Notice that the Lotus Sutra requests us to understand by faith, not believe. This is a key distinction and something that is rare to come across in religion. Nichiren teaches that faith comes from practice and study. A tripod with its three legs can stand on any irregular surface. There is a mathematical explanation for this but it is unique in that ability. How many of us have sat down at a table or on a chair of four legs and had it wobble on us because of an uneven floor? The three legs of Buddhism, the legs which can support us on any of the various uneven surfaces of life, are faith, practice and study. With those three we can overcome any situation enabling the realization of enlightenment regardless of the circumstances.