Nobody has ever propagated this honzon in the world (Jambudvīpa) in more than 2,230 years since Śākyamuni Buddha expounded on it. Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai in China and Dengyō in Japan roughly knew about it, but did not at all propagate it. Today, in the Latter Age of Degeneration, it should be widespread. The Lotus Sūtra, states that Bodhisattvas Superior Practice (Viśiṣṭacaritra) and Limitless Practice (Anantacāritra) will appear in the world to spread it, but they have not yet done that. I, Nichiren, am not as great a man as those bodhisattvas, yet I have roughly understood it. So, as a forerunner, until those bodhisattvas appearing from underground emerge, I more or less propagated this sūtra and became the spear point of the passage that prophecies about the “time after My extinction” in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra. It is my hope to transfer my merits to my parents, my teacher and all the people in the world.

Honzon Mondō Shō, Questions and Answers on the Honzon, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 272

Although I knew that if I spoke of this my life would be in jeopardy, in order to repay the favor I owe to Bodhisattva Space Repository, I began speaking of this to Jōen-bō and a small number of people of the Seichōji Temple at the southern side of the Hall of a Buddha of the Dōzen-bō in the compound of the Seichōji Temple located in the Tōjō District of Awa Province on the 28th day of the fourth month in the fifth year of the Kenchō Era (1253). For 20 years or so thereafter I continued to speak of this diligently. As a result, I was chased out of my residence and sent into exile. In ancient times, Bodhisattva Never Despising was beaten with sticks and pieces of wood for spreading the Lotus Sūtra, and today, I, Nichiren, am pursued with swords on account of the Lotus Sūtra.

Seichōji Daishū-chū, A Letter to the People of the Seichōji Temple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 175-176

Unable to go against the order of Śākyamuni Buddha, the Dharma King, I, Nichiren, fought in the battle between the true and provisional Buddhism in accordance with the words of the sūtras. Donning an armor of endurance, holding the sword of the Lotus Sūtra in hand, carrying the banner with five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, the essence of the Lotus Sūtra in eight fascicles, drawing a bow of the scriptural passage stating that the truth has not been revealed in any sūtras preached before the Lotus Sūtra, notched with an arrow of the scriptural declaration that the provisional teachings should simply be given up, and riding a chariot drawn by great white oxen (namely the unsurpassed vehicle, that is, the Lotus Sūtra), I have defeated provisional teachings one after another. Seeking out enemies here and there, I have attacked eight or ten schools of Buddhism… . Some escaped, others retreated, still others were captured and became my disciples. No matter how many times I attacked and defeated them, my enemies are numerous while I am alone in defending the Lord Buddha. Therefore, the war has yet to be won.

Nevertheless, in the golden words of T’ien-t’ai, the Lotus Sūtra denounces the evil of provisional teachings by aggressive means of propagation. I shall eventually defeat all those who believe in them, without exception, and convert them all to be followers of the Lord Śākyamuni Buddha. When all the people under heaven and the various schools of Buddhism are converted to the One Vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, and when only the Lotus Sūtra flourishes and all the people recite “Namu Myōhō Renge” in unison, the howling wind will not blow on the branches, falling rain will not erode the soil, and the world will become as ideal as during the reigns of Emperors Fu-hsi and Shen-nung of ancient China. A time is coming when calamities cease to exist, people live long, and people and the land they live in become eternal. There should be no doubt about the peaceful life in this world as promised in the Lotus Sūtra.

Nyosetsu Shugyō-shō, True Way of Practicing the Teaching of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 83-84

The sixth of the eight major hells is the Hell of Burning Heat, which is located beneath the Hell of Great Wailing and is the same size. Various types of sufferings exist in this hell. Placed in the Jambudvīpa (the world), a tiny flame of fire in this hell, as small as a bean, will burn anything completely in no time, not to speak of the bodies of sinners, which are as soft as cotton. The intensity of heat from this hell fire is such that in the eyes of sinners in this Hell of Burning Heat, the fires in the five hells mentioned above will seem like snow. For instance in the human world, flames of hot iron and copper are hotter than those of firewood.

Suppose 1,600 years in the human world correspond to one day and night in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, the sixth heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,600 years. Suppose 1,600 years in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven are equal to one day and night in the Hell of Burning Heat, the sinners in this hell live as long as 1,600 years.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 109-110.

