When believers of other Buddhist schools thus slander the Lotus Sūtra, how can we induce them to take the excellent medicine of Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō? The Buddha thought that it would be better trying to induce the Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha) to the Lotus Sūtra after preaching the Āgama sūtras for a while. When the Two Vehicles, attached to the Āgama sūtras, refused to believe in the Lotus Sūtra, how did the Buddha deal with them? The Buddha explains this in the Vimalakirti Sūtra: “Even those who committed the five rebellious sins, or those who supported such sinners can eventually attain Buddhahood. It is also possible that evil sins can become the seed of Buddhahood. Nonetheless, the meritorious acts of those of the Two Vehicles can never be the seed of Buddhahood.”

Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 274