For Nichiren, convinced as he was that only the Lotus Sūtra leads to liberation in the mappō era, preaching exclusive devotion to the Lotus was not dogmatic self-assertion, but a compassionate act of bodhisattva practice. Whether others accepted the Lotus Sūtra or rejected it, telling them of its teaching would implant the seed of enlightenment in their minds and thereby enable them to establish a karmic connection to the sūtra that would someday allow them to realize buddhahood, whether in this lifetime or a future one.