The five characters of the Wonderful Dharma, the gist of the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, can deal with calamities and disasters if only one puts faith in it, but this is what the Buddha especially entrusted to the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. In the final analysis, therefore, the calamities and disasters since the Shōka Period (1257-59) will not cease unless the truth and falsity of Buddhist dharmas are decided in public discussions.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 256

One Chinese character of the Lotus Sūtra gives birth to all things as the great earth does. It is like the ocean that absorbs all the river waters. It brightens the entire world as the sun and moon do. What is more, it becomes the moon, which in turn changes to a Buddha. The seed of a rice plant becomes a rice seedling, which in turn becomes a rice plant, grains of rice, then a human being and finally a Buddha. Likewise, a woman, through her faith in the Lotus Sūtra, becomes the character Myō, which in turn becomes Śākyamuni Buddha on the lotus pedestal. Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.

Ōnichi-dono Gohenji, A Response to Lord Ōnichi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 144-145

In ancient times, when the Buddha was begging for alms in Rājagṛha, it is said that two little boys named Tokushō and Mushō offered rice cakes made of mud to the Buddha and as a result of this pious deed they were reborn as Emperor Aśoka and his prime minister, Rādhagupta, who helped Aśoka to rule the continent of Jambudvīpa. Rādhagupta was like Lord Hōjō Yoshitoki, who supported the shogun of the military government at Kamakura as the shogunal regent. The merit of your donation is far greater than that of Tokushō and Mushō. The horse that carried your donated articles will become “Kondeigoma,” the horse on which Prince Siddhārtha left his family, and your servant who led the horse to Minobu will become Chaṇḍaka, the driver who accompanied the prince when he left the royal castle, and they both will ultimately attain Buddhahood.

Although this happened in the past, I repeat it again because I feel that it is precious and inspiring.

Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji, Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 97

In the final analysis, the reason why Venerable Maudgalyāyana could not save his suffering mother was that he was a believer of Hinayāna Buddhism, observing the Hinayāna precepts. Accordingly it is preached in the Vimalakirti Sūtra that a man named Vimalakirti criticized Maudgalyāyana saying, “Anyone who gives offerings to you will fall into the three evil realms (hell, realm of hungry spirits, and that of beasts).” This scriptural statement means that those who revere and give offerings to Venerable Maudgalyāyana, upholder of the 250 precepts, will fall into the three evil realms. This should be heeded by not only Maudgalyāyana but also all śrāvaka disciples and upholders of the Hinayāna precepts in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

Compared to the Lotus Sūtra, the Vimalakirti Sūtra is like a retainer several scores of ranks below. After all it was because Venerable Maudgalyāyana had not become a Buddha. Without being a Buddha himself, how can he save even his own parents, not to speak of other people?

Nevertheless, coming to the Lotus Sūtra, which enjoins listeners to “abandon the expedient teachings,” Maudgalyāyana immediately cast away the 250 precepts of Hinayāna Buddhism and chanted “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” to become a Buddha called Tamālapatracandana Fragrance. This is the very moment when his parents, too, became Buddhas. Therefore, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, “Our wishes have already been fulfilled, and desires of the multitude are also satisfied.” Maudgalyāyana’s body and mind are the legacy of his parents. When his body and mind became a Buddha, those of his parents also attained Buddhahood.

Urabon Gosho, On theUllambana Service, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 174

The Lotus Sūtra consists of two parts: the theoretical section (first half) and the essential section (latter half). The difference between them is as clear as water and fire or heaven and earth. It is greater than the difference between the pre-Lotus sūtras and the Lotus Sūtra. …

Now, regarding the difference between the essential and theoretical sections, the lord-preacher of the former is the Eternal Buddha who had been the Buddha since the eternal past while that of the latter is the historical Buddha attaining Buddhahood in this life at Buddhagayā. The difference between the two is as clear as between a 100-year-old man and an infant. Not only the lord-preacher but also His disciples are as different as water and fire. How much more so is it the case with the Buddha land between the “four lands” preached in the theoretical section and the “land of eternal tranquil light” of the essential section! The difference is beyond expression. Those who mix up the two, the theoretical and essential sections, are like those who cannot differentiate fire from water.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 252-253

