Below is a compilation of quotes from a letter to Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, who had been converted by Nichiren but was under pressure from family members who believed in the nembutsu.

1. Therefore, it is preached in the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 2 (chapter 3 on “A Parable”): “This triple world is My domain. Living beings therein are all My children. Now there are many sufferings in this world, and only I can save them all. Though I taught this to them, they did not believe Me, because they were attached to greed and defilement.” These statements mean that Śākyamuni Buddha is the parent, the teacher and the master for the people. For us, the Buddha of Infinite Life and Medicine Master Buddha are masters, but not parents or teachers. Only Śākyamuni Buddha is the compassionate Buddha who possesses the three virtues of the master, teacher and parent. There are many kinds of parents, but no one is as great as Śākyamuni. There are also many kinds of teachers and masters, but no one is superior to Him. If people are against the Buddha’s teachings, they will be abandoned by the gods of heaven and earth. They are the most undutiful; therefore it is preached, “Though I taught this to them they did not believe Me.” Even if one believes in the pre-Lotus sūtras, if one does not believe in the Lotus Sūtra and chant Namu Myōhō Renge-kyō even once, one is an undutiful child. He will be abandoned by the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in all the worlds throughout the universe in the past, present and future, and also will be begrudged by the gods of heaven and earth. (This is the first point.)
2. There are some who strongly believe in the Lotus Sūtra, but they do not denounce the enemies of the sūtra. Even if they do good deeds, read and copy the Lotus Sūtra ten million times, and master the heart of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine theoretically, if they do not denounce the enemies of the Lotus Sūtra, they cannot attain enlightenment. If a man who has served his emperor for ten or twenty years knows an enemy of the emperor but neither reports him to the emperor nor drives him away, it will negate the credit of his longtime service, and he would instead be punished. You should know that people of today thus commit the sin of slandering the Lotus Sūtra. (This is the second point.)
3. Now it is the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration. Those who should be saved by Hinayana and provisional Mahayana teachings have disappeared, leaving only those who should be saved by the True Mahayana teaching. You cannot load a big rock on a small boat. Evil and ignorant people are like huge rocks. Such teachings as Hinayana and provisional Mahayana sūtras and the nembutsu are like a small boat. A large malignant scab cannot be cured easily because it is a severe sickness. For us in the Latter Age of Degeneration, nembutsu is like cultivating a rice field in winter. The time is not at all right. (This is the third point.)
4. Therefore, if you practice the Lotus Sūtra, even a word or phrase of it, you can be sure to attain Buddhahood because it is the teaching that has a close relation with the people of Japan. It is like a magnet pulling pieces of metal, or water seeping everywhere. Japan has no relation with other teachings such the nembutsu which is like a fake magnet that can’t pull any metal, or a substance that looks like water but is not and does not seep everywhere. When spreading the Dharma in a country, it is important to take into consideration the type of country it is. One cannot assume that a teaching suitable in one country will necessarily be suitable in another country. (This is the fourth point.)

Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 140-143.

Today’s quotes continue yesterday’s discussion of how to apply what Nichiren taught in 13th Century Japan to a non-Buddhist land in the 21st Century.

And I ponder Nichiren’s declaration: “One cannot assume that a teaching suitable in one country will necessarily be suitable in another country.”

Let me be clear, however, on the baseline from which my internal debate grows. I hold as without question that the Lotus Sūtra is the highest teaching of the Buddha and it presents the Dharma best suited for this declining age. As Nichiren writes at the conclusion of Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Venerable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 168:

For those who are incapable of understanding the truth of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” Lord Śākyamuni Buddha, with His great compassion, wraps this jewel with the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō and hangs it around the neck of the ignorant in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

The differences between 13th Century Japan and a non-Buddhist land in the 21st Century changes nothing of that.

Even after the death of the Buddha, however, the provisional sūtras may be preached first for those whose capacity is not for the Lotus Sūtra. Also, those who place emphasis on giving joy to the people should preach provisional sūtras first just as Śākyamuni Buddha did, while those who emphasize relieving the people of their sufferings first should preach the true Lotus Sūtra just as Never-Despising Bodhisattva did.

In reading Nichiren’s writings I am constantly holding in mind the question, How would Nichiren approach propagation of Buddhism in America, a country without an understanding of such basic Buddhist concepts as the Four Noble Truths, the Twelve-Link Chain of Causation, and the Six Paramitas?

