[W]hether or not we identify with the Bodhisattvas who emerge from the ground is a matter for our practice. I do believe that as we practice we do realize a connection with the Lotus Sutra that transitions it from a historical document to a living teaching directed specifically to ourselves. This is a transition that is available to us buried in the Lotus Sutra, but unlike those specifically spelled out in the teachings this one requires us to manifest it through our practice. This is also a transition from theoretically understanding the teaching to actualizing it in our own lives.