The Lotus Sūtra can be viewed differently, depending on the recipient’s ability, on the era and country in which it is preached, and on the people who spread it. However, even bodhisattvas at the highest rank almost equal to the Buddha do not seem to understand this, much less ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration. When I think about it, there are three kinds of messengers. One is extremely wise, another is neither simple-minded nor wise, and the last is very simple-minded but honest and dependable.

Of these three, the first one has wisdom so that mistakes are not made. Although the second one is not as wise as the first, wisdom is present. This messenger might add arbitrary words to the master’s; making this messenger the most dangerous of all. The third one lacks any wisdom and thus does not think about adding words. Also, since this messenger is extremely honest, the words of the master are transmitted accurately; therefore, this messenger may be a superior to the second type. In fact, in some cases the third one is better than the first messenger. The first messenger is compared to the four ranks of bodhisattva leaders after the death of the Buddha in India, the second messenger is compared to Buddhist masters in China, and the third messenger is compared to ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration who are simple-minded but honest.

Zui-jii Gosho, The Sūtra Preached in Accordance to [the Buddha’s] Own Mind, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 155

In China, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai defeated the Northern and Southern ten masters and was revered as a great master during the reign of the Ch’ên dynasty. As stated in the Effects of T’ien-t’ai on the Buddhist Schools, he was superior to various masters and was outstanding in T’ang China.

In Japan, Grand Master Dengyō defeated the six schools of Nara in debate and was appointed the first Grand Master in Japan. Throughout India, China, and Japan these three were the only persons who deserved to be called “the first among all the people.” Therefore, it is said in the Outstanding Principles of the Lotus Sūtra:

“The Buddha Śākyamuni has stated that it is easy to keep provisional sūtras preached before the Lotus Sūtra and hard to uphold the Lotus Sūtra. It is the way of a brave man to challenge the hard and leave the easy. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, therefore, spread the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra in China, believing in and practicing the teaching of Śākyamuni Buddha. Our men of Mt. Hiei follow Grand Master T’ien-t’ai and propagate the Lotus Sūtra throughout Japan.”

During the 1,800 years after the extinction of the Buddha Śākyamuni there has been only one practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in China, and one in Japan, two in all. Adding the Buddha Śākyamuni to them, there have been three in all.

A non-Buddhist scripture says: “A sage appears once in one thousand years. A man of wisdom appears once in five hundred years. The Yellow River, with its tributaries of Wei and Ching, will be half clear in five hundred years. It will take one thousand years to be all clear.” This is true indeed.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 28.

However, (if I may quote passages from the Lotus Sūtra as proof), it is stated in the “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground” chapter that Maitreya Bodhisattva having wondered what the Buddha stated, said to Him, “If beginning bodhisattvas hear these words of Yours after Your extinction they may not believe in them and commit the sin of slandering the dharma.” It means that if the Buddha had not expounded the chapter on “The Life Span of the Buddha” to reveal His eternity, ordinary people in the Latter Age would fall into evil realms such as hell by having doubts and slandering the dharma. In the same chapter, the Buddha says, “I’m leaving this excellent medicine here.” Although this chapter seems to have been intended to benefit people in the past when the Buddha was alive, it is clear from this statement that the Buddha’s true intention is to give benefit to people after His extinction. Benefiting those in the past is intended to show an example of the past for the people after His extinction.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 212

Truly, in order to attain Buddhahood we must serve a teacher without fail. In fascicle four of the Annotations on the Great Concentration and Insight, Grand Master Miao-lê points out: “If there is a disciple who finds fault with his teachers, whether it is true or not, his mind will be ruined and he will lose the merit of the Dharma.”

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 126-127

QUESTION: In the second chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 1, “Expedients, it is preached, “All phenomena as ultimate reality” means the principle into which all existing things: their appearances, natures, entities, powers, activities, primary causes, environmental causes, effects, rewards and retributions all from the beginning to end are united in one.” What does this mean?

