According to these sūtras, it is due to the great merit of his virtuous acts in past lives that anyone listens to the Lotus Sūtra without slandering it, though unable to understand it. The chances of our being born in the three evil realms are more numerous than particles of dust on earth, while chances of our being born in the human realm are as scarce as the specks of dirt on a fingernail. (…) The chances of our encountering expedient sūtras preached in the forty-odd years before the Lotus Sūtra are more numerous than the particles of dust on earth, while encountering the Lotus-Nirvana Sūtras is as scarce as specks of dirt on a fingernail. It is just as the passage … from the Nirvana Sūtra, fascicle 33 stated. To be able to believe in this Lotus Sūtra, even one character or one phrase, is due to the profound association with it from previous lives, which is a great blessing.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 66

It is said in the Lotus Sūtra, “Those who heard the Dharma from those śramaṇera (teachers) are now living under those Buddhas.” T’ien-t’ai stated (in the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra), “The Buddha in the Western Pure Land is different from the Buddha in this Sahā World; therefore, no relationship between parents and children exists between the Buddha of Infinite Life and us, ordinary beings in the Sahā World.” Miao-lê explains this (in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra) that the Buddha of Infinite Life and Śākyamuni are different Buddhas. (…) Their relationships to us from past lives are different, so are their ways of teaching. Sowing the seeds of Buddhahood in living beings by the Buddha is similar to giving birth to a child by parents and guiding the people by the Buddha is similar to raising a child by parents. If the parents who give birth to a child and parents who raise him are different, the true relationship between parents and child does not exist.

In these days, people in Japan believe that the Buddha of Infinite Life will come to save them. This is as nonsensical as feeding a baby cow on horse milk or trying to have the moon reflected on a roof tile.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 208

I have written exhaustively about your deep resolution to make a donation for the cause of the Lotus Sūtra that my writing brush is worn out and my fingers are too tired to hold the brush. It may be possible to count the number of rain drops falling in seven days over the triple thousand worlds. There must be a person who knows the amount of dust on the earth in all the worlds throughout the universe. In contrast, however, the Buddha has declared that the merit of offering a donation to just one character of the Lotus Sūtra is unfathomably great. Please realize the significance of offering a donation to the Lotus Sūtra through this teaching.

Kubo-ama Gozen Gohenji, Response to My Lady, the Nun of Kubo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 95

It is said that a sage is not affected by the “eight winds”: profit, sorrow, slander, fame, praise, censure, and pleasure. This means that a sage neither takes delight in his crowning hour nor grieves during depths of despair. Those who are unaffected by the “eight winds” are protected by the heavenly deities without fail, but not so for those who carry an irrational grudge against their lord, no matter how hard they pray.

Shijō Kingo Shakabutsu Kuyō, Opening the Eyes Service of Shijō Kingo’s Statue of Śākyamuni Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Pages 135

I, Nichiren, was born as a human being, which is difficult to achieve, and also encountered Buddhism, which is difficult to encounter. And among all the Buddha’s teachings, I was able to come across the Lotus Sūtra. When I think of my good fortune, I realize that I owe a debt of gratitude to my parents, the rulers of the country, and to all the people. Concerning the debt of gratitude we owe to our parents, a compassionate father is like the heaven and a compassionate mother is like the earth. Although it is difficult to distinguish the debt of gratitude between the two, it would be especially difficult to repay the favors of our mothers. Were we to try to repay them by following non-Buddhist writings such as the writings of Three Emperors and Five Rulers of Ancient China and the Classic of Filial Piety of Confucianism, our efforts would help them in this present life but not in future lives. In other words we could support their physical well-being but not save their souls.

Regarding the writings of Buddhism, in the five to seven thousand fascicles of Hinayāna and Mahāyāna sūtras, it is nearly impossible for women to attain Buddhahood; therefore, the favors of our compassionate mothers cannot be repaid. Hinayāna sūtras in particular do not allow women to attain Buddhahood at all, and while some Mahāyāna sūtras may seem to allow for women the attainment of Buddhahood or reaching the Buddha land, but they are but the Buddha’s expedient words without substance. Realizing that only the Lotus Sūtra expounds the attainment of Buddhahood for women and therefore is the true sūtra through which we can repay our mother’s favors, I am encouraging all women to chant the title (daimoku) of this sūtra in order for them to repay their mothers’ favors.

Sennichi-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady Nun Sennichi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 147-148

Considered from the point of view of the second half of the Lotus Sūtra, hommon or essential teachings, we are the real children of Śākyamuni Buddha since the eternal past, 500 dust-particle kalpa ago. However, we attach ourselves to worldly affairs and lose sight of the Lotus Sūtra, stick to old Hinayāna and provisional Mahāyāna Buddhism and discard the Lotus Sūtra, adhere to the first half of the Lotus Sūtra (shakumon) and forget about the second half (hommon), expect too much from the sūtras which will be preached and abandon the Lotus Sūtra, or are thinking only of the Pure Lands in other worlds in the universe or the Buddha of Infinite Life’s Pure Land of Bliss. Confused by evil monks of seven or eight schools of Buddhism, we have abandoned the Lotus Sūtra and have been unable to see Śākyamuni Buddha with three virtues for as long as 500 dust-particle kalpa. The 22nd fascicle of the Nirvana Sūtra preaches, “An evil elephant hurts only our body, but an evil teacher or friend destroys both our body and heart.” Grand Master T’ien-t’ai says, “If we keep improper company, we may lose the true purpose, falling into evil realms.”

Gochū Shujō Gosho, People in the World Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 203

In the past as well as today, kings and their subjects as well as all the people who despised the practicers of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration seem to be safe at first, but they will perish in the end without exception. The same can be said regarding me, Nichiren. In the beginning, it appeared that there were no signs of protection for me, but now, after 27 years of propagation, all the deities such as the King of Brahma Heaven, Indra, Sun Deity, Moon Deity, and the Four Heavenly Kings who made the vow to protect the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, now realize that if they do not keep their vows, they will fall into the Avīci Hell. Therefore, they have begun to protect me.

Shōnin Gonan Ji, Persecution Befalling Nichiren Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 119

Grand Master Miao-lê states in his Treatise of Five Hundred Questions: “If anyone does not know about the eternity of his father’s life span, he will go astray in the country his father governs. No matter how talented he may be, such a person cannot be valued as a child. Prior to the time of the Three Emperors in ancient China people, like birds and beasts, did not know who their fathers were.” Likewise, if we do not know the eternal life of our True Teacher, Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha, we do not know our own father, namely we do not know this Sahā World, which is the Pure Land of our Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha.

Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 249-250

QUESTION: In the 23rd chapter on the “Previous Life of Medicine King Bodhisattva” in the epilogue section of the Lotus Sūtra, women are encouraged to practice the sūtra wholeheartedly, so that they may be reborn in the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life upon death. How about this?

ANSWER: The Buddha of Infinite Life in the “Previous Life of the Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter is not the same as the Buddha of Infinite Life in the pre-Lotus sūtras and in the first half of the Lotus Sūtra. They merely have the same name. The Sūtra of Infinite Meaning (Muryōgi-kyō) says, “Even though they have the same name, their meanings are different.” Miao-lê says in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Even though you find the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life in the hommon section of the Lotus Sūtra, it does not at all mean the Buddha of Infinite Life mentioned in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life.” These should dispel all your doubts. After all, Bodhisattvas who are advanced in practice may easily come to this Sahā World from Pure Lands in the universe and can also easily go back there.

Gochū Shujō Gosho, People in the World Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 203