I cling to quotes like the one above because I’m predisposed to believe that people need context when they take faith in the Lotus Sūtra. At the same time I realize that my wishful thinking may have taken the quote out of its context.

Here’s the quote with the context:

Question (12): If the Buddha preached the Lotus Sūtra not at the beginning but after four decades of preaching lest the people might slander the sūtra, why do you suddenly expound the Lotus Sūtra without preaching the provisional sūtras first, causing the people to slander the True Dharma and fall into the evil realms?

Answer (12): While in this world the Buddha sat under the bodhi tree contemplating the capacity of the people. He foresaw that preaching the Lotus Sūtra then would cause the people to slander it and fall into the evil realms, but preaching it 40 years or so later would not cause them to slander it; instead, it would cause them to enter the way of bodhisattvas attaining the rank of shojū (state of non-regression) or even the highest rank of myōkaku (wonderful enlightenment).

In the Latter Age of Degeneration, however, it seems that there is no person equipped with the capacity to be saved by the Buddha’s dharma, not even one out of 10,000, who would be able to enter the rank of shojū. Also Buddhist masters who guide the people are no longer Buddhas, who can make judgment about the capability of the people to understand and accept the Buddha’s teaching. Therefore, the Buddha has permitted us to guide the people, both believers (who will attain Buddhahood by following the Buddha’s teaching) and non-believers (who will eventually attain Buddhahood through the merit of reverse relationship), with the Lotus Sūtra from the beginning. Even after the death of the Buddha, however, the provisional sūtras may be preached first for those whose capacity is not for the Lotus Sūtra. Also, those who place emphasis on giving joy to the people should preach provisional sūtras first just as Śākyamuni Buddha did, while those who emphasize relieving the people of their sufferings first should preach the true Lotus Sūtra just as Never-Despising Bodhisattva did.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 119-120.

Three pages later in the letter Nichiren offers “Precaution for Propagators of Buddhism”:

In this fourth section I will describe the rules that propagators of Buddhism should observe. Those who intend to spread Buddhism must correctly understand the five principles for propagation in order to disseminate the True Dharma. They are: (1) the teaching, (2) the capacity of the people, (3) the time, (4) the country, and (5) the sequence of spreading the Buddha’s teachings.

And I’m back wondering how this time and this country impacts the sequence of spreading the Buddha’s teachings. Namu Myoho Renge Kyo is the jewel left behind for us. Can a necklace that includes this jewel with lesser gems bring more people to faith in the Wonderful Dharma, the True Dharma, of the Lotus Sūtra?

Hell of Regeneration

The life span of these sinners in this hell is as follows. Suppose 50 years in the human world is equal to one day in the Four-king Heavens, the first heaven in the realm of desire, where heavenly beings’ life span is 500 years. Suppose 500 years in the Four-king Heavens correspond to one day in the Hell of Regeneration. Sinners in the Hell of Regeneration live as long as 500 years.

Hell of Black Ropes

One hundred years in the human world correspond to one day in the Heaven of the Thirty-three Gods, the second heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,000 years. If 1,000 years in this Thirty-three Heaven are equal to one day in the Hell of Black Ropes, the life span of those sinners who fell into the Hell of Black Ropes is 1,000 years.

Hell of Crushing

Suppose 200 years in the human world correspond to a day in the Heaven of Yama, the third heaven in the realm of desire, where heavenly beings live for 2,000 years. If 2,000 years in this Heaven of Yama are equal to one day in the Hell of Crushing, the life span of sinners in this hell is 2,000 years.

Hell of Wailing

Regarding the life span of the sinners in this Hell of Wailing, one day in the human world corresponds to 400 years in the Tuṣita Heaven, the fourth heaven in the realm of desire, where dwellers live as long as 4,000 years. Suppose 4,000 years in this Tuṣita Heaven are equal to one day in the Hell of Wailing, sinners in this hell have to suffer as long as 4,000 years.

Hell of Great Wailing

Suppose 800 years in the human world equals to one day in the Creating Enjoyment Heaven, the fifth heaven in the realm of desire, where inhabitants live for 8,000 years. Suppose one day in this hell corresponds to 8,000 years in the Creating Enjoyment Heaven, those sinners who fall to the Hell of Great Wailing have to suffer for as long as 8,000 years.

