In determining the comparative superiority of all sūtras preached during His lifetime in the main discourse of the Lotus Sūtra proper, Śākyamuni Buddha uttered these golden words in the tenth chapter on the “Teacher of the Dharma”: “The sūtras I have preached number immeasurable thousands, ten thousands, and hundred millions. Of the sūtras I have preached, am now preaching, and will preach, this Lotus Sūtra is the most difficult to believe and the most difficult to understand.” Just then the Buddha of Many Treasures emerged from underground in the eleventh chapter on the “Appearance of the Stupa of Treasures” to testify, “What is said in the Lotus Sūtra is all true,” while Buddhas manifested in the numerous worlds all over the universe came together in the 21st chapter on the “Divine Powers of the Buddha” to attest it to be the truth by touching the Brahma Heaven with their tongues.

Taking these into consideration, I guess it is in my own hands to compare the superiority and profundity in doctrine or difficulty in practice among sūtras as numerous as the number of dust particles in the whole universe, including those transmitted to China and Japan, more than 5,000 fascicles in old translations and more than 7,000 fascicles in new translations; those which have not been transmitted but existed in India, the Dragon’s Palace and the Four-king Heavens; those preached by the Past Seven Buddhas and those left out of Ananda’s collection.

How can the “immeasurable thousands, ten thousands, and hundred millions of sūtras” referred to in the “Teacher of the Dharma” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra not include every sūtra preached by Śākyamuni Buddha? Is there any sūtra that does not fall into the time-span of the Buddha’s preaching when He “has preached, now preaches, and will preach” them?

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 19