Many people today, the clergy as well as the laity, put faith in the icchantika, praising, admiring and giving alms to them. So when they happen to encounter those who do not study the teaching of slandering the True Dharma, far from praising such persons, they consider them slanderers and enemies of the True Dharma. Those, who do not know the truth of this, conversely think the keepers of the True Dharma to be slanderers of the True Dharma. They are exactly the same as those predicted in the Lotus Sūtra, the 13th chapter on “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra,” “Monks in the Latter Age of Degeneration will be cunning, and their hearts flattering and crooked. … They will be delighted to point out our faults They will say to kings, ministers, Brahmans and householders…, slandering and speaking ill of us, practicers of the True Dharma, saying that we are heretics who preach non-Buddhist doctrines.”

Thus many people today, discarding preachers of the True Dharma whom the Buddha praised, laud, admire and give alms to the icchantika, whom He harshly admonished. As a result, greed grows profusely and the teachings of the slanderers of the True Dharma fill the world. How can calamities not occur? It is only natural that calamities befall this country.

Sainan Kōki Yurai, The Cause of Misfortunes, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 86-87