For Whom Is Lotus Sūtra Preached?

Question: Various sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra adapt their doctrines and merits to the caliber of particular types of beings such as bodhisattvas, gods, and śrāvaka or pratyekabuddha. For whom is the Lotus Sūtra preached?

Answer: The Lotus Sūtra is difficult to understand for anyone except those to whom the dharma is transmitted. This Lotus Sūtra was expounded for all living beings in the Ten Realms including both wicked and virtuous men, the wise and the unwise, those who keep precepts and those who do not, male and female, four kinds of Buddhist devotees (monks, nuns, laymen and laywomen), and the eight kinds of supernatural beings (gods, dragons, yakṣa: devils, gandharava: heavenly musicians, asura, garuda: golden-winged bird, kimnara: heavenly musician, and mahoraga: boas).

The so-called wicked people refer to such people as Devadatta, Wonderful Adornment King and Ajātaśatru King; virtuous people refer to such gods and men as Queen Vaidehi. A wise man is Śāriputra while an unwise man is Cūdapanthaka. Those who keep the precepts refer to śrāvaka and bodhisattvas while those who do not are dragons and other animals. The female means a dragon girl. In general, living beings of the Ten Realms all perceive the teaching of the One Buddha Vehicle expounded in the Perfect teaching of the Lotus Sūtra. Scholars who do not understand this say, “The Lotus Sūtra is not the teaching for us ordinary people.” This is indeed awful and against the true intent of the Buddha.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-I, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 81-82