prince Siddhārtha, who had become a monk against the wishes of His father, King Suddodana, became the Buddha to lead His parents to Buddhahood. In the end He became the most filial son in the world. Filial Pi-kan was killed for remonstrating his father, King Chou Hsin of the Yin Dynasty, and left behind the fame of being a man of wisdom. If you disregard what I say as words of a petty monk, I am sure you will regret it not only in the present life but also in the one to come.

Shimoyama Goshōsoku, The Shimoyama Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 99

As you know, I, Nichiren, have been eagerly studying since childhood and began praying when I was twelve years old to Bodhisattva Space Repository to help me to become the wisest in Japan. The reason for my prayers was complicated, too complicated to explain here in detail. Later I first began to study the doctrines of the Pure Land and Zen Sects. Then I studied the doctrines of the Tendai and Shingon Sects on Mt. Hiei, at the Onjōji Temple, and on Mt. Kōya. I further studied the doctrines of the various sects at temples in Kyoto and the provinces, but these studies did not serve to clear up the doubts I had in mind about Buddhism.

In my initial prayer I made a vow that: I would not favor any particular sect; I would adopt whichever sect that provided the evidence of being the teaching of the Buddha and was reasonable; I would be guided solely by the sūtras, not by the commentators in India, translators and minister-masters in China; I would not be afraid, regarding the doctrines of Buddhism, of even being punished by a king, not to mention persecutions by the people below him; I would not follow instructions against the Buddha’s teachings even if they were given by my parents, teacher and elder brother; and that I would speak up honestly as expounded in the sūtras regardless of whether or not people believed in me.

Ha Ryōkan-tō Gosho, A Letter Refuting Ryōkan-bō and Others, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 62

On the twelfth of the ninth month of the eighth year of the Bun’ei Era (1274), two days after I was summoned by the Council of State, I was arrested. The way I was arrested seemed unusual and unlawful. It was far larger in scale than the arrest of Ryōgyō, who rebelled against the Kamakura Shogunate in 1251, or of Taifu no Risshi (Miura Ryōken), who planned to overthrow the shogunate in 1261. Led by Hei no Saemonnojō, Deputy Commander of the Board of Retainers, several hundreds of soldiers clad in armor and ebōshi hat with glaring eyes and shouting angrily came to arrest me.

Contemplating the truth of the matter, the way of governing the country by the Kamakura Shogunate was like that of the late dictator Lay Priest Taira no Kiyomori, who brought this country to ruin by arrogating power. This was a serious mistake. Witnessing this outrageousness, I said to myself, “This is what I have always been longing for. How lucky I am to be able to sacrifice my life for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra. To be beheaded and lose my malodorous head is like exchanging sand for gold and pebbles for jewels.”

At that moment, Shō-bō, a ranking vassal of Saemonnojō, rushed at me, snatched the fifth fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra from my bosom, beat my face with it three times, and tore it to pieces. Other soldiers scattered the remaining nine fascicles of the Threefold Lotus Sūtra, stepped on them, wrapped themselves in them, scattering them all over the straw mats or the wooden floor of the house.

Seeing their deranged behavior, I uttered in a loud voice, “How interesting! Everybody, look at Hei no Saemonnojō Yoritsuna losing his head! He is now going to fell the pillar of Japan.” It appeared that Saemonnojō and his vassals as well as onlookers were all struck dumb and astonished. Nichiren was the one in disgrace with the shogunate and therefore, he should have appeared nervous under such circumstances, but on the contrary, it was the poor soldiers who looked like cowards and were pale with fear perhaps because they were regretful of having torn and scattered the sacred sūtra.

Shuju Onfurumai Gosho, Reminiscences: from Tatsunokuchi to Minobu, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5, Pages 27

The living Aizen Myōō appeared to me in the glow of the sunset on New Year’s Day. I have become the twenty-third successor to the dharma transmitted from the Great Sun Buddha.

Twenty-fifth day of the sixth month in the sixth year of Kenchō (1254)

Nichiren presents this to the New Buddha.

The living Fudō Myōō also appeared to me in the light of the full moon from the 15th through the 17th day of the same month. I have become the twenty-third successor to the dharma transmitted from the Great Sun Buddha.

Twenty-fifth day of the sixth month of the sixth year of Kenchō (1254)

Nichiren presents this to the New Buddha

Fudō Aizen Kanken-ki, Record of Seeing Fudō and Aizen Myōō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5, Pages 1

I am grateful to have been born a human with this precious body due accumulated causes and conditions in my past existences. According to the sūtra, I must have encountered and given offerings to ten trillion Buddhas in the past. Even though I did not place my faith exclusively in the Lotus Sūtra, thus slandering the True Dharma and being born poor and lowly in this life as a result, my merit of giving offerings to the Buddhas was so great that I was born as a believer of the Lotus Sūtra.

Interpreting this, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai (sic) states, “It is like a person who falls to the ground but does not stay there and rises from the ground instead.” Those who fall to the ground get up from the ground instead. Likewise, the grand master states, slanderers of the Lotus Sūtra fall on the ground of the three evil realms and the realms of human and heavenly beings; however, due to their reverse relationship to the Lotus Sūtra they will be led by the hand of the sūtra into the realm of Buddhas.

