I handed over to you all the doctrines important to my life. I might be a follower of those numerous bodhisattvas who emerged from the earth. This is because I chant “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” trying to lead men and women of Japan to Buddhahood. Is it not stated in the Lotus Sūtra, the “Emerging from the Earth” chapter, “The first was called Superior Practice. … [He was] a guiding teacher”? Because of your strong karmic relationship in past existences, you have become my disciple. Please be very careful dealing with this letter. I wrote the doctrines that I have awakened myself. I will stop writing now.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 80

The third of the eight major hells is the Hell of Crushing, which is located beneath the Hell of Black Ropes but is the same size. Here many pairs of iron mountains face each other. Hell guards with cow heads and horse heads, and armed with sticks chase the sinners between the mountains. Then the pair of iron mountains draw closer, crushing sinners and flooding the earth with blood. Sinners are subject to many other types of suffering.

Suppose 200 years in the human world correspond to a day in the Heaven of Yama, the third heaven in the realm of desire, where heavenly beings live for 2,000 years. If 2,000 years in this Heaven of Yama are equal to one day in the Hell of Crushing, the life span of sinners in this hell is 2,000 years.

Ken Hōbō-shō, A Clarificaton of Slandering the True Dharma, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 107-108.

The five characters of the Wonderful Dharma, the gist of the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra, can deal with calamities and disasters if only one puts faith in it, but this is what the Buddha especially entrusted to the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. In the final analysis, therefore, the calamities and disasters since the Shōka Period (1257-59) will not cease unless the truth and falsity of Buddhist dharmas are decided in public discussions.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 256

One Chinese character of the Lotus Sūtra gives birth to all things as the great earth does. It is like the ocean that absorbs all the river waters. It brightens the entire world as the sun and moon do. What is more, it becomes the moon, which in turn changes to a Buddha. The seed of a rice plant becomes a rice seedling, which in turn becomes a rice plant, grains of rice, then a human being and finally a Buddha. Likewise, a woman, through her faith in the Lotus Sūtra, becomes the character Myō, which in turn becomes Śākyamuni Buddha on the lotus pedestal. Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō. Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō.

Ōnichi-dono Gohenji, A Response to Lord Ōnichi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers II, Volume 7, Page 144-145

In ancient times, when the Buddha was begging for alms in Rājagṛha, it is said that two little boys named Tokushō and Mushō offered rice cakes made of mud to the Buddha and as a result of this pious deed they were reborn as Emperor Aśoka and his prime minister, Rādhagupta, who helped Aśoka to rule the continent of Jambudvīpa. Rādhagupta was like Lord Hōjō Yoshitoki, who supported the shogun of the military government at Kamakura as the shogunal regent. The merit of your donation is far greater than that of Tokushō and Mushō. The horse that carried your donated articles will become “Kondeigoma,” the horse on which Prince Siddhārtha left his family, and your servant who led the horse to Minobu will become Chaṇḍaka, the driver who accompanied the prince when he left the royal castle, and they both will ultimately attain Buddhahood.

Although this happened in the past, I repeat it again because I feel that it is precious and inspiring.

Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji, Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 97

In the final analysis, the reason why Venerable Maudgalyāyana could not save his suffering mother was that he was a believer of Hinayāna Buddhism, observing the Hinayāna precepts. Accordingly it is preached in the Vimalakirti Sūtra that a man named Vimalakirti criticized Maudgalyāyana saying, “Anyone who gives offerings to you will fall into the three evil realms (hell, realm of hungry spirits, and that of beasts).” This scriptural statement means that those who revere and give offerings to Venerable Maudgalyāyana, upholder of the 250 precepts, will fall into the three evil realms. This should be heeded by not only Maudgalyāyana but also all śrāvaka disciples and upholders of the Hinayāna precepts in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

Compared to the Lotus Sūtra, the Vimalakirti Sūtra is like a retainer several scores of ranks below. After all it was because Venerable Maudgalyāyana had not become a Buddha. Without being a Buddha himself, how can he save even his own parents, not to speak of other people?

Nevertheless, coming to the Lotus Sūtra, which enjoins listeners to “abandon the expedient teachings,” Maudgalyāyana immediately cast away the 250 precepts of Hinayāna Buddhism and chanted “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” to become a Buddha called Tamālapatracandana Fragrance. This is the very moment when his parents, too, became Buddhas. Therefore, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra, “Our wishes have already been fulfilled, and desires of the multitude are also satisfied.” Maudgalyāyana’s body and mind are the legacy of his parents. When his body and mind became a Buddha, those of his parents also attained Buddhahood.

Urabon Gosho, On theUllambana Service, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 174

The Lotus Sūtra consists of two parts: the theoretical section (first half) and the essential section (latter half). The difference between them is as clear as water and fire or heaven and earth. It is greater than the difference between the pre-Lotus sūtras and the Lotus Sūtra. …

Now, regarding the difference between the essential and theoretical sections, the lord-preacher of the former is the Eternal Buddha who had been the Buddha since the eternal past while that of the latter is the historical Buddha attaining Buddhahood in this life at Buddhagayā. The difference between the two is as clear as between a 100-year-old man and an infant. Not only the lord-preacher but also His disciples are as different as water and fire. How much more so is it the case with the Buddha land between the “four lands” preached in the theoretical section and the “land of eternal tranquil light” of the essential section! The difference is beyond expression. Those who mix up the two, the theoretical and essential sections, are like those who cannot differentiate fire from water.

Toki Nyūdō-dono Go-henji: Chibyō-shō, A Response to Lay Priest Lord Toki: Treatise on Healing Sickness, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 252-253

The reason why I speak ill of the doctrine established by Venerable Shan-tao is not due to my own conclusion. In ancient times, when Amitābha Buddha was practicing the bodhisattva way as King Mujōnen, he abandoned this Sahā World. So Śākyamuni Buddha, then called Bodhisattva Hōkai Bonji, took the responsibility of saving this Sahā World. When Amitābha Buddha and various Buddhas in the universe vowed not to welcome the slanderers of the True Dharma, the five rebellious sinners, and icchantika into the Pure Lands throughout the universe, Bodhisattva Hōkai Bonji vowed to save all those people rejected from the Pure Lands throughout the universe. Moreover, Śākyamuni Buddha preached in the Lotus Sūtra, “Only I will save and protect mankind.” “Only I” sounds haughty but it is not Śākyamuni Buddha’s own idea. As Amitābha Buddha and various Buddhas throughout the universe themselves abandoned the people in this Sahā World, so Śākyamuni vowed Himself, “Only I. …” Thus, He has already appeared in this Sahā World. Is there any room to doubt His intention?

Jōren-bō Gosho, A Letter to Jōren-bō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 171