During the thousand years of the Age of the True Dharma following the Buddha’s extinction, many people observe the precepts and few break them. During the next thousand years of the Age of the Semblance Dharma, which follows the Age of the True Dharma, many violate the precepts and a few people do not accept any precepts. During the ten thousand years of the Latter Age of Degeneration, there are a few violators of the precepts, but many people do not accept any precepts. During the Age of the True Dharma, you should disregard those who violate the precepts or do not accept any and make offerings to observers of the precepts. During the Age of the Semblance Dharma, disregard those who do not accept any precepts and make offerings to the violators of the precepts. During the Latter Age of Degeneration, revere those who do not accept any precepts and make offerings to them as if they were Buddhas.

Across the three ages, however, we should never make offerings to those who slander the Lotus Sūtra regardless of whether they observe the precepts, violate them or disregard them. If we make offerings to slanderers of the Lotus Sūtra, three disasters and seven calamities will befall the country and people will certainly fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering. A practicer of the Lotus Sūtra criticizing provisional sūtras is like a ruler admonishing his retainers, a parent admonishing his children, or a teacher admonishing his disciples. A practicer of provisional sūtras criticizing the Lotus Sūtra, on the contrary, is like a retainer punishing his lord, a child punishing his parent, or a disciple punishing his master.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 98-99

Since Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was among the audience who heard Śākyamuni Buddha expound the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Sacred Eagle, he propagated the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, which shows the sole purpose of the Buddha appearing in this world. However, as the time was not right for the spread of the sūtra, he propagated the teaching of the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra in the name of the Great Concentration and Insight. Since Grand Master T’ien-t’ai was not a disciple of the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha but of Śākyamuni as a manifestation of the Buddha, he did not propagate what was entrusted directly to such disciples of the Eternal Buddha as Superior Practice Bodhisattva, who had been trained ever since the eternal past. T’ien-t’ai propagated the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, which directly states the truth by explaining it as the Great Concentration and Insight. In this sense, his teaching can be said to have been expedient rather than the Wonderful Dharma as unvarnished truth. Therefore, those who received the teaching of the Great Concentration and Insight from Grand Master T’ien-t’ai in the Age of the Semblance Dharma are, like those who heard the preaching of the pre-Lotus teaching in the lifetime of Śākyamuni Buddha, “people who received the perfect teaching taking on the expedients (provisional teaching).” People who receive the teaching from the Eternal Śākyamuni Buddha are those who receive the teaching of the Wonderful Dharma revealed in the essential section of the Lotus Sūtra and go their way correctly to enlightenment.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 225

Devadatta, who committed the Three Rebellious Sins, as well as Rāhula, who observed the 250 precepts, similarly attained Buddhahood through the Lotus Sūtra. King Wonderful Adornment, who was attached to Brahmanism, as well as Śāriputra, a man who held the right view, were guaranteed future Buddhahood. This is what is meant by “If there are those who hear the Dharma, not even one will fail to attain Buddhahood.”

Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 160

A human life is as fleeting as a dream and nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. No matter what kind of a beggar you may be, you must not inflict harm on the Lotus Sūtra. Therefore, though there is not much choice, you should not show the appearance of sorrow but behave without any signs of flattery as stated in this letter of explanation. Currying favor is all the more worse. Even if you are deprived of your fief and chased out of the retinue of your lord’s retainers, you should consider it as the discretion of the ten female rākṣasa demons and strengthen your faith in the Lotus Sūtra.

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 143

I, Nichiren, started the propagation of the Lotus Sūtra on the 28th day of the 4th month in the 5th year of Kenchō (1253) in the district of Tōjō, Nagasa County of Awa Province. Tōjō District is now the county of Tōjō. This is where the shrine domain of the Goddess Amaterasu is located. This domain established by Mina moto Yoritomo was the second in importance among the domains of the Ise Shrine in Japan, but now it is the most important one. In the compound of the Seichōji Temple located also in the Tōjō District, there existed the Hall of the Buddha known as the Shobutsu-bō. On the south side of the Hall of the Buddha, I started preaching the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra at twelve noon. Since then till today in the second year of Kōan (1279), it has been 27 years. The Buddha revealed His true intent in the Lotus Sūtra after preaching expedient teachings for 40 years or so while Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai and Dengyō took more than 30 years and twenty years or so respectively to fulfill their wishes. As I have told you, the difficulties they encountered during those years were indescribable. In my case, it took twenty-seven years, and you all know about the great persecutions I encountered during this period.

