A conflagration is mentioned in the Sūtra of the Benevolent King as the third of the seven disasters, and the Lotus Sūtra places it first in its list of seven disasters. As the sky cannot be cut by a sword and water cannot be burned by fire, sages, wise people, people of good fortune, and accomplished scholars cannot be burned by fire.

For instance, there was a large town called Rājagṛha in ancient India. It had as many as 900 million private homes [sic]. However, the town was reduced to ashes by a great fire seven times. Grief stricken, the people were ready to abandon the town. This devastating turn of events caused the great king grief that knew no bounds.

At that time a wise man told the great king, “A conflagration is among the seven disasters and occurs when a sage leaves the land and the good fortune of the king is spent. Nevertheless, these conflagrations that destroyed the homes of the people did not come close to the royal palace. Based on this we know that the king was not to blame for the destruction but the people. Therefore, if we call the houses of the people ‘Royal Palaces,’ the god of fire will fear the name and avoid destroying them.” Thinking that he may be right, the king renamed the town Ōshajō (the Town of the Royal Palaces). As a result, the town never again suffered from a fire. Based on this, we can say that fire will never destroy a man of good fortune.

In stark contrast, the palace at Kamakura was burned, which, we know, is a sign that Japan has exhausted its good fortune. What is more, priests who slander the True Dharma continue to insist on praying for the subjugation of Nichiren. Are they not simply inviting more disasters to occur?

Ōshajō-ji, Town of Rājagṛha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 127