The teacher reveals to disciples what they do not know. For instance, all followers of non-Buddhist religions in India among men and gods before the time of Śākyamuni Buddha were disciples of Siva, Visnu and the Three Hermits. Although they split into ninety-five schools, their teachings did not go beyond those of the Three Hermits. Lord Śākyamuni had also been a student of those non-Buddhist schools, but while practicing ascetic and non-ascetic practices for twelve years, He perceived the principles of suffering, emptiness, impermanence, and egolessness in all phenomena. Thus, He was able to remove Himself as a student of non-Buddhist religions and claim to have won His wisdom without the guidance of teachers. So, men and gods respected Him as a great teacher.

Therefore, during the time when the pre-Lotus sūtras were preached Lord Śākyamuni was not the teacher who revealed what others did not know, but He was rather a student of such bodhisattvas as Dharma Wisdom. Likewise, it is said in the first chapter on the “Introduction” of the Lotus Sūtra that Bodhisattva Mañjuśrī was a teacher of Śākyamuni Buddha for nine generations. In various sūtras preached before the Lotus the Buddha is quoted as having said that He “never preached even one word.” It means that His preachings did not go beyond what was preached by such bodhisattvas as Dharma Wisdom.

Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 65-66