[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

The Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra says: “If the practice of the spiritual contemplation is consistent with the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, it will become a wonderful way of practice different from such vain efforts as counting the treasures of other people. This shows that the Great Concentration and Insight is merely a means to attain the objective for knowing the Lotus meditation (like a coop which is unnecessary when the fish is caught). If a person understands this meaning, he can really obtain the essence of the Lotus Sūtra.

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

The Shogunal Regent at Kamakura punished me twice. Publicly the second punishment was an exile, but actually he tried to behead me in secret. I was taken to the execution ground of Tatsunokuchi at midnight on the 12th day of the 9th month. Strangely, a shining ball like a moon came flying from Enoshima Island over to the head of the executioner. He was too scared to kill me. The confusion lasted for a while, so the execution did not take place that night. He might have tried to kill me in Sado, but the civil war broke out in Kamakura as I had predicted. A messenger came and my execution was cancelled. In the end I was pardoned. I am now living in this mountain.

Myōhō Bikuni Go-henji, A Reply to Nun Myōhō, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 206-208

During the thousand years of the Age of the True Dharma following the Buddha’s extinction, many people observe the precepts and few break them. During the next thousand years of the Age of the Semblance Dharma, which follows the Age of the True Dharma, many violate the precepts and a few people do not accept any precepts. During the ten thousand years of the Latter Age of Degeneration, there are a few violators of the precepts, but many people do not accept any precepts. During the Age of the True Dharma, you should disregard those who violate the precepts or do not accept any and make offerings to observers of the precepts. During the Age of the Semblance Dharma, disregard those who do not accept any precepts and make offerings to the violators of the precepts. During the Latter Age of Degeneration, revere those who do not accept any precepts and make offerings to them as if they were Buddhas.

Across the three ages, however, we should never make offerings to those who slander the Lotus Sūtra regardless of whether they observe the precepts, violate them or disregard them. If we make offerings to slanderers of the Lotus Sūtra, three disasters and seven calamities will befall the country and people will certainly fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. A practicer of the Lotus Sūtra criticizing provisional sūtras is like a ruler admonishing his retainers, a parent admonishing his children, or a teacher admonishing his disciples. A practicer of provisional sūtras criticizing the Lotus Sūtra, on the contrary, is like a retainer punishing his lord, a child punishing his parent, or a disciple punishing his master.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 98-99

Since Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was among the audience who heard Śākyamuni Buddha expound the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle, he propagated the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, which shows the sole purpose of the Buddha appearing in this world. However, as the time was not right for the spread of the sūtra, he propagated the teaching of the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra in the name of the Great Concentration and Insight. Since Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was not a disciple of the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha but of Śākyamuni as a manifestation of the Buddha, he did not propagate what was entrusted directly to such disciples of the Eternal Buddha as Superior Practice Bodhisattva, who had been trained ever since the eternal past. T’ien-t’ai propagated the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, which directly states the truth by explaining it as the Great Concentration and Insight. In this sense, his teaching can be said to have been expedient rather than the Wonderful Dharma as unvarnished truth. Therefore, those who received the teaching of the Great Concentration and Insight from Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in the Age of the Semblance Dharma are, like those who heard the preaching of the pre-Lotus teaching in the lifetime of Śākyamuni Buddha, “people who received the perfect teaching taking on the expedients (provisional teaching).” People who receive the teaching from the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha are those who receive the teaching of the Wonderful Dharma revealed in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra and go their way correctly to enlightenment.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 225

Devadatta, who committed the Three Rebellious Sins, as well as Rāhula, who observed the 250 precepts, similarly attained Buddhahood through the Lotus Sūtra. King Wonderful Adornment, who was attached to Brahmanism, as well as Śāriputra, a man who held the right view, were guaranteed future Buddhahood. This is what is meant by “If there are those who hear the Dharma, not even one will fail to attain Buddhahood.”

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

A human life is as fleeting as a dream and nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. No matter what kind of a beggar you may be, you must not inflict harm on the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, though there is not much choice, you should not show the appearance of sorrow but behave without any signs of flattery as stated in this letter of explanation. Currying favor is all the more worse. Even if you are deprived of your fief and chased out of the retinue of your lord’s retainers, you should consider it as the discretion of the ten female rākṣasa demons and strengthen your faith in the Lotus Sūtra.

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 143

I, Nichiren, started the propagation of the Lotus Sūtra on the 28th day of the 4th month in the 5th year of Kenchō (1253) in the district of Tōjō, Nagasa County of Awa Province. Tōjō District is now the county of Tōjō. This is where the shrine domain of the Goddess Amaterasu is located. This domain established by Mina moto Yoritomo was the second in importance among the domains of the Ise Shrine in Japan, but now it is the most important one. In the compound of the Seichōji Temple located also in the Tōjō District, there existed the Hall of the Buddha known as the Shobutsu-bō. On the south side of the Hall of the Buddha, I started preaching the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra at twelve noon. Since then till today in the second year of Kōan (1279), it has been 27 years. The Buddha revealed His true intent in the Lotus Sūtra after preaching expedient teachings for 40 years or so while Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō took more than 30 years and twenty years or so respectively to fulfill their wishes. As I have told you, the difficulties they encountered during those years were indescribable. In my case, it took twenty-seven years, and you all know about the great persecutions I encountered during this period.

Shōnin Gonan Ji, Persecution Befalling Nichiren Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 117-118