QUESTION: Why are the omens after the passing of the Buddha superior to those that occurred during His lifetime?

ANSWER: As stated earlier, an earth’s tremor is caused by the shaking of the six sense organs of human beings. Moreover, the degree of the earth’s tremor in six different ways is determined by how the six sense organs of human beings shake. In the pre-Lotus sūtras, although it appears that the evil passions of all living beings were eliminated, in actuality they were not entirely. In the Lotus Sūtra, however, they are all completely eliminated, including the fundamental darkness of mind. As a result, there was severe trembling of the earth in the Lotus Sūtra. In the Latter Age of Degeneration there exist far more evil persons than in the lifetime of the Buddha, and the Lotus Sūtra destroys the fundamental ignorance of the people in the Latter Age of Degeneration. This is the reason why the omens superior to those in the lifetime of the Buddha are manifested in the Lotus Sūtra.

Zuisō Gosho, Writing on Omens, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 123-124