It is said in [Chapter 7, The Parable of the Magic City], “Those who heard the Dharma from those śramaṇera (teachers) are now living under those Buddhas.” T’ien-t’ai stated (in the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra), “The Buddha in the Western Pure Land is different from the Buddha in this Sahā World; therefore, no relationship between parents and children exists between the Buddha of Infinite Life and us, ordinary beings in the Sahā World.” Miao-lê explains this (in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra) that the Buddha of Infinite Life and Śākyamuni are different Buddhas. (…) Their relationships to us from past lives are different, so are their ways of teaching. Sowing the seeds of Buddhahood in living beings by the Buddha is similar to giving birth to a child by parents, and guiding the people by the Buddha is similar to raising a child by parents. If the parents who give birth to a child and parents who raise him are different, the true relationship between parents and child does not exist.

In these days, people in Japan believe that the Buddha of Infinite Life will come to save them. This is as nonsensical as feeding a baby cow or horse milk or trying to have the moon reflected on a roof tile.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 208.

In quoting from Nichiren’s writings I tend to eschew those quotes that challenge the beliefs of other Buddhist sects. Quotes detailing the merits of the Lotus Sūtra and the benefits of Na Mu Myo Ho Ren Ge Kyo are simply more valuable to me. But in this case, I want to underscore my faith in this idea that we who are born in this Sahā World are the children of Śākyamuni. To cast Śākyamuni aside and instead cling to a Buddha from some other land is just unthinkable.