Hell of Burning Heat

Suppose 1,600 years in the human world correspond to one day and night in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven, the sixth heaven in the realm of desire, where the life span of heavenly beings is 1,600 years. Suppose 1,600 years in the Paranirmitavaśavartin Heaven are equal to one day and night in the Hell of Burning Heat, the sinners in this hell live as long as 1,600 years.

Hell of Great Burning Heat

The Hell of Great Burning Heat, the seventh of the eight major hells, is located beneath the Hell of Burning Heat, and its length and breadth are the same as the Hell of Burning Heat. However, the torment in this hell is ten times more severe than all the torments of the six hells mentioned above combined. The life span of sinners in this hell is half the length of a medium kalpa.

Hell of Incessant Suffering (Avīci Hell)

The life span of sinners in this hell is one medium kalpa. Suppose the length of time equivalent to the period during which a man’s life span decreases by one in 100 years from infinite to ten years, and then increases from 10 to 80,000 at the same rate. The time required for this decrease and increase is called a small kalpa, twenty of which constitute a medium kalpa. Those who fall into this Hell of Incessant Suffering are subjected to the great torment of this worst hell for this long period of time.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 106-111.

The fire and brimstone warning of the Judeo-Christian tradition has nothing on Nichiren’s warnings in this letter. But my purpose in publishing this compilation is to illustrate the concept of time in Buddhism. The fraction of time we are here in this Sahā World in comparison with just the first level of heaven is – well, awe inspiring. Gives a whole new perspective to the cycle of birth and death. And beyond that, I think these would be excellent word math problems — if the life expectancy starts at 84,000 years and drops 1 year each 100 years and continues to fall until it reaches 10 years before starting to increase at the same rate, how many years will it take for the cycle to repeat 20 times? (335,960,000?)

Question: Various sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra also state that an evil person can become a Buddha. It is preached in the Flower Garland Sūtra that five hundred evil people such as Devadatta will become Buddhas in the future. The Fuchō Zammai Sūtra states that an evil king, Ajātaśatru, will become a Buddha in the future and in the Sūtra of Mahayana Dhārani is the story of Vāsudeva, who had gone to hell because of his evil deeds but was guaranteed future Buddhahood. As for the enlightenment of women, the Bosatsu Shotai Sūtra says that any woman can become a Buddha. As for the enlightenment of beasts and birds, the Agama sūtras say that a pigeon will be a Buddha in the future. The enlightenment of the Two Vehicles is mentioned in the Sūtra of Mahayana Dhārani and the Heroic Valor Sūtra. The enlightenment of bodhisattvas is mentioned in such sutras as the Flower Garland Sūtra. As for rebirth in the Pure Land by ordinary people bound by evil passions, the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life says that even “the lowest grade in the lowest class” will be reborn in the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life, no matter how serious one’s sin is. As for a woman turning into a man, the Sūtra of the Buddha of Infinite Life states in the thirty-fifth of its forty-eight vows that a woman can turn into a man by reciting the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life and be reborn in the Pure Land. How are these enlightenments thus revealed in these various provisional sutras different from the assurance of future Buddhahood of the Two Vehicles, a dragon girl, Devadatta, and bodhisattvas in the Lotus Sūtra? Also, there is no doubt that they all attain Buddhahood in these various sutras even though there are some differences between them and the Lotus Sūtra. What do you think of this?

Answer: It is easy to answer your question based on the teachings passed down to me which I hold dear. After hearing my answer, you will clearly see that the Lotus Sūtra is superior to the various other sutras and determine whether or not it is indeed possible to become Buddhas in those sutras. However, I cannot write this down on paper because it is the secretly treasured doctrine of the Buddha.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 88-89.

I’ve included this quote for my future reference more than the substance. It is important to acknowledge that other sūtras have elements similar to the teachings of the Lotus Sūtra, but when the Lotus Sūtra is viewed in its entirety no other sūtra is as uniquely wonderful as the Sūtra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma, the Dharma for Bodhisattvas, the Dharma Upheld by the Buddhas.

The Lotus Sūtra of the fifth period consists of one fascicle of the Sūtra of Infinite Meaning as an introduction, eight fascicles of the Lotus Sūtra, and one fascicle of the Sūtra of Meditation on the Universal Sage Bodhisattva as the conclusion, bringing the total number of fascicles to ten.

