Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 6, asserts: “Our troubles and sufferings in this world are all due to our sins in our past lives, and rewards for our meritorious acts in this life will be received in our future lives.” It is also said in the Shinjikan-gyō (Sūtra of Meditation on the Earth of the Mind): “Our virtues or vices in our past can be seen in our present fortune; our future fortune can be seen in our present acts,” and in the “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra: “Thus the bodhisattva made amends for the past.” It seems that the Never Despising (Fukyō) Bodhisattva was attacked with rocks and tiles because of his past sins. It seems also that those who are destined for hell in the next life do not receive punishment even for serious sins in this life. For instance, some icchantika do not even receive punishment.
Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 104