[I]t is said in the fifteenth chapter, “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” that Bodhisattva Maitreya begged the Buddha to clear his doubts about His original disciples from the eternal past saying:

“We have never doubted the truthfulness of Your opportune sermons or the words uttered by You and we believe that You know all things thoroughly. We are afraid, however, that those who have just begun to walk the bodhisattva way, if they hear these words of Yours after Your death, might not accept them in faith, causing the sin of destroying the dharma. We beseech You, World Honored One, to explain this to remove our doubts. Good men in the future, too, will have no doubts when they hear it.”

This passage shows that the preaching of the chapter, “The Life Span of the Buddha,” was requested for the sake of the people after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 155-156

It is preached in the Nirvana Sūtra, “The life of a human being is not at a standstill. It changes more rapidly than a swift stream in the mountain. Though we exist today, we do not know whether or not we will exist tomorrow.” The Māyā Sūtra, states, “Human life is like a caṇḍāla who drives a flock of sheep to the slaughterhouse. Likewise, human life approaches death step by step.” Finally, the Lotus Sūtra preaches, “The triple world is unsafe, like a burning house. It is full of suffering and is dreadful indeed.” These are scriptural statements made by our compassionate father, the Greatly Awakened and World Honored One, in order to teach ordinary people in the Latter Age of Degeneration about the impermanence of human life and to awaken us, his naive children.

However, we unenlightened ones are not awakened and do not aspire for enlightenment even for a moment. Instead we spend time needlessly trying to find nicer clothing to adorn our bodies, which will be naked within a night after being discarded in the field when we die. Or, we try to save a fortune to support our bodies, which will disappear completely in a few days after death when it becomes water and drains away, dust mixed with the soil, or smoke rising to the sky. These imprudent activities of the human world remain the same throughout the ages.

Matsuno-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Matsuno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 68-69

There are two kinds of people who harm the Lotus Sūtra. The first kind are those in whom the seed of Buddhahood was planted in a past life. The seed germinated and grew in them while they aspired for enlightenment, and they are close to attaining Buddhahood in this existence. For those in this category, should they slander the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, their mouths would be shut and their heads split into pieces. The second kind of people are those who slandered the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in previous lives as well as in the present life. Such people are being tormented in the Hell of Incessant Suffering life after life and their mouths are not sealed no matter how much they slander. For instance, a felon in prison waiting to be executed will not receive additional punishment till his execution, no matter how many evil acts he commits in prison. On the other hand, a prisoner who is scheduled to be released will be immediately punished should he commit an evil act in prison.

Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 62

[In the sixth month of the 3rd year of the Kenji era (1277), Nichiren Shōnin wrote a letter of explanation in place of Inaba-bō Nichiei, a disciple of Nichiren, and submitted it to Nichiei’s father, Shimoyama Hyōgo Gorō Mitsumoto.]

It may sound self-conceited, but according to the sūtras, Nichiren Shōnin seems closely related to all the people in Japan, from the Emperor above to all the people below. To them he has three virtues: first, the virtue of parents; second, that of the master; and third, that of a messenger of a lord. The “messenger of the Buddha,” “eyes” and “sun and moon” mentioned in the Lotus Sūtra all mean Nichiren Shōnin. Grand Master Chang-an says in his Commentary on the Nirvana Sūtra: “He, who removes evil from a man, is a man’s real parents.” Nevertheless, the shogunate listened to the false charges made by slanderers of the True Dharma, monks without faith and enemies of the country, and without examining these charges exiled Nichiren Shōnin by bending the law. Were they intending to invite disasters? What a pity!

Shimoyama Goshōsoku, The Shimoyama Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 88,/strong>

Although Śubhākarasiṃha was such a splendid person, he once experienced a sudden death. Upon regaining consciousness, however, he is said to have declared:

“Upon my death, a hell guard came to tie me with seven iron ropes, hit me hard with an iron stick, and dragged me to the palace of King Yama. Somehow I completely forgot all Buddhist scriptures said to be 80,000 in number, not remembering even one word or a phrase except the title of the Lotus Sūtra. When I recalled it, the iron ropes that tied me got loose somewhat. Breathing a sigh of relief, I recited a passage in the ‘Expedients’ chapter of the Lotus Sūtra resoundingly: ‘This triple world is all My domain, in which all the living beings are my children without exception. Although there exist many sufferings and difficulties in this world, only I, the Buddha, alone can save and protect all living beings.’ Then the seven iron ropes were broken into pieces and scattered all over. Seeing this scene, King Yama took off his crown, came down to the courtyard, and said to me, ‘This experience of death has not exhausted your entire life span.’ Thus, he sent me back to this world.”

Zemmui-shō, Treatise on Śubhākarasiṃha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 50

Speaking of the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached solely for those living in the beginning of the Latter Age. At first glance it appears that the seed of Buddhahood was planted in them by the Eternal Buddha in the eternal past or 500 dust-particle kalpa ago. The seed germinated and grew within them with the help of all the sūtras from the Lotus Sūtra preached by the sixteenth prince of Great Universal Wisdom Buddha in 3,000 dust-particle kalpa in the past to all those preached by Śākyamuni Buddha in this life before the Lotus Sūtra and the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra. Finally, the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra enabled them to attain Buddhahood.

On closer examination, however, the essential section differs from the theoretical section. That is to say the essential section, all through the preface, the main discourse, and the epilogue, was preached for those people in the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration. The teaching of the essential section during the lifetime of Śākyamuni Buddha and that which would spread in the beginning of the Latter Age are likewise absolutely perfect. However, the former is for attaining enlightenment, whereas the latter is for sowing the seed of Buddhahood. While the former is crystallized in the sixteenth chapter, “The Life Span of the Buddha,” with half a chapter each preceding and following it, the latter is solely embodied in the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, the title of the Lotus Sūtra.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 153-154

As I receive your offerings so often, it is easy to take them for granted and not recognize how precious they are. This is due to the shallowness of my mind as an ordinary man, isn’t it?

The world is chaotic these days. What is more, as you are working for the reconstruction of the Ōmiya of the Sengen Shrine, I can only imagine how busy your farmers and domestic workers are dealing with a crop failure and keeping up with the farm schedule. Despite all this, you worry about my life in the mountain and sustain the life of the Lotus Sūtra (by sending offerings to Nichiren) like a bird that incubates eggs, a lamplight that is supplemented by additional oil, the rain falling on withered grass, or a mother who breast feeds her hungry baby. In other words, you are supporting Buddhas in the past, present, and future lives, the merit of which in turn will open the eyes of all living beings throughout the universe. The preciousness of your gifts is indeed beyond expression. I am truly grateful.

Ueno-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Ueno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 22-23

Although I am unworthy, I am a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. When subjects of the ruler and people of Japan all slight me, the terrestrial deities, who pledged to protect the practicer at the lecture meeting of the Lotus Sūtra, tremble with rage and the heavenly gods shine a light that threatens this country. No matter how many times they admonish this country, their admonition is not heeded at all. Therefore, in the end the terrestrial deities and heavenly gods enter the people, causing the domestic disturbance and foreign invasion.

Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 60-61