Hokke Shōmyō-shō, Treatise on the Testimony of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4,
Page 193

What kinds of doctrines are expounded in such a precious sūtra entitled the Lotus Sūtra? Beginning with the “Expedients” chapter in the first fascicle, the sūtra expounds that bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles (Śrāvaka and Pratyekabuddha) and ordinary people are all able to attain Buddhahood, though there is no actual proof yet. Suppose a guest visits you for the first time. He looks fine, speaks politely, and there is nothing dubious about his words, but until you confirm the truth about him, it would be difficult to believe him from merely his words. In such a case, if something important happens one after another to confirm his words, you can trust him thereafter without hesitation.

Although we believed the doctrine of attainment of Buddhahood by all living beings because it was preached by the Buddha, it was difficult for some to fully accept it because of the lack of actual proof. However, it all became clear when the most important doctrine of becoming a Buddha with one’s present body was expounded in the “Devadatta” chapter in the fifth fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra. It is like turning black lacquer into white or purifying dirty water by putting a wish-fulfilling gem in it. The Buddha helped a small snake, who was actually a daughter of the dragon king, attain Buddhahood with her present body. From that moment, no one could have the slightest doubt about all men attaining Buddhahood. Therefore, the Lotus Sūtra expounds attainment of Buddhahood by all people after the model of enlightenment of women. Grand Master Dengyō of Mt. Hiei, who first spread the true meaning of the Lotus Sūtra in Japan, annotated in his Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sūtra, “Neither the dragon girl, who became a Buddha to preach the dharma, nor the people who heard her preach the dharma needed a roundabout way to Buddhahood. They immediately attained Buddhahood with their present bodies by the power of the Wonderful Dharma.”

Sennichi-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady Nun Sennichi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4,
Page 152-153

Some of my disciples pretend to know the details of doctrines. They are mistaken. The odaimoku, Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō, is the essence of the Lotus Sūtra. It is like a human being’s spirit. If any other teachings were to be added to the odaimoku, it would be the cause of great trouble. It would be like the Empress marrying two Emperors or committing adultery. The teachings of the Lotus Sūtra did not spread far enough during the Ages of the True Dharma and the Semblance Dharma. This was because these periods were intended for other sūtras.

We are presently living in the Latter Age of Degeneration. The Lotus Sūtra and other sūtras are no longer efficacious in bringing about enlightenment. Only the odaimoku can accomplish this. This is not my arbitrary opinion. It was so-arranged by the Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures, various Buddhas from all over the universe, and numerous great bodhisattvas from beneath the earth such as Superior Practice Bodhisattva.

It is a serious mistake to mix other teachings with the odaimoku. For example, when the sun rises, we no longer need to use lamps. When it rains, the dew is of no use. A baby does not need any nourishment except for milk. We do not need to add supplements to effective medicine.

Ueno-dono Gohenji, A Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 135

Deceived by Devadatta, King Ajātaśtru became an enemy of the Buddha but his Minister Jīvaka was devoted to the Buddha and continued to have faith, the merit of which seems to have helped King Ajātaśtru. In Buddhism there is an important teaching that virtue stored within will naturally rise to the surface. Never-Despising Bodhisattva in the Lotus Sūtra bowed to passersby, saying, “I have heartfelt respect for you.” The “Lion-Roaring Bodhisattva” chapter in the Nirvana Sūtra says that all sentient beings have the Buddha-nature. It is stated in the Awakening of Faith in Mahāyāna by Bodhisattva Aśvaghosa, “As the wisdom of enlightenment works within, delusions are exterminated and, in turn, the Dharma body of enlightenment appears.” The same is preached in the Treatise on the Stages of Yoga Practice written by Bodhisattva Maitreya. These passages all mean that the internally hidden virtue will spontaneously rise to the surface.

Sushun Tennō Gosho, The ‘Emperor Sushun’ Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 120

QUESTION: If someone chanted Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō without understanding its meaning will the benefit of understanding still be received?

ANSWER: When a baby nurses, it does not comprehend the taste; nevertheless, it receives the benefits of the milk naturally. Did anyone know the ingredients or formula for Jīvaka’s wondrous medicines? Water is without intent but it can extinguish fire; and even though fire consumes many things, can we say it does this deliberately? This is Nāgārjuna and T’ien-t’ai’s idea! I am merely repeating it.

Shishin Gohon-shō, The Four Depths of Faith and Five Stages of Practice, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice,
Volume 4, Page 112

QUESTION: Why don’t you encourage people to contemplate the three thousand existences contained in one thought, instead of only advocating the chanting of the daimoku?

ANSWER: The two characters in the name Japan bring together all 66 provinces, with all their people, animals, and wealth without a single exception. Likewise, don’t the two characters for India bring together all 70 of its countries? Miao-lê says, “As a summation of the whole sūtra the entirety of the Lotus Sūtra is included in the daimoku.” He also says, “By way of summary the ten realms or ten aspects are used to indicate the entirety of the 3,000 existences.” Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī and the Venerable Ānanda used the daimoku of Myōhō Renge Kyō to indicate the entirety of the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra in three assemblies over the period of the last eight years of the Buddha’s teaching; and to indicate that this is what they meant the sūtra begins with the words “Thus have I heard.”

Shishin Gohon-shō, The Four Depths of Faith and Five Stages of Practice, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice,
Volume 4, Page 112-113