The Lotus Sutra has teachings that prophesy the future after the Buddha’s extinction. These teachings are unique to this Sutra, and are not found in other sutras to such an extent. The prophecy [in Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra,] tells us that the world after the extinction of the Buddha will be an evil place–an Age of Degeneration–in which expounders of the Lotus Sutra can expect to suffer troubles and even persecution. That they must overcome these troubles and expound the Lotus Sutra to make this Saha-world into the Pure Land of the Buddha, is not just a prophecy. It is a major teaching. The … verses recited by the never-faltering bodhisattvas represent this teaching. It is called the “Twenty Verses of Chapter Thirteen.”

These twenty verses had much influence on Nichiren. He mentions them in his treatise, Kaimokusho (“Opening the Eyes”). “If I had not been born in this country,” he says, “the twenty verses in Chapter Thirteen would not have been proven, the World-Honored One would have seemed to be a great liar, and the eighty billion nayuta of bodhisattvas would have fallen into the sin of lying, too. Just as the Lotus Sutra foretold, I was often driven out (into exile). The word ‘often’ in the Sutra came true. This word was not experienced by either Tendai (Great Master Chih-i of China) or Dengyo (Great Master Saicho of Japan), not to speak of lesser people. I, Nichiren, alone read them from experience. For I perfectly fit the Buddha’s description of the person spreading the Lotus Sutra ‘in the dreadful and evil world’ at the beginning of the Latter Age.”

That is to say, Nichiren was the only person who read, experienced, and dedicated his life to the real meanings of the verses of Chapter Thirteen.

[I]t would be a serious mistake to take the teaching of the “attainment of Buddhahood in this life” as meaning we can attain enlightenment without any effort. Even if we believe strongly in a religion, we must still practice it and apply its principles to our life. But by the power of their faith, ordinary people can attain the power of the Buddha without first completing difficult studies and practicing for eons and eons. This is what is meant by the “attainment of Buddhahood in this very life” [in Chapter 12, Devadatta.]

Buddhism believes that good and evil are not two separate things; there is no absolute distinction between the two. An evil deed cannot be considered an absolute. The Devadatta Chapter is known as the teaching that explains the attainment of enlightenment by evil people, and its philosophical background comes from the “non-duality of good and evil,” as understood in Buddhism.

The main practice of Mahayana Buddhism, the Great Vehicle, is the Practice of a Bodhisattva: practice for helping others. The sutras in general give us many types of Bodhisattva-practices. In the Lotus Sutra, however, the principal Bodhisattva-practice is dissemination of the Sutra itself.

In Chapter Eleven, “Beholding the Stupa of Treasures,” and Chapter Eighteen, “Encouragement for Keeping the Sutra,” Sakyamuni asks Bodhisattvas to volunteer to disseminate the Sutra in the future. Answering his call, in Chapter Fifteen, “The Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” Bodhisattvas well up from beneath the earth, and in Chapter Twenty-one, “Supernatural Powers of the Tathagatas,” Sakyamuni transmits the Sutra to them. Then in Chapter Twenty-two, “Transmission,” he transmits it to all the Bodhisattvas. The mission of all of them, both the Original Bodhisattvas and the Temporal Bodhisattvas, is to disseminate the Lotus Sutra after the Buddha’s extinction.

A principal feature of the Lotus Sutra lies in showing us spiritual and practical ways by which Bodhisattvas disseminate it, overcoming all hardships in this evil world.

Political scandals have always been with us. But the politicians, themselves, rarely think of themselves as scandalous. They are only “back scratching,” they feel: repaying a favor for a favor. The country may not forgive them for putting selfish interests ahead of national interests, but we cannot say that they were entirely evil for helping their political friends. They put human relationships ahead of duty.

The relationship between Sakyamuni and Devadatta can be considered an example of human relationships. Devadatta was a traitor during Sakyamuni’s lifetime. However, in a previous life he had been an indispensable teacher of Sakyamuni.

The Great Vehicle … teaches that there is only one true and perfect enlightenment, that of the Buddha. Anyone who achieves it becomes a Buddha, too. The Lotus Sutra teaches that everyone – whether they be “hearers,” “private Buddhas,” or Bodhisattvas – can attain true perfect enlightenment and become Buddhas. This perfect enlightenment of the Buddha is called anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

A key idea of the Lotus Sutra is that the three separate vehicles of “hearers,” “private Buddhas,” and Bodhisattvas are united in One Vehicle, the Buddha Vehicle.

The studies conducted over so many centuries made possible a deeper understanding of the Lotus Sutra, and methodological standards for its interpretation were established. One example is called Kamon. It is a classification of the twenty-eight chapters into several sets for a systematic explanation of their meaning.

The major Kamon is the “Three Parts of Each of the Two Divisions of the Lotus Sutra” which was established by Great Master Chih-i. Most commentators since his time have accepted his guidelines. …

[T]he “Three Parts of Each of the Two Divisions of the Lotus Sutra” refers to the division of the Sutra into two main sections: the first half, consisting of Chapters One through Fourteen, and the second half, consisting of Chapters Fifteen through Twenty-eight. Kamon gives a detailed explanation of the reason for this division. The first half is named Shakumon, literally “imprinted gate.” Its main purpose is to teach how “hearers” and Pratyekabuddhas can attain Buddhahood in the One Vehicle. The second half is called Hommon, which means “Primal Gate” or “Primal Mystery.” This part reveals Sakyamuni to be the infinite, absolute Buddha, the Buddha who attained enlightenment in the remotest past but still leads living beings in the present. These two points are considered the fundamental ideas of the Lotus Sutra.

“Encouragement for Keeping This Sutra” means encouraging people to uphold it in spite of certain difficulties. It also implies effort and patience. In Chapter Eleven, “Beholding the Stupa of Treasures,” Sakyamuni called out to the crowd from the Stupa of Treasures, “Is there anyone here who is willing to expound the Lotus Sutra in this Saha-world (“World of Endurance”) after my death, and overcome all difficulties? If there is, I will transmit the Sutra to that person.” Responding to his words, many bodhisattvas promised to spread the Sutra in the evil world after the Buddha’s extinction, and they spoke about their resolution. This is the theme of this chapter.