The Buddha remonstrates us in the Nirvana Sūtra, “Be careful. It is better to be killed by a wild elephant than to be misled by an ‘evil friend (leader)’ (as the elephant destroys only the body but the ‘evil friend’ leads us to hell and ruins both body and mind).”

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 103