[I]t is less difficult to pass a thread from the Heavenly Palace of the Great Brahma down through the hole of a needle that is standing upright on the great earth below than it is for us to be born as human beings. Even if an endless period of a trillion inconceivably long kalpa should pass, it is difficult to encounter the sacred teachings of the Tathāgata. However, we have received a human birth and encountered the sacred teachings. Then if one should encounter an “evil friend,” one will without a doubt fall into the three evil realms. According to a commentary, if the teacher falls, then the disciples will fall, and if the disciples fall then their followers will also fall.

Happily, you have encountered the practicer of the One Vehicle. Without having to cut off your skin and flesh, or serve for a thousand years, you are able to learn about the “three thousand existences contained in one thought,” the “ten realms,” the “ten aspects,” the “one truth of Middle Way,” and “Wonderful Dharma of the Supreme Buddha Way.” Although we have not cultivated virtue in the past, if we had not been born in the Latter Age of Degeneration, the age when the Wonderful Dharma is transmitted, it would have been difficult to attain the Way of liberation even though eternities passed by.

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 128-129

[T]hose who wish to spread Buddhism should know the right time.

For example, if a farmer cultivates a rice field in the fall or winter, he will not have any harvest and may even end up losing what he already has although he sows the same seeds in the same field and works as hard as in the spring or summer. A farmer who cultivates 900 sq. yards loses a little while he who cultivates 9000 or 18,000 sq. yards loses a lot. But if he cultivates in the spring or summer, he can have a harvest proportionate to the size of his field. The same thing is true with Buddhism. If we spread the Dharma at the wrong time, it is not only ineffective, but also causes us to fall into evil realms.

Although the Buddha appeared in this world to expound the Lotus Sūtra, He did not preach it until after forty years or so because the time was not right even though there were some people with the capacity to understand and embrace the sūtra. Therefore, it is preached in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “Because the time is not ripe for it (expounding the Lotus Sūtra) yet.”

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 98

Grand Master Miao-lê states in his Summary of the Great Concentration and Insight:

“The theoretical study and the spiritual contemplation of the T’ien-t’ai School is founded on the thoughts of Nāgārjuna. Since Zen Master Hui-wen in the Northern Chi Dynasty merely presented the ‘three wisdoms and threefold contemplation,’ the correct wisdom has been attained by meditation of the Lotus Sūtra, both theoretical study and spiritual contemplation have been widely discussed, and the content of the spiritual contemplation has been well arranged since the time of Nan-yüeh and T’ien-t’ai. If a person wants to practice the spiritual contemplation according to the Lotus Sūtra, he should decide the content of practice after establishing the clear answer to the issues on the provisional and true teachings, and on the essential and theoretical sections. Since the Lotus Sūtra is the sole scripture worthy of being called ‘Wonderful,’ the way of the spiritual contemplation should be established according to this sūtra. ‘Five expedients’ as preparatory practice and the ten-stage, ten-objective way of observing mind are indeed the perfect and sudden (Tendai) meditation based entirely on the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, the perfect and sudden meditation is merely another name of meditation on the Lotus Sūtra (since it is the way of practicing the spiritual contemplation based on the truth of the Lotus Sūtra).”

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 221

In such sūtras as the Amitābha Sūtra — preached during the 40 years or so before the Lotus Sūtra — the Buddha said to Śāriputra, “When one chants the name of Amitābha Buddha a million times in seven days one will inevitably be reborn in the Pure Land of Utmost Bliss.” However, upon expounding the Lotus Sūtra later, the Buddha declared, “No truth has been revealed in those pre-Lotus sūtras.” Therefore, all the scriptures of Buddhism preached before the Lotus Sūtra became meaningless, like hot water boiled for seven days but then thrown into the ocean.

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

I myself may be able to endure attacks with sticks and pieces of wood, withstand rubbles and debris thrown at me, vilification, and persecution by the ruler of a country, but how can lay believers who have a wife and children and no knowledge of Buddhism bear these difficulties? Wouldn’t it have been better instead for such people not to have believed in the Lotus Sūtra? I have been feeling sorry for you thinking that if you couldn’t carry through your faith, which is for temporary comfort, you would be mocked and ridiculed. However, it was wonderful that you showed the steadfastness in your faith throughout numerous persecutions including two banishments. Though you were threatened by your lord, you wrote this written pledge swearing to carry though your faith in the Lotus Sūtra even at the cost of fiefs in two places. Words cannot describe your commendable aspiration.