The reason why I speak ill of the doctrine established by Venerable Shan-tao is not due to my own conclusion. In ancient times, when Amitābha Buddha was practicing the bodhisattva way as King Mujōnen, he abandoned this Sahā World. So Śākyamuni Buddha, then called Bodhisattva Hōkai Bonji, took the responsibility of saving this Sahā World. When Amitābha Buddha and various Buddhas in the universe vowed not to welcome the slanderers of the True Dharma, the five rebellious sinners, and icchantika into the Pure Lands throughout the universe, Bodhisattva Hōkai Bonji vowed to save all those people rejected from the Pure Lands throughout the universe. Moreover, Śākyamuni Buddha preached in the Lotus Sūtra, “Only I will save and protect mankind.” “Only I” sounds haughty but it is not Śākyamuni Buddha’s own idea. As Amitābha Buddha and various Buddhas throughout the universe themselves abandoned the people in this Sahā World, so Śākyamuni vowed Himself, “Only I. …” Thus, He has already appeared in this Sahā World. Is there any room to doubt His intention?

Jōren-bō Gosho, A Letter to Jōren-bō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 171

The second of the eight major hells, the Hell of Black Ropes, is located beneath the Hell of Regeneration and is the same size as it is. In this hell, the hell guards seize sinners, push them down on the ground of hot iron, make a line on the sinners’ bodies with a hot iron rope, and cut and scrape the bodies with hot iron hatchets or saw off their limbs along the line. Moreover, there are huge iron mountains on both sides of the hell. They erect iron flags on the top of each mountain, stretch an iron rope between the two flags and force the sinners to walk on the rope carrying iron mountains. Falling off the rope, the sinners’ bodies are broken into pieces. Otherwise they are boiled in iron pots. The suffering of these tortures is 10 times more severe than the Hell of Regeneration.

One hundred years in the human world correspond to one day in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, the second heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,000 years. If 1,000 years in this Thirty-three Heaven are equal to one day in the Hell of Black Ropes, the life span of those sinners who fell into the Hell of Black Ropes is 1,000 years.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 107.

[Regarding the difference between the essential and theoretical sections of the Lotus Sūtra,] the Buddha had made a clear distinction between the two sections, but during more than 2,000 years since He passed away no one in India, China, Japan and the entire world (Jambudvīpa) has ever clearly differentiated them. Only T’ien-t’ai of China and Dengyō of Japan seemed to have almost made a difference between them, but they did not clarify the Lotus Tendai (T’ien-t’ai) law of precepts among important doctrines of the essential and theoretical sections. After all, although Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō knew it well in mind, they did not explain it clearly because: (1) the time was not right, (2) the people’s ability to understand was not ripe, and (3) they were not entrusted by the Buddha to propagate the doctrine.

Now, we have finally entered the Latter Age of Degeneration, when great bodhisattvas appearing from underground such as Bodhisattva Superior Practice should propagate the teaching of the essential section. As the Latter Age of Degeneration is the time for the essential section to spread, even if people with faith in Hinayāna Buddhism, quasi-Mahāyāna Buddhism, or the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra spread their respective teachings without committing any mistakes, they will serve no useful purpose. It is like a medicine for spring that is not useful in fall. Even if it is still useful in autumn, its effectiveness is not as good as in spring and summer. How much less useful they would be when they, Hinayāna and quasi-Mahāyāna Buddhists and believers of the theoretical section, become confused with the differences between Hinayāna and Mahāyāna Buddhism and provisional and true teachings. Moreover, as rulers in the past had put faith in their scriptures, built temples for them and donated pieces of farm land, it not only is inexcusable but also destroys the basis of their faiths for them to slight the teachings of their canons. Therefore, they are furious at the man who criticizes their canons, and they slander the True Dharma and persecute the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 253-254