Grand Master T’ien-t’ai interprets the two letters of Chih and kuan (concentration and insight) in the Great Concentration and Insight: “I call kuan the wisdom of the Buddha and Chih the insight of the Buddha.” This (interpretation), however, refers to the wisdom and insight of the Buddha in the theoretical section, not the ultimate wisdom and insight of the Buddha at the highest stage of Supreme Enlightenment. For the Great Concentration and Insight is based on the ten realms, the ten aspects, the 3,000 realms of existence, the triple truth and the threefold contemplation, which Grand Master T’ien-t’ai attained, and these thoughts are the real intention of the theoretical section in the first half of the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, we should remember that the Great Concentration and Insight is the wisdom and insight of the Buddha in the theoretical section.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 228

Lady Vaidehi, mother of King Ajātaśatru in ancient India, read the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life and reached the higher spiritual state of Recognizing the Immutable Reality of All Existences. Nevertheless, as the Buddha declared in the Lotus Sūtra that he would now “honestly discard the expedients,” Lady Vaidehi was forced to return to her original status as an ordinary woman unless she put faith in the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, even a person of great virtue is worthless without the Lotus Sūtra and even a person of extreme evil is not necessarily doomed. This is because if the one vehicle teaching of the Lotus Sūtra is practiced, anyone can attain Buddhahood just as Devadatta did. This is solely because the phrase in the Lotus Sūtra, “not even one will fail to attain Buddhahood,” was not spoken in vain.

Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 160

Generally speaking, in the Latter Age of Degeneration sages and wise persons seem to disappear while only those who lie to reduce a person to despair, those who flatter, those who praise outwardly but slander behind one’s back, and those who make wild claims fill the country. This is like a pond clamoring with the sound of fish as the amount of water diminishes, or how a great ocean is no longer silent when a strong wind blows. What is more, in the Latter Age of Degeneration, evil phenomena such as droughts, epidemics, heavy rains, and violent winds are expected to occur one after another. Therefore, it seems that even broad minds become narrow and even those seeking the way of the Buddha become people with erroneous views. Putting aside those not related to us for now, in the Latter Age conflicts with parents, between husbands and wives, and among siblings occur as if they were between a hunter and a deer, a cat and a rat, or a hawk and a pheasant.

Hyōesakan-dono Gosho, Letter to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 89

How can we not spread the Lotus Sūtra even if very few people have the capacity for it while most people contradict it like water against fire? When we single-mindedly spread the Lotus Sūtra, there is no doubt that we will eventually succeed even if we should encounter such great difficulties as those that have befallen Never-Despising Bodhisattva.

Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 272

In this respect, it can be said that those scholars of the present Tendai School who insist on the superiority of the Great Concentration and Insight over the Lotus Sūtra are ungrateful to their Founder T’ien-t’ai. How can they escape from that charge? Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was called Medicine King Bodhisattva when he heard Śākyamuni Buddha preaching the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle. He was at once Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in Sui China and Grand Master Dengyō in Japan. The teaching he propagated in his past, present and the future lives is on the whole the teaching of the Wonderful Dharma. There is no such person but Śākyamuni Buddha in India, China and Japan who has propagated the Lotus Sūtra throughout the past, present and future. Being the noblest, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was misunderstood by scholars of the Tendai School inheriting his teaching, who pinned the guilt of their mistake on the innocent Grand Master. Is this not a serious sin?

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 226

Look at the world around us. There are many who say they have deep faith, but there is not one person in 10,000,000 who is sincere. The Nirvana Sūtra says: “Those who do not have faith in the Buddha Dharma and fall into evil paths are as many as the dirt on the earth; those who have faith in the Buddha Dharma and become Buddhas are as few as the amount of dirt piled on a fingernail.”

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 129

[W]e should realize the sequence of spreading the Dharma. In a country where Buddhism has not yet been transmitted, there are people who have never heard the Buddha’s teachings. In a country where Buddhism has spread, there are people who believe in the teachings. We should be aware of the teachings previously spread, then spread the teaching that is one level above it.

If Hinayāna or provisional Mahāyāna teachings have previously been taught, true Mahāyāna teaching should be spread. If the true Mahāyāna teaching has been taught, neither Hinayāna nor provisional Mahāyāna should be spread. We should abandon the rubble and pick up the golden gem. Do not give up the golden gem to get pieces of tile and pebbles.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 100

Grand Master T’ien-t’ai stated in the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra: “Myō (Wonderful) means being beyond comprehension;” “This Dharma transcends the world of description and is beyond the power of mind;” and “The Dharma suggests that each of the ten realms of living beings contains the ten aspects and that nine provisional realms and the real realm of the Buddha are one and inseparable. (It shows that an ordinary person and the Buddha are one.)” He also interpreted (the Wonderful Dharma) as the triple truth (of voidness, temporariness and the middle), the threefold contemplation, the three thousand existences, or the inconceivable dharma. It is possible to figure out the dharma Grand Master T’ien-t’ai attained in mind because it is the dharma Grand Master T’ient’ai considered. On the other hand, the Wonderful Dharma is the teacher of Buddhas. It is evident that the (inconceivable) Wonderful Dharma is superior to the conceivable threefold contemplation.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 227-228

The 36th emperor of Japan, Kōgyoku, was a female ruler. During her reign Ōomi Soga Iruka was so arrogant that he tried to usurp the throne. The Empress as well as the Imperial princes considered him suspicious but could not do anything. Meanwhile Prince Oenoōji, Prince Karunoōji, and others became indignant with Iruka, consulted Omi Nakatomi Kamako. Kamako, citing the precedent of Soga Umako, told them, “We, human beings, are incapable of doing anything about Iruka. We should beseech the divine help of Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha.” Therefore, they at once built a statue of Śākyamuni Buddha and prayed for help. As a result, Iruka was soon subjugated.

Thus Nakatomi Kamako, who was later renamed Fujiwara Kamatari, was appointed the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (Naidaijin) and was granted the highest rank of Taishokukan. He is the primogenitor of the Fujiwara family, which holds the supreme power of the Imperial government today. And this statue of Śākyamuni Buddha is enshrined in the Kōfukuji Temple as the Most Venerable One (honzon) today. Therefore, it is with the help of the Buddha that a king can be a king and subjects can perform their duties.

Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji, Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 86-87