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 142

The scriptural passage declaring that the Lotus Sūtra is the supreme sūtra of all the Buddhist scriptures which had been preached, are being preached, and will be preached, can hardly be refuted even by the Buddha. Much less can any inferior commentator, teacher, or king refute it with his authority? The King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, sun and moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings all hear this statement in the Lotus Sūtra and wrote it down on their palaces.

Zui-jii Gosho, The Sūtra Preached in Accordance to [the Buddha’s] Own Mind, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 160

[L]ooking at the Lotus Sūtra, we find that the Buddha says, “Many people hate it (the Lotus Sūtra) with jealousy even in My lifetime. Needless to say, more people will do so after My extinction” in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter, and “In order to spread the Lotus Sūtra for a long time in this world” in the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” chapter. Considering these statements, the Lotus Sūtra is expounded for those of us living in the Latter Age of Degeneration. Therefore, referring to this period, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai says, “Up to the fifth 500-year period after the Buddha’s extinction, people receive merit of the Wonderful Dharma afar.” Grand Master Dengyō also speaks of this period, “The Ages of the True Dharma and the Semblance Dharma have almost passed, and the Latter Age of Degeneration is shortly coming.” The Latter Age of Degeneration is coming shortly means that the time when he lived was not the time for the Lotus Sūtra to spread, but the Latter Age of Degeneration is.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 214

Fascicle four of the Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight says: “Long ago in the great country Bima, a fox pursued by a lion tried to escape but fell into a dry well. The lion leapt over the well and ran on, but when the fox tried to climb out it couldn’t because the well was too deep. Many days passed and the fox was close to starving to death. At that time the fox cried out: “Woe is me! I am going to die miserably in this dry well. All things are impermanent. It would have been better if the lion had eaten me. Hail all the Buddhas of the worlds of the ten directions, with your wisdom see that my heart is pure and precious.”

At that time, the god Indra heard the fox’s cry and came down himself to lift the fox from the well and ask it to teach the Dharma. “This is all wrong,” said the fox. “The disciple is on top and the teacher is on the bottom.” All in the heavens laughed to hear this. When Indra, acknowledging that the fox was correct, nevertheless sat at his feet and asked him to preach, the fox said, “This is all wrong. It is not right for disciple and teacher to sit down together.” Thereupon Indra took all the heavenly robes and piled them up to make a tall seat for the fox, and again asked him to preach the Dharma. The fox said: “There are those who rejoice to live and hate death. There are those who rejoice to die and hate life.” Ignorant people are ignorant regarding future lives and so they hope to live and hate death. Good people know the truth of the workings of karma and retribution and so they hope to die and hate life. Indra learned this and followed the fox as his teacher. The Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said: “The Young Ascetic in the Snow Mountains offered himself to a demon to gain half a verse, Indra revered an animal and made him his teacher. No one discards gold because the purse stinks.” No matter how humble, if someone knows the True Dharma, you must not look down on them. Fascicle 8 of the Lotus Sūtra says: “Those who, upon seeing the keeper of this sūtra, blame him justly or unjustly, will suffer from white leprosy in their present life.” This means that if one accuses the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra of faults, whether one is justified or not, one will contract white leprosy in this life and in the next life will fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering.

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 128

Except for bodhisattvas such as Superior Practice and Limitless Practice, highest-ranking leaders of the bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth, no one is allowed to appear in the 500-year period at the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration and to spread the five letters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, which is the substance of all existing things. Furthermore, no one else can form the Most Venerable One (honzon) with the two Buddhas, Śākyamuni and Many Treasures, seated side by side inside the Stupa of Treasures. This is because these (daimoku and honzon) are the gist of the “actual three thousand existences contained in one thought” doctrine expounded in the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, and it should be spread by bodhisattva disciples of the Original Buddha.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 75

The five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō are the precious doctrine preached by Śākyamuni Buddha when He entered the Stupa of Treasures sitting by the Buddha of Many Treasures. Buddhas in Manifestation gathered together from all over the universe. The Buddha then invoked bodhisattvas from underground, chose the essence of the Lotus Sūtra and expounded on it for us people in the Latter Age of Degeneration. There should be no doubt about its merit in this world.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 215