The reason for my commentaries on the Four Teachings (Tripitaka, Common, Distinct, and Perfect) and the Four Periods (Flower Garland, Agama, Expanded, and Wisdom) is to help others learn what the Lotus Sūtra is. For one cannot correctly understand the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra without learning the pre-Lotus Sūtras, although one may study the pre-Lotus Sūtras without learning about other Sūtras.

In support of this, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai stated in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “When attempting to spread various sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra, the essential part of the teaching will not be lost even if a doctrinal analysis of all the teachings of the Buddha is not rendered. When attempting to spread the Lotus Sūtra, however, the essence of the teaching may be lost if a doctrinal analysis is not made.” It is preached in the Lotus Sūtra (chapter 2, “Expedients”), “Although the Buddhas expound various teachings, it is for the purpose of leading the people into the world of the One Buddha Vehicle.” “Various teachings” here refer to all the pre-Lotus Sūtras. “For the purpose of leading the people into the world of the One Buddha Vehicle” means to expound all the scriptures of Buddhism to reveal the Lotus Sūtra.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 81.

Yesterday, on Day 17 of 100 I mentioned my joy at having this opportunity to learn more about Buddhism in general through the lens of the Lotus Sūtra. And then I got to the above quote in the same letter and immediately underscored one cannot correctly understand the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra without learning the pre-Lotus Sūtras.

Speaking only for myself – keeping in mind the Simile of the Herbs – my search for knowledge of Buddhism has led me to a greater appreciation of the Lotus Sūtra. And as I consider whether my experience applies to others, I wonder whether a lack of basic understanding of Buddhism inhibits the spread of the Lotus Sūtra. Americans or any other people from non-Buddhist lands are at a great disadvantage when compared with, say, Japanese. People immersed in the various flavors of the lesser vehicles have a vast head start on appreciating the majesty of the Lotus Sūtra promise.

The purpose of the Tripitaka teaching is to emancipate people from the Six Realms of the triple world. As a result, because the teaching reveals no place but the triple world to attain emancipation, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha are unaware of the existence of the Pure Land where bodhisattvas are born. They also do not know that they still possess other evil passions and attachments besides the delusions in view and thought. Śrāvakas and pratyekabuddhas believe they will eliminate the cause of being reborn in the triple world if they do away with the delusions in view and thought and that they will exist in a void where there is no body or mind, since they will have transformed the body to ashes and annihilated consciousness. Thus it is said that men of the two Vehicles cannot be saved by the Tripitaka teaching, and that they will never be able to become Buddhas without the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-i, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 72.

This is an excellent example of what I was hoping to learn during this 100 days of studying Nichiren’s writings. This survey of the teachings of the Buddha helps in understanding how all of the rivers lead to the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra.

This daimoku chanting has not yet been spread in the world. For 2,225 years after the extinction of the Buddha no one has chanted this yet. I, Nichiren, alone have been chanting “Namu Myōhōrengekyō, “Namu Myōhōrengekyō without saving my voice.

As you know, the size of waves depends on the strength of the winds, the height of a fire depends on firewood, the size of lotus flowers depends on the size of the ponds, the quantity of rain depends upon dragons; the deeper the roots of a tree are, the wider its branches grow; and the farther away a river begins, the longer it flows. The Chou dynasty lasted seven hundred years because King Wen paid much attention to propriety and filial piety. Early destruction of the Ch’in dynasty was due to the tyranny of its First Emperor.

With Nichiren’s boundless compassion, “Namu Myōhōrengekyō” will be heard forever even beyond the ten thousand year-period. It has the merit of curing the “blindness” of all the people in Japan, blocking the way to hell. This merit is superior to those of Dengyō, T’ien-t’ai, Nāgārjuna, and Kāśyapa. Practice for a hundred years in the Pure Land is not worth the merit of chanting the daimoku for one day in this defiled world. Propagation of the daimoku in a two thousand year-period following the death of the Buddha is not worth as much as spreading the daimoku for even a short while in the Latter Age of Degeneration. This is not from my wisdom; it is solely due to the time in which I live. In spring, flowers bloom; in autumn, fruits ripen; in summer, it is warm; and in winter, it is cold; they all go along with the laws of nature.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 58.

