It is stated in the six-fascicle Nirvana Sūtra (Hatsunaion Sūtra by Fa-hsien), fascicle 4 (‘Four Reliances’ chapter), “Short supply of clothing or food, the inability to make a fortune, being born to a poor family or parents with a wrong view, or persecutions by the king and various other people are the retributions for past crimes in this world. This is due to the merit of upholding the True Dharma.”

These scriptural statements mean that because we persecuted the practicer of the True Dharma in a past life, our destiny is to fall into the Great Avīci Hell. However, by strongly upholding the True Dharma in this life, we absolve the major torment of the future by suffering the comparatively minor torments in this life. According to these scriptural statements, retributions for the past slandering of the True Dharma include being born in a poor family or a family with mistaken views, and persecution by the king. A family with mistaken views means a family of parents who slander the True Dharma while persecution by the king means to be born during the rule of an evil king.

Kyōdai-shō, A Letter to the Ikegami Brothers, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 77