You should always keep in mind that in considering the comparative superiority and profundity between the Lotus Sūtra and pre-Lotus sūtras, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai established three distinctions between the ultimate teaching of the Lotus Sūtra and the provisional teachings in pre-Lotus sūtras. Of the three, what I, Nichiren, expound is the third doctrine regarding the question of whether or not the relationships between the Lord Buddha and His disciples are eternal.

Some scholars in China and Japan, beginning with Grand Master T’ien-t’ai, preached the first and second doctrines regarding the capacity of listeners and completeness in the Buddha’s guidance as vaguely as a dream. Nobody, however, has ever preached the third doctrine. Grand Master T’ien-t’ai explained the differences among the three in his Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, and Grand Master Miao-lê stated in his Commentary on the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra that the first two were doctrines of the theoretical section while the third doctrine was of the essential section. Grand Master Dengyō held almost the same opinion. None of them, however, insisted on centering on the third doctrine. After all they wanted to give us the merit of doing it in the Latter Age of Degeneration. It is stated in the 23rd chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, in the “Previous Life of the Medicine King Bodhisattva”: “The teaching of the Lotus Sūtra will be spread widely in the fifth 500-year period (beginning of the Latter Age).” It must have foretold the revelation of this doctrine today in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Hongon Shukkai-shō, A response to Lay riest Lord Toki: Treatise on Overcoming Illusions of the Triple World by Provisional Teachins, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 278