No matter what kind of prayer is performed, so long as the people in Japan do not listen to me, Japan will inevitably suffer as much misery as Iki and Tsushima today. My disciples, you should believe in this and see when it happens. This is not because I, Nichiren, am honorable, but because the power of the Lotus Sūtra is superior. If I walk with pride, I would be considered arrogant. If I humble myself, I would be considered despising the Lotus Sūtra. The higher a pine tree grows, the longer a hanging wisteria grows. The deeper the source of a river is, the longer the river flows. How wonderful it is that only I receive the true joy and pleasure in this defiled country!

Shōnin Chi-sanze-ji, The Sage Knows the Three Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Disciples, Volume 5, Pages 20