In the 25th chapter on the “Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva” in the Lotus Sūtra it is said that “the curse will return to the originators.” So, when we think about this, the Lotus Sūtra is the great way which allows us to receive benefit through punishment. Minamoto Yoritomo was able to destroy the Heike through the virtue of his constant recitation of the Lotus Sūtra, and that is definitely evidence that people will gain benefit in the present life.

The reason I, Nichiren, could discern this truth is due to the favors that I received from my parents and teachers. However, my parents have already died. The late Venerable Dōzen-bō was my teacher but, since I propagated the Lotus Sūtra, he was afraid of Steward Tōjō Kagenobu, a Pure Land believer, and made a show of hating me as an enemy though in his heart he must have been sympathetic to me. Later, I heard that he seemed to have faith in the Lotus Sūtra a little bit, but I do not know how he felt about it when he died. I am very much concerned about it. I hope that he has not fallen into hell, but I doubt that he could rid himself of the suffering of life and death. I am filled with regrets when I think of him wandering in the intermediate state between the present and future lives. When Steward Tōjō Kagenobu tried to kill me in rage, you and Gijō-bō escorted me safely away from Seichōji Temple. So even though you did not do anything specifically for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra, I regard this as a service to the Lotus Sūtra, and I am sure that you both will cut the chain of life and death.

Honzon Mondō Shō, Questions and Answers on the Honzon, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 271-272

I have gratefully received the bolt of fabric for a clerical robe and summer wear. I thank you very much for the donation.

To begin with, food maintains life and clothes cover the body. Therefore, one who gives food to sentient beings will be rewarded with longevity while one who deprives others of food will receive in retribution a short life.

Those who do not give clothes to people will receive their just due of being reborn without clothes. Those in the lower five of the six paths of existence are born without clothes. Only heavenly beings in the six paths are born with clothes on. In particular, among those in the lower five paths, the deer is born not only without clothes but with the ill fate of having its hide skinned as retribution for the sin of robbing others of clothing.

Among the people who practiced giving clothes to others, Nun Sembyaku was born with clothes on. There are many ways of practicing Buddhism, none of which is practiced without clothes. Therefore, Śākyamuni Buddha attained Enlightenment in the clothes given by his foster mother, Nun Mahā-Prajāpatī, and Buddhist monks were allowed to wear the “three robes.” It seems that Buddhist monks with low capacity will not attain the level of arhat without sufficient clothes and food. This is especially so in the Lotus Sūtra, where it is preached that wearing the “robe of the gentle and patient” is the most basic of practices. The sūtra also says that the Buddha protects the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra with clothes. Isn’t this gracious?

Hōe Sho, Writing on Vestments, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 185-186

King Ajātaśatru stood against Śākyamuni Buddha, but on the urging of Minister Jivaka he put faith in the Lotus Sūtra and governed the whole country. King Wonderful Adornment was advised by his two princes and corrected his mistaken views. What happened in your situation is the same. I believe your advice softened the heart of your lord. This is solely due to your deep faith in the Lotus Sūtra.

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 151

The Lotus Sūtra is preceded by an introductory sūtra called the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning. It is like a general who precedes a royal procession when a great king goes out in order to quell the rude people. It is stated in this sūtra that “The truth has never been revealed during the first forty years or so of preaching by Śākyamuni Buddha.” This is like a general with his powerful bow and arrows shooting down enemies of the king or cutting them down with his great sword.

Ueno-dono Haha-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady the Nun, Mother of Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 178

If there is no mistake about the words of the Buddha, the Buddha of Many Treasures and all the Buddhas throughout the universe, how can the king of Japan, his vassals and all the people feel at peace abusing, speaking ill of, banishing and striking me, Nichiren, and inflicting much suffering on my disciples and followers? After all I, as a messenger of the Buddha, am only trying to spread “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” in this period of disputes and quarrels. With my saying this, ignorant people might think that I, Nichiren, am cursing the entire land of Japan. Actually, however, those who spread the Lotus Sūtra in Japan are parents of all the Japanese people. Grand Master Chang-an’s Annotations on the Nirvana Sūtra teaches us that pointing out a man’s mistake to help him get rid of it was doing him a favor. Then, I, Nichiren, am the parent of the reigning emperor of Japan.

Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 205