Having concluded the Essay on Gratitude, I’m adding some of the notes for future reference:

• Precept dais—The platform where those who believe in Buddhism receive Buddhist precepts. During the lifetime of the Buddha it was set up in the Jetavana-vihāra (Gion Shōja), and in China it was set up in the city of Loyang. In Japan several precept daises were set up. The Platform for the Perfect and Suddent Mahayana Precepts was established soon after Grand Master Dengyō’s death on Mt. Hiei. In Nichiren Buddhism, some insist that the precept platform of the hommon should be established somewhere in Japan, while others maintain that the place where one keeps the odaimoku even if only for an instant and puts it in practice is the Precept Platform of the hommon.
• Triple world—All living beings are floating in the stream of samsära and experiencing a variety of different lives. They are generally divided into three realms: 1) the realm of desire in which living beings are subjected to desire for sex and food, corresponding to the “six realms of illusion,” that is, realms of hell, hungry spirits, birds and beasts, asura, human beings, and part of heaven; 2) the realm of “form” in which living beings have no desire for sex and food; 3) the “formless” realm in which living beings live beyond material existence.
• Indra—Skt.: Śakro devānām indrah Jp.: Taishakuten. Originally a god of Hinduism, Indra is a god who protects Buddhas and their followers. Living in Trāyastriṃśa Heaven (Tōriten), he is served by the Four Heavenly Kings.
• Mt. Sumeru—Jp.: shumisen. According to the Buddhist cosmology, this mountain is located in the center of the world 84,000 yojana in height, and all the heavenly beings live on it. The sun and moon circle this mountain, on top of which Indra has his castle. The continent called Jambudvipa, where human beings live, exists to the south of it.
• Four Heavenly Kings—Also called Four Great Heavenly Kings (Shidaiten-nō). They are kings of the “four-king heavens (shiō-ten)” around Mt. Sumeru. While serving Indra, they control the eight kinds of gods and demi-gods to protect Buddhism and those who put faith in it. As they vowed to protect this world and Buddhism in it, they are also called the “Four Heavenly Kings Protect the World (Gose Shiten-nō). They consist of four guardian kings: Jikoku-ten (Dhrtarāṣṭra) in the east, Zōchō-ten (Virūḍhaka) in the south, Kōmoku-ten (Virūpākṣa) in the west, and Tamon-ten (Vaiśravaṇa) in the north. Nichiren Shōnin highly esteemed the Four Heavenly Kings as protectors of the Lotus Sutra, placing large signs for them at the four corners of the great mandala honzon.

This virtue of Nichiren, I am sure, is known to all from the venerable Three Treasures above down to such heavenly beings as the King of the Brahma Heaven, Indra, and the sun and moon. The souls of my parents and Master Dōzen will be given plenty of help by this virtue of mine.

However, I have one doubt here. Venerable Maudgalyāyana tried to save his mother, Moggaliyā, who had fallen to the realm of hungry spirits, but in vain for she was kept suffering there. Sunakṣatra, a son of the Buddha Śākyamuni when He was a bodhisattva in His previous life, was influenced by evil friends and fell into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. The Buddha must have wished to save His son with His might, but He could not help him because that was caused by his own karma.

I do not think that the late Master Dōzen hated me, for I am one of his beloved disciples. However, he was cowardly. Moreover, he had a strong attachment to Mt. Kiyosumi. He was fearful of Steward Tōjō Kagenobu. Besides, Priests Enchi and Jitsujō, as evil as Devadatta and Kokālika, were always by his side, intimidating him. He was so frightened that he abandoned his disciples who followed him for many years, even though he loved them. Therefore, I am not sure about his next life. It was lucky for him that Kagenobu, Enchi, and Jitsujō died before him. They died because of the condemnation of the ten female rākṣasa demons, guardian deities of the Lotus Sūtra. If they had lived longer, Master Dōzen would not have had time even to have a little faith in the Lotus Sūtra. Their deaths enabled him to have a little faith in the Lotus Sūtra, but it was as useless as fighting sticks after quarrels are over or a lantern in the daytime. Besides, it is quite natural that one feels compassion for his children and disciples under any circumstances. Master Dōzen probably took pity on me exiled on the island of Sado, but he never asked about me, though it seemed possible for him to do so. I do not think, therefore, that he truly believed in the Lotus Sūtra.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 48-49.

I’m moved by the compassion of Nichiren for his former teacher and the use of Maudgalyāyana and his mother and the other examples to illustrate that, much as we might wish for an alternative, the reality is as it is.

