Now Hōren Shōnin, the principal mourner, states that he read and recited the “jiga-ge” verse every morning during the last 13 years. The merit of having done so is immeasurable, something only the Buddhas can comprehend.

The Lotus Sūtra is the bone-marrow of the holy teachings of the Śākyamuni Buddha preached during His lifetime. In particular, the “jiga-ge” verse at the end of the 16th chapter, “Life Span of the Buddha,” is the spirit of the 28 chapters of the Lotus Sūtra. It is the life of the Buddhas in the past, present, and future, and the “jiga-ge” verse is the eyes of the bodhisattvas throughout the universe. I am not speaking of the merit of the “jiga-ge” verse arbitrarily. It is clearly preached by the Buddha in the “Variety of Merits” chapter following the “Life Span of the Buddha” chapter. According to this chapter, the number of people who became Buddhas by listening to the preaching of the “jiga-ge” verse are as numerous as the number of dust particles produced by smashing the triple-thousand worlds. What is more, those who attain enlightenment through the six chapters beginning with the “Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter, too, have done so due to the residual merit of the “jiga-ge” verse.

Hōren-shō, Letter to Hōren, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 55-56