Speaking of the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, it is preached solely for those living in the beginning of the Latter Age. At first glance it appears that the seed of Buddhahood was planted in them by the Eternal Buddha in the eternal past or 500 dust-particle kalpa ago. The seed germinated and grew within them with the help of all the sūtras from the Lotus Sūtra preached by the sixteenth prince of Great Universal Wisdom Buddha in 3,000 dust-particle kalpa in the past to all those preached by Śākyamuni Buddha in this life before the Lotus Sūtra and the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra. Finally, the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra enabled them to attain Buddhahood.

On closer examination, however, the essential section differs from the theoretical section. That is to say the essential section, all through the preface, the main discourse, and the epilogue, was preached for those people in the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration. The teaching of the essential section during the lifetime of Śākyamuni Buddha and that which would spread in the beginning of the Latter Age are likewise absolutely perfect. However, the former is for attaining enlightenment, whereas the latter is for sowing the seed of Buddhahood. While the former is crystallized in the sixteenth chapter, “The Life Span of the Buddha,” with half a chapter each preceding and following it, the latter is solely embodied in the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, the title of the Lotus Sūtra.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 153-154