The first thousand years following the Buddha’s extinction are called the Age of the True Dharma. During this period, many people kept the precepts and some attained Buddhahood. The next thousand years are called the Age of the Semblance Dharma. During this period, many people broke the precepts, and only a few attained Buddhahood. After the Age of the Semblance Dharma comes the Latter Age of Degeneration. This period is filled with people who neither keep nor break the precepts, but the country is filled with people who have no precepts.

Moreover, we live in a defiled and chaotic world. In the pure world, people abandon evil things and take on the right things, just as a bent tree is straightened with a straight rope. The five defilements (of the age, evil passions, people, views and life) began to increase in the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas, becoming furious and chaotic in the Latter Age of Degeneration. It is like when a strong wind creates big waves and they hit, not only the shore, but also each other. Defilement of views did not cause much trouble in the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas, but in the Latter Age of Degeneration, a few evil teachings spread, causing the destruction of the True Dharma; as a result there seems to be more people who fall into the evil realms due to their wrong beliefs than people who fall into evil paths due to worldly crimes.

Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō-dono Gosho, A Letter to Lord Nanjō Hyōe Shichirō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 140.