The minds of living beings dwelling in the nine realms and the six paths are different. For instance, the faces of people, regardless if they are in a small group of a few people or a large group of a hundred or a thousand in number, are all about the same size — about 30 centimeters — but there is no pair of faces completely identical to each other. As their minds are different, their faces, too, are not the same. If the minds of two or ten people are different, how much more so are the differences between the minds of all living beings in the nine realms and the six paths? As a result the inclinations of people are varied as well. Some love to watch flowers while others love the moon. Some like a sour taste while others a bitter taste. Some love the small-sized while others prefer the large-sized. People’s sense of value also differs. Some prefer the good while others indulge in wickedness. People are thus varied and diverse. However, when they enter the world of the Lotus Sūtra, they all become one body and their minds are one. It is like how the many river waters will have the same salty taste upon entering the ocean, or how the many birds become a single golden color upon nearing Mt. Sumeru.

Sennichi-ama Gohenji, A Reply to Sennichi-ama, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Pages 159-160

Śākyamuni Buddha did not feel safe to entrust great bodhisattvas such as Samantabhadra and Mañjuśrī to spread the five Chinese characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō in the Latter Age of Degeneration. The Buddha, therefore, entrusted the job to the four leaders including Bodhisattva Superior Practice among the numerous bodhisattvas that emerged from the soil. As I contemplate the religious meaning of this, I wonder if Bodhisattva Superior Practice entered your body in order to help me to spread the Lotus Sūtra? Or was it the Buddha’s discretion?

Shijō Kingo-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Shijō Kingo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Followers I, Volume 6, Page 142

The Lotus Sūtra is called “Zui-jii,” namely it expounds the true mind of the Buddha. Since the Buddha’s mind is so great, even if one does not understand the profound meaning of the sūtra, one can gain innumerable merits by just reading it. Just as a mugwort among hemp plants grows straight and a snake in a tube straightens itself, if one becomes friendly with good people, one’s mind, behavior, and words become naturally gentle. Likewise, the Buddha thinks that those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra become naturally virtuous.

Zui-jii Gosho, The Sūtra Preached in Accordance to [the Buddha’s] Own Mind, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 155

A pile of dung, even if shaped like sandalwood, will smell like dung when burnt. Piling up lies, even if someone claims them to be the Buddha’s teachings, he will only fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 31.

This Sahā World is 7,000 yojana by 7,000 yojana in area, and it includes 80,000 countries. In 2,000 years of the Ages of the True Dharma (shōbō) and Semblance Dharma (zōbō), the Lotus Sūtra did not spread widely. If it does not spread during this Latter Age of Degeneration (Mappō), Śākyamuni Buddha would be a liar, validation of the truth of the Lotus Sūtra by the Buddha of Many Treasures would come to nothing, and broad, long tongues of Buddhas in manifestation throughout the universe to praise the preaching of Śākyamuni Buddha would become as fragile as banana leaves.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 213

In Buddhism, the Buddha declares that one who sees the enemy of the Lotus Sūtra and keeps silent because he is afraid of persecution, is an enemy of Śākyamuni Buddha. No matter how wise or moral he is, the Buddha warns, such a man is bound to fall into hell; he is like a child who refuses to warn his parents of the attempt on their lives, or a subject who refuses to admonish his king, who is about to be dethroned, because he is afraid of possible persecution.

Myōhō Bikuni Go-henji, A Reply to Nun Myōhō, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 200-202

Wherever there are dependent rewards such as plants, trees and land, there exist living beings known as principal rewards. Therefore, Grand Master Miao-lê comments in the tenth fascicle of the Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Both principal and dependent rewards always preach the Lotus Sūtra.” He also comments in his Diamond Scalpel, “The ultimate reality is the truth throughout all things (of the Universe), and all things consist of ten reality aspects such as appearance, nature, entity, etc. The ten reality aspects are equipped in each of the ten realms, consisting of principal and dependent rewards.” Furthermore, he comments, “Dependent and principal rewards of Avīci Hell all exist in the mind of the Buddha, and both dependent and principal rewards of the Buddha exist in one thought of an ordinary person.” Seeing these annotations, there is no doubt about three thousand conditions existing in one thought. Therefore, the appearance of the Universe is not different from the five letters of myō hō renge and kyō. As for Śākyamuni Buddha and the Buddha of Many Treasures, when functions of the five letters save people, they appear as two Buddhas nodding at each other as they did when “The Appearance of a Stupa of Treasures” chapter was expounded.

Shohō Jisso-shō, Treatise on All Phenomena as Ultimate Reality, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 75

QUESTION: How should we comprehend the statement in the chapter 3, “A Parable,” of the Lotus Sūtra, “You should not expound this sūtra to ignorant people”?

ANSWER: This applies to wise masters, who are able to discern the capacity of people, not to ordinary masters in the Latter Age of Degeneration.

We should also solely expound the Lotus Sūtra to those who slander the Dharma. This would establish the connection of a poisonous drum between the unfaithful people and the Lotus Sūtra as it is said that the sound of a drum smeared with poison kills a man who hears them. It is like the practice of Never-Despising Bodhisattva preached in the “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra.

If a person has the capacity of a wise man, though, we should teach him the Hinayāna sūtras first of all, then the provisional Mahāyāna sūtras, and finally the true Mahāyāna sūtra, the Lotus Sūtra. If a man is deemed ignorant, however, we should teach him the true Mahāyāna sūtra from the start, as it can plant the seed of Buddhahood in both believers and slanderers.

Kyō Ki Ji Koku Shō, Treatise on the Teaching, Capacity, Time and Country, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 97-98

[I]n the Latter Age of Degeneration, all Buddhist teachings both Hinayāna and Mahāyāna, expedient and true Mahāyāna, and exoteric and esoteric teachings remain, but no one attains Buddhahood by practicing them. People in this Sahā World all commit the sin of slandering the True Dharma. In this adverse condition only five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō should be forced on them in order to plant the seed of Buddhahood. For instance, Never-Despising Bodhisattva preached teachings of the Lotus Sūtra for self-conceited priests and was persecuted. My disciples are in the favor able condition, able to put faith in the five characters to attain Buddhahood, but many others in Japan are not. Therefore, we have to forcibly spread the five characters of Myō, Hō, Ren, Ge, and Kyō among them to sow the seed of Buddhahood.

Hokke Shuyō Shō, Treatise on the Essence of the Lotus Sūtra, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 214