Generally speaking, in the Latter Age of Degeneration sages and wise persons seem to disappear while only those who lie to reduce a person to despair, those who flatter, those who praise outwardly but slander behind one’s back, and those who make wild claims fill the country. This is like a pond clamoring with the sound of fish as the amount of water diminishes, or how a great ocean is no longer silent when a strong wind blows. What is more, in the Latter Age of Degeneration, evil phenomena such as droughts, epidemics, heavy rains, and violent winds are expected to occur one after another. Therefore, it seems that even broad minds become narrow and even those seeking the way of the Buddha become people with erroneous views. Putting aside those not related to us for now, in the Latter Age conflicts with parents, between husbands and wives, and among siblings occur as if they were between a hunter and a deer, a cat and a rat, or a hawk and a pheasant.

Hyōesakan-dono Gosho, Letter to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 89

How can we not spread the Lotus Sūtra even if very few people have the capacity for it while most people contradict it like water against fire? When we single-mindedly spread the Lotus Sūtra, there is no doubt that we will eventually succeed even if we should encounter such great difficulties as those that have befallen Never-Despising Bodhisattva.

Kangyō Hachiman-shō, Remonstration with Bodhisattva Hachiman, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 272

In this respect, it can be said that those scholars of the present Tendai School who insist on the superiority of the Great Concentration and Insight over the Lotus Sūtra are ungrateful to their Founder T’ien-t’ai. How can they escape from that charge? Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was called Medicine King Bodhisattva when he heard Śākyamuni Buddha preaching the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle. He was at once Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in Sui China and Grand Master Dengyō in Japan. The teaching he propagated in his past, present and the future lives is on the whole the teaching of the Wonderful Dharma. There is no such person but Śākyamuni Buddha in India, China and Japan who has propagated the Lotus Sūtra throughout the past, present and future. Being the noblest, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was misunderstood by scholars of the Tendai School inheriting his teaching, who pinned the guilt of their mistake on the innocent Grand Master. Is this not a serious sin?

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 226

Look at the world around us. There are many who say they have deep faith, but there is not one person in 10,000,000 who is sincere. The Nirvana Sūtra says: “Those who do not have faith in the Buddha Dharma and fall into evil paths are as many as the dirt on the earth; those who have faith in the Buddha Dharma and become Buddhas are as few as the amount of dirt piled on a fingernail.”

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 129

[W]e should realize the sequence of spreading the Dharma. In a country where Buddhism has not yet been transmitted, there are people who have never heard the Buddha’s teachings. In a country where Buddhism has spread, there are people who believe in the teachings. We should be aware of the teachings previously spread, then spread the teaching that is one level above it.

If Hinayāna or provisional Mahāyāna teachings have previously been taught, true Mahāyāna teaching should be spread. If the true Mahāyāna teaching has been taught, neither Hinayāna nor provisional Mahāyāna should be spread. We should abandon the rubble and pick up the golden gem. Do not give up the golden gem to get pieces of tile and pebbles.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 100

Grand Master T’ien-t’ai stated in the Profound Meaning of the Lotus Sūtra: “Myō (Wonderful) means being beyond comprehension;” “This Dharma transcends the world of description and is beyond the power of mind;” and “The Dharma suggests that each of the ten realms of living beings contains the ten aspects and that nine provisional realms and the real realm of the Buddha are one and inseparable. (It shows that an ordinary person and the Buddha are one.)” He also interpreted (the Wonderful Dharma) as the triple truth (of voidness, temporariness and the middle), the threefold contemplation, the three thousand existences, or the inconceivable dharma. It is possible to figure out the dharma Grand Master T’ien-t’ai attained in mind because it is the dharma Grand Master T’ient’ai considered. On the other hand, the Wonderful Dharma is the teacher of Buddhas. It is evident that the (inconceivable) Wonderful Dharma is superior to the conceivable threefold contemplation.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 227-228

The 36th emperor of Japan, Kōgyoku, was a female ruler. During her reign Ōomi Soga Iruka was so arrogant that he tried to usurp the throne. The Empress as well as the Imperial princes considered him suspicious but could not do anything. Meanwhile Prince Oenoōji, Prince Karunoōji, and others became indignant with Iruka, consulted Omi Nakatomi Kamako. Kamako, citing the precedent of Soga Umako, told them, “We, human beings, are incapable of doing anything about Iruka. We should beseech the divine help of Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha.” Therefore, they at once built a statue of Śākyamuni Buddha and prayed for help. As a result, Iruka was soon subjugated.

Thus Nakatomi Kamako, who was later renamed Fujiwara Kamatari, was appointed the Lord Keeper of the Privy Seal (Naidaijin) and was granted the highest rank of Taishokukan. He is the primogenitor of the Fujiwara family, which holds the supreme power of the Imperial government today. And this statue of Śākyamuni Buddha is enshrined in the Kōfukuji Temple as the Most Venerable One (honzon) today. Therefore, it is with the help of the Buddha that a king can be a king and subjects can perform their duties.

Hyōesakan-dono Gohenji, Answer to Lord Ikegami Munenaga, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 86-87

The Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra says: “If the practice of the spiritual contemplation is consistent with the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, it will become a wonderful way of practice different from such vain efforts as counting the treasures of other people. This shows that the Great Concentration and Insight is merely a means to attain the objective for knowing the Lotus meditation (like a coop which is unnecessary when the fish is caught). If a person understands this meaning, he can really obtain the essence of the Lotus Sūtra.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 221

The Shogunal Regent at Kamakura punished me twice. Publicly the second punishment was an exile, but actually he tried to behead me in secret. I was taken to the execution ground of Tatsunokuchi at midnight on the 12th day of the 9th month. Strangely, a shining ball like a moon came flying from Enoshima Island over to the head of the executioner. He was too scared to kill me. The confusion lasted for a while, so the execution did not take place that night. He might have tried to kill me in Sado, but the civil war broke out in Kamakura as I had predicted. A messenger came and my execution was cancelled. In the end I was pardoned. I am now living in this mountain.

Myōhō Bikuni Go-henji, A Reply to Nun Myōhō, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 206-208