On Sept. 12, 1271, the military government at Kamakura arrested Nichiren arbitrarily and took him to the place of execution, called Tatsu-no-kuchi (“the dragon’s mouth”). When one of his assailants found scrolls of the Lotus Sutra in Nichiren’s pocket, he hit Nichiren on the face with one of them. Nichiren realized that this scroll was the one containing [Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra.] At first he felt humiliated at being struck in the face, but when he realized which scroll it was, he rejoiced instead. By coincidence, he was being beaten by the same scroll which predicted such a fate for one who propagates the Sutra.

Sakyamuni begins [Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata,] by appealing three times for his listeners to “understand my sincere and infallible words by faith.” To this appeal, all the Bodhisattvas headed by Maitreya responded each time, “World-Honored One, tell us! We will receive your words by faith.” Then Sakyamuni replied, “Listen to me attentively! I will reveal to you my hidden core and supernatural powers” (p. 241).

Here “hidden core” means his deepest innermost self, and “supernatural powers” are actions outflowing from that hidden core.

Judging from the Sutra as a whole, we can see that the Bodhisattvas taught by the Original Buddha assume the duty to disseminate the Lotus Sutra in the future, especially in the Age of Degeneration. The Age of Degeneration in this defiled World of Endurance will be filled with hazards and many people will reject the Lotus Sutra and oppose its teachers. Such a time and place will require Bodhisattvas of outstanding ability, ones who can overcome attitudes of apathy or resentment. The Bodhisattvas taught by the Provisional Buddha, on the other hand, are assigned a much easier task. They will work in this world during the Ages of Right Teaching and Counterfeit Teaching, or else in other worlds.

We can compare the Buddha’s method with that of parents who raise their children with tender loving care. Most of the time, the children are not aware of how much is being done for them. They take their parents’ love for granted. Often they fully appreciate all that their parents have done for them only after the parents have died. Then they wish they had displayed more gratitude when they had the chance. The parents, on the other hand, must be careful, and not give their children everything they ask for. Pampered children can quickly become spoiled and helpless. Their parents will not be able to care for them forever.

In [Chapter 16], the “Duration of the Life of the Tathagata,” it is explained that, while Sakyamuni is provisionally appearing in the limited figures of his manifestations, in reality, he is eternal and infinite. This is called “opening the near to reveal the distant,” or “opening the provisional to reveal the truth,” or similar expressions. Moreover, the first half of the Sutra, from Chapters One to Fourteen, is called Provisional, Imprinted, or Secondary (Shakumon), because Sakyamuni expounded it by means of his provisional duplicate; and the second half, from Chapter Fifteen to the final Chapter Twenty-eight, is called Original or Primary (Hommon), because Sakyamuni expounded it in the form of the Original Buddha (Hombutsu).

The Buddha is a perfected being with a human personality. He is the ideal toward which all human beings strive. It had long been believed that to become such a perfect being takes an endlessly long period of training and practice. But [in Chapter 12, Devadatta,] the daughter of the Dragon-King attained enlightenment quickly. Her case is called, “The Attainment of Buddhahood in This Very Life.” It maintains that ordinary people have the possibility to attain enlightenment in their own bodies (during their present lifetimes), and teaches that the Buddha’s power works within the bodies of ordinary people. The idea of “the attainment of Buddhahood in this life” greatly influenced Japanese society after the Great Master Dengyo introduced it from China in 805. Dengyo, a Japanese scholar, had already read about it in the Lotus Sutra, but he found that the Chinese had worked it out in detail. Also, Nichiren explained this idea in Kanjin-honzon-sho (“A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation of the Most-Venerable-One”). In it he says, “Sakyamuni Buddha, who has attained Perfect Enlightenment, is our flesh and blood, and all the merits he has accumulated before and after attaining Buddhahood are our bones.”

[In Chapter 25, The Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva,] Sakyamuni says World-Voice-Perceiver can save us from seven calamities:

1. The calamity of fire. Those who keep the name of Avalokitesvara will not be burned even if they are trapped in a conflagration (p. 136).
2. The calamity of u’aten Those who call upon the name of World-Voice-Perceiver will be washed ashore if they are swept away by a flood.
3. The calamity of raksasa demons. Suppose people are crossing an ocean in search of a treasure, and their ship is tossed by a storm to a country of raksasa demons. If just one mem ber of the ship’s company calls upon the name of World-Voice-Perceiver, everyone on board will be saved.
4. The calamity of swords and clubs. If anyone is about to be struck by a sword or a club, and he calls on the name of Avalokitesvara, the sword or club will suddenly shatter into pieces.
5. The calamity of yaksa demons. If a host of yaksa or raksasa demons assault a person who calls upon the name of Avalokitesvara, they will not be able to harm him.
6. The calamity of chains and shackles. If anyone, guilty or not, calls the name of World-Voice-Perceiver when he is bound in chains and shackles, the chains will break, and he will be freed.
7. The calamity of bandits. Suppose the chief of a party of merchants is leading a richly laden caravan along a dangerous road haunted by many bandits. If all the members of that caravan call upon the name of World-voice-perceiver, they will not be attacked, but will pass by in safety.

After completing the special transmission [to the Great Bodhisattvas], as recorded in Chapter 21, “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagatas,” Sakyamuni rises from his seat [in Chapter 22, Transmission,] and extends his hands over the heads of [all the other] countless Bodhisattvas who have gathered there. He told them:

For a time so long that it is beyond imagination, I practiced the law which is difficult to obtain, and attained supremeperfect-enlightenment. I now entrust it all to you. Spread this teaching wholeheartedly after my extinction, and benefit and save all the people of the world (p. 297).

This is called the General Transmission, in which the Buddha entrusts his disciples to disseminate the Sutra after his departure. Three times he blesses his assembled followers, repeating the same words.

This is the teaching of Transmission. Here it is called the General or Total Transmission, because by it the Lotus Sutra is entrusted to all Bodhisattvas. What is the difference between this transmission and that which preceded it?

The Great Bodhisattvas from Underground, who received the Special Transmission in the previous chapter, are called “Bodhisattvas Taught by the Original Buddha.” They are the direct disciples of the Eternal and Original Buddha, who reveals his eternity and limitless true form in Chapter 16, “The Duration of the Life of the Tathagata.” The other Bodhisattvas, on the other hand, are called “Bodhisattvas Taught by the Provisional Buddha.” They are disciples of the historical Buddha (the Provisional Buddha), whose figure is limited and temporary. Among these Bodhisattvas, many are representatives from other worlds.

In [Chapter 15, The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground], countless Bodhisattvas sprang up from underground. [Chapter 16, The Duration of the Life of the Tathāgata] tells why they appeared. It is presented as an answer to the questions posed by Maitreya Bodhisattva, when he wondered about the marvelous phenomenon which he and his companions had witnessed. It asserts that the Buddha’s lifetime is eternal.

This eternal and immortal Sakyamuni is called the Original Buddha (Hombutsu), because he is the true form of the Buddha. On the other hand, all kinds of limited Buddhas are called duplicates, because they are traces or shadows reflecting the true form. Buddhism believes in many Buddhas, but they are all manifestations of the Original Sakyamuni Buddha. In this way, all religious faiths are seen as one.