To begin with, in the sūtras numbering more than 5,000 or 7,000 fascicles expounded by Śākyamuni Buddha during His lifetime, women are discriminated against for being unable to attain Buddhahood. Only in the Lotus Sūtra, however, is it preached that women, too, can attain Buddhahood.
Grand Master T’ien-t’ai stated in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Prediction of future Buddhahood is not given to women.” This means that all the Buddhist scriptures except the Lotus Sūtra do not recognize the attainment of Buddhahood by women. Following the statement just cited, Grand Master T’ien t’ai declares, “In this sūtra, the prediction of future Buddhahood is given to all.” This means that through the merit of the Lotus Sūtra even a dragon girl attained Buddhahood and the attainment of Buddhahood by all females is guaranteed in the sūtra.
Grand Master T’ien-t’ai Chih-che was born in China 1,500 years after the passing of Śākyamuni Buddha. He read all the scriptures of Buddhism as many as 15 times thereby discovering that no sūtra except the Lotus Sūtra expounds the attainment of Buddhahood by women. Grand Master Miao-lê interprets this in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Attainment of Buddhahood by women is not preached in any other sūtra except the Lotus Sūtra.” This means that the concept of attaining Buddhahood by women preached in the Lotus Sūtra is not found in any other Buddhist scriptures.
Thus, the Lotus Sūtra is like the moon among stars, a king among people, Mt. Sumeru among mountains, or an ocean among bodies of water. As it is preached in this admirable sūtra that women can become Buddhas, how can it bother you that this is denied in all other sūtras? For instance, if one is spoken ill of by such unworthy people as thieves, prowlers, robbers, beggars, or lepers, but spoken highly of by the great king of a country, how happy one will be!
Nichigen-nyo Shakabutsu Kuyōji, Construction of a Statue of Śākyamuni Buddha by Lady Nichigen, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 125