ANSWER: It means that the whole world is divided into ten realms from the bottom of hell to the top of Buddhas and everything in the ten realms without exception is the manifestation of the Lotus Sūtra.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 74-75

Venerable Śāripūtra tried to teach a smith the practice of meditating on a skeleton to realize the impurity of the body, and a laundryman the practice to obtain a stable mind by counting the number of breaths. His disciples, however, learned little about the Buddha’s teaching in 90 days. Instead, they cultivated wrong views and became icchantika, ones who have no goodness in their nature and, therefore, no possibility of becoming Buddhas. Then the Buddha taught the smith the practice of counting the number of breaths and the laundryman that of meditating on a skeleton, and they understood the teaching immediately. Even Śāriputra, who was reputed as the wisest man, made a mistake in teaching according to a person’s capacity. Needless to say, it is not easy for ignorant, ordinary, and unenlightened masters in the Latter Age of Degeneration to decipher a person’s capacity.

However, such an ordinary master, who cannot discern an individual’s capacity, should solely teach the Lotus Sūtra to his disciples.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 250

The Buddha also declares in the Lotus Sūtra: “For anyone who keeps this sūtra in this evil world during the Latter Age of Degeneration” in the “Variety of Merits” chapter; “Buddhas joyfully display their immeasurable, supernatural powers in praise of those who will keep this sūtra after My extinction” in the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” chapter; “Propagate this chapter throughout this Sahā World in the latter five-hundred year period after My extinction lest it should be lost” in the “Previous Life of Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter and “This sūtra is a panacea for sick people in this Sahā World” in the same chapter. The Buddha also states in the Nirvana Sūtra: “Suppose there are seven children, their parents love them all equally but care most for a sick child.” Icchantika and slanderers of the True Dharma are like the first and second children of the seven whom parents care most about. Of many illnesses, slandering the Lotus Sūtra is the most serious. Of many medicines, “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” is the most wonderful medicine.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 212-213

Regarding the sūtras, the Lotus Sūtra is the most supreme among all exoteric and esoteric teachings. Regarding the Buddhas, Śākyamuni Buddha is the most supreme among all the Buddhas in all the worlds throughout the universe. Regarding those who practice the faith, Nichiren is worthy of being a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. When the “three treasures” in Buddhism (the Buddha, Dharma and Sangha) are aligned with one another, there can be no doubt that your most sincere hopes and wishes will be realized.

Niita-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Niita, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 106-107

There once was a poor woman named Golden Pearl Lady who donated a gold coin for gilding a statue of the Buddha. For this merit, her body retained a golden hue through numerous existences for as long as 91 kalpa (aeons). Her husband, a gold beater, is the Buddha’s disciple Kāśyapa in this life and is guaranteed to be a future Buddha called Light Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra.

Now, Priest Jōmyō and his wife donated 2,000 pieces of copper coins to the Lotus Sūtra. Golden Pearl Lady’s donation was made to the Buddha while you donated to the Lotus Sūtra. The sūtra is the teacher of the Buddha and the Buddha is a disciple of the sūtra. Regarding this it is preached in the Nirvana Sūtra, “What is looked up by various Buddhas is the dharma; therefore, various Buddhas respect and donate offerings to the dharma.” It is also preached in the “Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7, “Suppose a person fills the whole world with the seven treasures such as gold, silver, lapis, and pearls and donate them to the Buddha and other sages such as a great bodhisattva, a pratyekabuddha, and an arhat. The merit he gains does not amount to the great merit of the person who believed in a line or a verse of the Lotus Sūtra.”

As stated above, Golden Pearl Lady continued to be reborn with a golden body for as long as 91 kalpa (aeons) because of her merit of making a donation to the Buddha, who is inferior to the Dharma. How could it be for you two, who made a donation to the Lotus Sūtra, the teacher of the Buddha, not to attain the rank of Buddhas during this lifetime?

Jōmyō Shōnin Gohenji, A Reply to Holy Priest Ota Jōmyō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Pages 39-40