Among those great bodhisattvas, appearing out of the earth of the whole world, four great sages of Jōgyō (Superior Practice), Muhengyō (Limitless Practice), Jōgyō (Pure Practice), and Anryūgyō (Steadily Established Practice) were outstanding in appearance. Awe stricken by these four, those great bodhisattvas and others who had come to listen to the preaching of the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle and up in the sky could not even gaze upon them nor understand who they were. Standing in front of these four who had come from underground, four bodhisattvas in the Flower Garland Sūtra, four bodhisattvas in the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra, and sixteen bodhisattvas in the Diamond Peak Sūtra seemed to be men squinting at the sun or fishermen facing the emperor. These four bodhisattvas from underground were like the four sages such as T’ai-kung-wang living with the people, or four elder statesmen of Shang-shan waiting on Emperor Hui, the second emperor of the Former Han dynasty. The four bodhisattvas from underground, indeed, appeared commanding and awe-inspiring. With the exception of Śākyamuni, the Buddha of Many Treasures, and Buddhas in manifestation, they would have been looked up to by everyone as “good friends.”

Kaimoku-shō, Open Your Eyes to the Lotus Teaching, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 70-71