The compassion behind this acknowledgement of Dōzen’s failings is underscored by the dedication of merit at the end of the letter:

Flowers will return to their roots. The true taste of fruits remains in the earth. To my late Master Dōzen I have now dedicated all the merits I have accumulated in spreading the True Dharma.

Namu Myōhōrengekyō, Namu Myōhōrengekyō.

There are two ways of meditating on the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought.” One is the “theoretical” way, and the other is the “actual” way. Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō practiced the former. I, Nichiren, now practice the latter. As my method of practicing meditation is superior, difficulties befalling me are harder to bear. What T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō propagated was based on the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought” expounded in the theoretical section [of the Lotus Sūtra], while what I, Nichiren, propagate is based on the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought” in the essential section. The difference between the two is as great as the difference between heaven and earth. Remember this especially at the time of the last moment of life. Have an unwavering faith in the Lotus Sūtra and continue chanting the daimoku, which is the right way of meditation based on the “actual” doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought. “

Toki Nyūdō Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 257.

The importance of this letter is underscored in the Introduction:

According to Nichiren, the greater difficulties he and his followers encounter show the appearance of the “actual” doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought” in contrast to the “theoretical” doctrine advocated by T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō, and it represents the true doctrine of the essential section.

Here lies the uniqueness of Nichiren Buddhism. Nichiren Shōnin termed his own interpretation of the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought actual” and called that of T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō “theoretical.” On the basis of this “actual” interpretation of the doctrine of “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” Nichiren Shōnin found the way of saving the populace by having them put their faith in and chant the daimoku.

This marks the completion of the second week of my 100-day goal. I’ve finished Doctrine 2 (the second volume), which puts me on a pace to cover all seven volumes in the 14.3 weeks that comprise 100 days.

Now, as far as my theology goes, I would like you to think that what I have expressed before being banished to Sado Island can be equated with the forty or so years in which Śākyamuni had taught before revealing the Lotus Sūtra (that is, the truth and true aims of the Buddha were not directly divulged in those years). If the ruler of this country desires to govern the people under a proper political principle, then there will always be an opportunity for me to debate with the priests of the Shingon Sect. I shall expound my precious teaching for the first time then. Even if I had discussed this only within the circle of my disciples, some of it would bound to have leaked out making it difficult to conduct a discussion (as a result of their scheming). Such is why I have kept quiet about this to all of you. However, ever since the night of the twelfth of the ninth month in the eighth year of the Bun’ei Period (1271), when I was about to be beheaded at Tatsunokuchi (on the outskirts of Kamakura), I have come to think that it was unwise of me to have kept the truth from some of you who have stuck with me. There is a teaching I have disseminated quietly from the island of Sado (where I had been banished) to my disciples.

This is a teaching which great commentators in India and great masters in China and Japan who have come after the Buddha, such as Kāśyapa, Ānanda, Nāgārjuna, Vasubandhu, T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lê, Dengyō and Gishin, knew to be true in their hearts but never imparted. This is because the Buddha had strictly warned that, “this important teaching should not be passed on in the thousand years of the Age of the True Dharma and thousand years of the Age of the Semblance Dharma before entering the Latter Age of Degeneration.” Nichiren is not a direct emissary of the Buddha; however, as long as I have come to be in this Latter Age of Degeneration and have, quite beyond expectations, attained this doctrine, I would like to transmit it in the capacity of a herald, until Bodhisattva Superior Practice, a messenger of the Buddha, appears. Once this teaching is exposed, the teachings spread by the elders during the Ages of the True Dharma and Semblance Dharma would pale in comparison, just as the stars are obscured by the rising sun, or as if we see a dull performance after a skillful one. It is written in the sūtras that when the Latter Age of Degeneration dawns, such things as the spiritual power of Buddhist sculptures and priests of the temples built in the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas would be effaced; and its only legacy would be the dissemination of this great teaching throughout the world (Jambudvipa). All of you should feel grateful that you are endowed with the opportunity to have come across such a wonderful teaching.

Misawa-shō, A Letter to Lord Misawa of Suruga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 241-242.

The Introduction to this letter provided by the translators offers this:

This letter represents a vital piece of evidence provided by Nichiren himself upon which many scholars rely in supporting the fact that there exists a difference in Nichiren’s revelation of doctrines and intensity of teaching before and after his Sado exile.

Something to consider as I continue through the 100 days of study.