You should consider that the Lotus Sūtra is like the king, parents, sun and moon, great ocean, Mt. Sumeru and heaven and earth while other sūtras are like regents, ministers, court nobles, or all the people in the country, various stars, rivers, mountains, trees and plants. We are the ignorant in the Latter Age of Degeneration committing sins and are not capable of accepting the Dharma. The king helps the people rather than his retainers; parents have compassion on their own children more so than unrelated persons; and the light of the sun and the moon is brighter than stars. Likewise, if the Lotus Sūtra is unsuitable to save the ignorant with inferior capacity in the Latter Age of Degeneration, you should realize there is no other sūtra.

Shō Hokke Daimoku-shō, Treastise on Chanting the Daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 14

The Common teaching is the beginning of the Mahāyāna teaching, and it preaches the Three Learnings: to observe the Buddhist precepts, to concentrate on meditation, and to gain wisdom. What is mainly taught in this teaching does not go beyond the Six Realms of the triple world. However, a few bodhisattvas with superior capacities may perceive the teachings beyond the Six Realms of the triple world by hearing the principle of the Common teaching. The śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattvas all learn the same teaching and eliminate the delusions in view and thought. In addition, some śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha may enter the state of turning the body to ashes and annihilating consciousness while others do not.

Ichidai Shōgyō Tai-I, Outline of All the Holy Teachings of the Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 73

According to the second chapter on the “Expedients” of the Lotus Sūtra, Buddhas in the past, present and future are to preach provisional teachings first in order to lead people to the Lotus Sūtra, which is to be preached last. Accordingly, the order of preaching or the method of propagation are the same among Buddhas; it should thoroughly be similar to that of the Lotus Sūtra. This is why the teaching of the twentieth chapter on the “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” of the Lotus Sūtra preached in the days of Powerful Voice King Buddha is expounded by the present Śākyamuni Buddha in the thirteenth chapter on the “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra.” Likewise, the teaching of the present Śākyamuni Buddha in the 13th chapter will be preached in the days of future Buddhas as the 20th chapter expounded in the past, Buddhas demonstrating the example of propagating the True Dharma. Never-Despising Bodhisattva, mentioned in the 20th chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, gave guidance to the devotees as well as the slanderers without discrimination. He was sometimes struck with swords and sticks, or pieces of tiles and pebbles were thrown at him. When this chapter, “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra,” is preached in the future and respected as the chapter on “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” in the past, Nichiren will be looked up as the exemplary propagator of the True Dharma: Never-Despising Bodhisattva in the past.

Teradomari Gosho, A Letter from Teradomari, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 13

I pray that people in the Latter Age may somehow discard the meaningless doctrines established by founders of various sects on feeble scriptural bases, putting faith in the significant teaching supported by Śākyamuni and the Buddha of Many Treasures as well as numerous Buddhas manifested in the worlds all over the universe with strong evidence in sūtras. How much less should they rely on latter scholars of various sects preoccupied with sectarian prejudices and the ignorant of the Latter Age who discard sūtras and commentaries according to such latter sectarian scholars?

Therefore, it is stated in the Nirvana Sūtra, the postscript of the Lotus Sūtra, which was preached last in the śāla forest, that the Buddha willed to Kāśyapa Bodhisattva: “Rely upon the dharma preached by the Buddha, not upon the words of the man; upon the true meaning of the Buddha, not upon the words and letters; upon wisdom, not upon knowledge; and upon the sūtras completely revealing the true meaning, not upon sūtras not completely revealing the true meaning not upon knowledge; and upon the sūtras completely revealing the true meaning, not upon sūtras not completely revealing the true meaning.”

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Pages 19-20

[E]ach of the twenty-eight chapters of the Lotus Sūtra is as meritorious as the others, but above all chapter 2, “Expedients,” and chapter 16, “Duration of the Life of the Buddha,” are the most worthy chapters. The other 26 chapters are like branches and leaves of these two. Therefore, you should chant all of chapters 2 and 16 for daily services. You may also practice writing these two chapters.

The merits of these two chapters are accompanied by those of the other 26 chapters just as a body is followed by its shadow and a gem has its intrinsic value. Therefore, when you chant these two chapters, even if you don’t chant the other 26 chapters, the merit of chanting them all is yours.

Gassui Gasho, A Letter on Menstruation, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 36

The third chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, called “A Parable,” states that this triple world is the Buddha’s world and all the people living in it are His children. We, ignorant people, full of evil passions, can be as meritorious as Śākyamuni Buddha because He bestows upon us all His merit. The Sūtra’s second chapter, called “Expedients” affirms also that we are equivalent to Śākyamuni Buddha. This proves that the believers of the Lotus Sūtra reach the same level as Śākyamuni Buddha. For instance, a child is born from the unity of his parents. Therefore, who could argue that the child’s body is not his parents’ body? A child of the king of oxen will become a king of oxen but not a king of lions. A child of the king of lions will become a king of lions but not a king of humans or heavenly beings.

Now, practicers of the Lotus Sūtra are Lord Śākyamuni’s children as he has said, “They are all my children.” It is therefore possible for them to become kings of the dharma just as Śākyamuni is king of the dharma. However, unfilial children cannot succeed their parents. The Crown Prince Tan-chu of King Yao and Prince Shang-chün of King Shun, who were unfilial, were disowned by their fathers and became commoners. On the other hand, Chung-hua and Yu were both children of commoners, but due to their filial piety, they were called respectively by King Yao and King Shun to succeed them on the throne. Thus, commoners instantly rose to the level of kings. A commoner instantly rising to the level of kings is equivalent to an ignorant person suddenly attaining Buddhahood. This is the essential point of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought” doctrine.

Nichimyō Shōnin Gosho, A Letter to Nichimyō Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 139

Wish-fulfilling gems are in fact the relics of Śākyamuni Buddha. They are given to a dragon king to crown his head, and Indra causes the gems to rain. How did the relics of the Buddha become wish-fulfilling gems? The merit of the Buddha gained by observing the precepts since immeasurable kalpa (aeons) in the past seeped into His flesh and bones and became gems to save all living beings. This is like the fangs of a dog that melt upon biting a tiger’s bone, or fish bones swallowed up by a cormorant. It is also like a string of a koto made of lion’s muscle; when it is played, the strings made of other animal muscles are all cut. The Buddha’s sermons are called the lion’s roars, and the Lotus Sūtra is the foremost of His sermons.

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 118

At about six o’clock in the evening on the twelfth day of this month, I had charges brought against me by the shogunate. I was detained as a criminal by Lord Hōjō Nobutoki, Governor of Musashi Province, and left Kamakura about two o’clock in the morning on the thirteenth day to be exiled to Sado Island. For a while however, I will be in the custody of a man called Umatarō, deputy of Homma Shigetsura living in Echi, and it seems that I will be held here for another four or five days.

I understand that you lament for me, but since I expected this to happen from the beginning, I do not lament for myself. In fact, I regret that I have not yet been beheaded. If I had been beheaded for the Lotus Sūtra in the past, I would not have been born as such a lowly man. As stated in the “Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “(Practicers of the Lotus Sūtra) will often be driven out of monasteries,” I have received punishment from time to time for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra, eliminating serious transgressions committed in my previous lives. As this is the only way for me to attain Buddhahood, I am willing to undergo ascetic practices.

Toki-dono Gohenji, Reply to Lord Toki, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Biography and Desciples, Volume 5, Page 10-11