With such great virtues as these, the Buddha was able to help even such an evil king as Ajātaśatru who called together wrong doers from 16 major states, took non-Buddhists in the world into his circle, had Devadatta as his teacher, incited slander among scoundrels, physically abused and even murdered the Buddha’s disciples. Moreover, Ajātaśatru crucified his father, a great Buddhist king reputed to have been a wise ruler, by nailing him on the cross with seven 12-inch long nails, and also destroyed his own mother’s jeweled ornamental hairpin and threatened to have her beheaded. Due to such serious sins compounded Ajātaśatru suffered from seven malignant tumors for which he was destined to fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering within three weeks time on the seventh day of the third month through a hole in the earth and suffer in the hell for as long as one kalpa (aeon). Nevertheless, when he visited the Buddha and paid homage to Him, his malignant tumors were healed, he was saved from the severe torment of the Hell of Incessant Suffering, and moreover, his life span was prolonged by 40 years. Minister Jīvaka is said to have entered a blazing flame to save a child of millionaire Campā. It was only because he was the messenger of the Buddha that he was able to do this. Reflecting on this, there is no doubt that anyone who made an offering to the Buddha is bound to attain Buddhahood no matter how evil a man or woman is.

Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 47-48