Shōnin Gonan Ji, Persecution Befalling Nichiren Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 117-118

As I observe Japan today, it is just like this. Those who support this practicer receive the merit of supporting the Lotus Sūtra. Grand Master Dengyō annotated, “Those who praise the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra accumulate merit as high as Mt. Sumeru, and those who slander the practicer commit a sin as serious as falling into the Hell of Incessant Suffering.” It is said that the person who served a meal of millet to a pratyekabuddha became the Treasure Light Buddha, and the child who offered a rice cake made of mud to a Buddha became the king of this world in the past.

If a person of meritorious deeds makes an offering against the truth, his commitment would become a great evil, not a virtue. On the contrary, even if a person is foolish in mind, if he serves even a little to a true person, his merit is great. Needless to say, if a person who has a strong will serves the True Dharma, the merit gained is immeasurable. Although the world today is corrupt, and people are powerless and without leisure, because of your good will, you sent bamboo shoots to the altar of the Lotus Sūtra on Mt. Minobu. Doesn’t it seem that you planted good seeds in a fertile field? I cannot hold back my tears.

Zui-jii Gosho, The Sūtra Preached in Accordance to [the Buddha’s] Own Mind, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 161

Only I, Nichiren, remained in this country to declare these facts. The ruler of this country was reproachful of me and had hundreds of people slander me, speak ill of me, attack me with sticks and swords, and chase me out of my house. As I did not stop my protest to the government, the ruler personally exiled me two times.

On the 12th of the 9th month in the 8th year of the Bun’ei Era (1271) he even tried to have me beheaded at Tatsunokuchi. In the Sūtra of the Golden Splendor it is said: “If the evil-minded people are respected while the good are punished, the country will be attacked and destroyed by foreign enemies.”

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 32.

Since the Great Concentration and Insight preaches the way of practicing the spiritual contemplation according to the doctrine of “3,000 existences in one thought” in the Lotus Sūtra, the way to practice the “threefold contemplation in a single thought” is nothing but recognizing the Wonderful Dharma to be beyond conceptual understanding. Therefore, the priests who belittle the Lotus Sūtra and make too much of the spiritual contemplation commit the grave sin of slandering the True Dharma, are men of false view, or are as devilish as a heavenly devil. This is because according to Grand Master T’ien-t’ai’s “threefold contemplation in a single thought, concentration and insight” means the unique state of mind in which one is enlightened with the truth of One Buddha teaching through steadily maintaining the mind in tranquility by the Lotus Sūtra.

Risshō Kanjō, A Treatise on Establishing the Right Way of Meditation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 219

[I]t is less difficult to pass a thread from the Heavenly Palace of the Great Brahma down through the hole of a needle that is standing upright on the great earth below than it is for us to be born as human beings. Even if an endless period of a trillion inconceivably long kalpa should pass, it is difficult to encounter the sacred teachings of the Tathāgata. However, we have received a human birth and encountered the sacred teachings. Then if one should encounter an “evil friend,” one will without a doubt fall into the three evil realms. According to a commentary, if the teacher falls, then the disciples will fall, and if the disciples fall then their followers will also fall.

Happily, you have encountered the practicer of the One Vehicle. Without having to cut off your skin and flesh, or serve for a thousand years, you are able to learn about the “three thousand existences contained in one thought,” the “ten realms,” the “ten aspects,” the “one truth of Middle Way,” and “Wonderful Dharma of the Supreme Buddha Way.” Although we have not cultivated virtue in the past, if we had not been born in the Latter Age of Degeneration, the age when the Wonderful Dharma is transmitted, it would have been difficult to attain the Way of liberation even though eternities passed by.

Minobu-san Gosho, Mt. Minobu Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 128-129

[T]hose who wish to spread Buddhism should know the right time.

For example, if a farmer cultivates a rice field in the fall or winter, he will not have any harvest and may even end up losing what he already has although he sows the same seeds in the same field and works as hard as in the spring or summer. A farmer who cultivates 900 sq. yards loses a little while he who cultivates 9000 or 18,000 sq. yards loses a lot. But if he cultivates in the spring or summer, he can have a harvest proportionate to the size of his field. The same thing is true with Buddhism. If we spread the Dharma at the wrong time, it is not only ineffective, but also causes us to fall into evil realms.

Although the Buddha appeared in this world to expound the Lotus Sūtra, He did not preach it until after forty years or so because the time was not right even though there were some people with the capacity to understand and embrace the sūtra. Therefore, it is preached in the “Expedients” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra, “Because the time is not ripe for it (expounding the Lotus Sūtra) yet.”

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 98