Śākyamuni Buddha, the World Honored One, preaches to Bodhisattva Moon Store in the Sūtra of the Great Assembly, fascicle 51: “The period of 500 years following My death is characterized by the firm attainment of emancipation (when many are able to attain Buddhahood); the following five centuries is a period of steadfast practice of meditation (when there are many practicers of the Buddhist way); the third 500-year period is of steadfast reading, recitation and hearing of the Buddhist teaching (when the reading and recitation of sūtras and the study of Buddhist teaching are prevalent); the next five centuries is the period of the steady building of many temples (when many temples and towers are built); and in the following 500 years there will be many quarrels and lawsuits within the Buddhist world and the True Dharma will disappear.” Now, it has been over 220 years since we entered the Latter Age of Degeneration, the period which is predicted in the sūtra when “There will be many quarrels and lawsuits within the Buddhist world and the True Dharma will disappear.”

In the 23rd chapter on “The Previous Life of the Medicine King Bodhisattva” of the Lotus Sūtra, fascicle 7, Lord Buddha Śākyamuni together with the Buddha of Many Treasures spoke to Star King Flower Bodhisattva, “Spread this sūtra widely in the world during the fifth 500-year period after My extinction lest it should disappear, allowing devils, devils’ people, various gods, dragons, yakṣa demons, and kumbhāṇḍa devils to take advantage of the situation.”

Considering the time and country for spreading Buddhism, according to the Sūtra of the Great Assembly, as the first four 500-year periods matched exactly as predicted by the Buddha, how would only the fifth 500-year period miss the mark? Looking at the state of affairs today in the world, great countries of Japan and Mongol are at war. Does it not tally with the conditions in the fifth 500-year period? As we reflect on the statement in the 23rd chapter of the Lotus Sūtra cited above with this prediction of the Sūtra of the Great Assembly, the Holy Proclamation, “Spread this sūtra widely in the world during the fifth 500-year period” means “Spread the Lotus Sūtra in Japan,” does it not?

Soya Nyūdō-dono-gari Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Lord Soya, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 169-170.