The six stages in the practice of the Lotus Sūtra established by the Lotus School can be divided into two categories: (1) first four stages of ri-soku, myōji-soku, kangyō-soku and sōji-soku practiced by the ignorant (ordinary) people in the Impure Land; and (2) last two stages of bunshin-soku and kukyō-soku practiced by bodhisattvas in the Actual Reward Land.

1. Ri-soku is the stage at which one has not yet heard the True Dharma and is ignorant of Buddhism although in theory he possesses the Buddha-nature and his momentary thought is equipped with the principle of Triple Truth.
2. Myōji-soku is the stage at which one hears the name of the truth and perceives it. This is the initial state in which one is awakened for aspiration for Buddhahood upon encountering Buddhism and listening to the name of the Triple Truth.
3. Kangyō-soku is the stage at which one practices the principle of the Triple Truth. This corresponds to the five progressive stages of practice for believers of the Lotus Sūtra after the death of Śākyamuni Buddha. Illusions of view and thought are not yet eradicated in this stage.
4. Sōji-soku: a practicer at this stage manifests the principle of the triple truth and is automatically in accordance with the Dharma-nature; having eliminated 88 kinds of delusions in view, 81 kinds of delusions in thought, and 9 kinds of delusions as numerous as particles of dust and sand (namely the first two of the three illusions), he outwardly resembles a Buddha.
5. Bunshin-soku: a practicer at this stage partially awakens to the truth of Middle Way by eliminating the 41 kinds of illusions of darkness (ignorance), that is to say all illusions except the fundamental darkness.
6. Kukyō-soku, is the highest stage of practice, at which one completely eradicates all illusions and fully realizes the Buddha-nature.

Hokke Jōdo Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers on the Lotus and Pure Land Sects, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3,
Page 189-190

And from the glossary:

Triple truth (santai)

The term applied by T’ien-t’ai to explain reality in three aspects:

1. kūtai or shintai (truth of voidness), i.e. all existences are void and nonsubstantial in essence;
2. ketai or zokutai (truth of temporariness), i.e. all existences are temporary manifestations produced by causes and conditions; and
3. chūtai (truth of the middle), i.e. the absolute reality of all existences cannot be explained in either negative or affirmative terms. This term is interpreted differently in the distinctive teaching and the perfect teaching: in the former the three truths are perceived independent of each other while the latter considers them perfectly fused together in one.

Today marks the one-quarter milestone on this 100 days of study. This quote is a good example of the sort of foundational information I am seeking. I’d like to think I’m well into Kangyō-soku. I certainly acknowledge “Illusions of view and thought are not yet eradicated.” And I also enjoy the thought that everyone “possesses the Buddha-nature and his momentary thought is equipped with the principle of Triple Truth.”

Question: Is the doctrine of the Lotus School based on the explanations of Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lê and Dengyō?

Answer: It is based on the clear mirror of Śākyamuni Buddha (the Lotus Sūtra) supplemented by their explanations.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 176

I’ve had something of an epiphany while reading the first part of Shoshū Mondō-shō, specifically The Relationship between the Doctrines of the Lotus School and those of the Tendai School.

I’ve touched before on the Tendai concept “if the Dharma of the Lotus Sūtra were explained without knowing the theoretical study of Buddhist teaching, the true meaning of the Lotus Sūtra would be lost.” This supports my long-held theory that, especially in a country like America where Buddhism is relatively unknown, we need to know the expedient teachings that paved the way for the Lotus Sūtra.

But reading Shoshū Mondō-shō I have a new appreciation of the subtlety of understanding required.

Consider the idea that all expedient teachings flow like rivers into the ocean that is the Lotus Sūtra.

Next, absolute subtlety (zetsudaimyō) is a doctrine of revealing the truth (single path to enlightenment) and merging all the provisional teachings for bodhisattvas, pratyekabuddha, and Śrāvaka (kaie). Here the pre-Lotus sūtras, which are abandoned as expedient by the doctrine of relative subtlety (sōdaimyō), are all included in the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. Once entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra, the pre-Lotus sūtras will no longer be dismissed as expedient. All the sūtras entering the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra take up the one flavor of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō because of the wonderful merit of the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra. There is no reason why they have to be referred to by other names such as nembutsu, Ritsu, Shingon, or Zen. Consequently, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai said in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, “Just as water becomes salty when it flows into the sea, any wisdom ceases to exist in itself after it is taken in the True Wisdom.” Thus he instructs us that no original names be mentioned.

People of the Tendai School generally maintain:

The pre-Lotus sūtras with the first four flavors, which were dismissed in comparing the Lotus Sūtra with other sūtras (relative subtlety), can be kept and any names of Buddhas and bodhisattvas can be recited even after the single path is revealed through the doctrine of absolute subtlety because these sūtras, Buddhas and bodhisattvas are included in the wonderful entity of the Lotus Sūtra. Waters in rivers before entering the sea differ in size, or in cleanliness, but once they flow into the ocean, we can see that it is a serious mistake to distinguish or select water saying that some waters are cleaner than others. Both the dirty water that is undesirable and clean water that is loved stem originally from the same ocean. Therefore even when we put a special name on some water, water is water wherever it is taken out from, and it is a mistake to think that there is a difference in water. Likewise, it is not a terrible idea to believe in any teaching one likes or comes across.

Thus they accept and believe any teaching which comes to the mind such as the nembutsu and mantras.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 179-180

And, yes, it logically follows that the water in the ocean is composed of the contents of streams. But it is wrong to suggest that the streams are in some way equal to the ocean. Nichiren points this out immediately after the above quote:

When speaking in vague terms, a point of view such as this seems rational, but strictly speaking it is a serious fallacy leading to hell. The reason is that while one person who truly understands the doctrine of kaie may uphold various provisional sūtras or recite any names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas, all other people generally keep or chant them with the usual prejudice without understanding the meaning of kaie. Consequently such a view can be an evil teaching in which even if a person who understands the doctrine may get enlightened, most people will fall into hell. Any doctrines expounded in the pre-Lotus sūtras and the “ultimate truth” shown in those doctrines are all composed of biased thoughts and convictions. As stated in the second chapter, “Expedients,” of the Lotus Sūtra, “They are astray in the thick forest of wrong views on existence and non-existence.”

Then both those who know the doctrine of kaie and those who do not know it cannot avoid going down to hell if they uphold provisional sūtras and recite the names of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas in them and contemplate the “ultimate truth” of the expedient teachings. Those who are convinced that they know the doctrine of kaie are no less wrong than those who believe that it is possible to put the water of the ocean into a puddle made by a hoof of a cattle. How can they escape from falling into the Three Evil Realms (hell, the realm of hungry souls, and realm of beasts and birds)? What’s worse, those who do not know the doctrine of kaie, basically taking in wrong teachings, are so attached to the wrong views or expedient teachings that they are sure to fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. Even after realizing the doctrine of kaie, they should dismiss such ideas considering them expedient teachings with which enlightenment cannot be achieved. Do not recite or uphold the names and the “ultimate wisdom” of evil doctrines.

Shoshū Mondō-shō, Questions and Answers Regarding Other Schools, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 180-181

All the rivers of teachings are contained in the ocean of the Lotus Sūtra but only the Lotus Sūtra contains the Wonderful Dharma. Thankfully, it all comes wrapped within the jewel of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.