In the past as well as today, kings and their subjects as well as all the people who despised the practicers of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration seem to be safe at first, but they will perish in the end without exception. The same can be said regarding me, Nichiren. In the beginning, it appeared that there were no signs of protection for me, but now, after 27 years of propagation, all the deities such as the King of Brahma Heaven, Indra, Sun Deity, Moon Deity, and the Four Heavenly Kings who made the vow to protect the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra, now realize that if they do not keep their vows, they will fall into the Avīci Hell. Therefore, they have begun to protect me.

Shōnin Gonan Ji, Persecution Befalling Nichiren Shōnin, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 119

Grand Master Miao-lê states in his Treatise of Five Hundred Questions: “If anyone does not know about the eternity of his father’s life span, he will go astray in the country his father governs. No matter how talented he may be, such a person cannot be valued as a child. Prior to the time of the Three Emperors in ancient China people, like birds and beasts, did not know who their fathers were.” Likewise, if we do not know the eternal life of our True Teacher, Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha, we do not know our own father, namely we do not know this Sahā World, which is the Pure Land of our Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha.

Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 249-250

QUESTION: In the 23rd chapter on the “Previous Life of Medicine King Bodhisattva” in the epilogue section of the Lotus Sūtra, women are encouraged to practice the sūtra wholeheartedly, so that they may be reborn in the Pure Land of the Buddha of Infinite Life upon death. How about this?

ANSWER: The Buddha of Infinite Life in the “Previous Life of the Medicine King Bodhisattva” chapter is not the same as the Buddha of Infinite Life in the pre-Lotus sūtras and in the first half of the Lotus Sūtra. They merely have the same name. The Sūtra of Infinite Meaning (Muryōgi-kyō) says, “Even though they have the same name, their meanings are different.” Miao-lê says in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Even though you find the name of the Buddha of Infinite Life in the hommon section of the Lotus Sūtra, it does not at all mean the Buddha of Infinite Life mentioned in the Sūtra of Meditation on the Buddha of Infinite Life.” These should dispel all your doubts. After all, Bodhisattvas who are advanced in practice may easily come to this Sahā World from Pure Lands in the universe and can also easily go back there.

Gochū Shujō Gosho, People in the World Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 203

From the ancient times till today, the pain of parting either between parents and children, or lord and his subordinates remains the same. The most painful, however, is the parting of a married couple. I can only surmise your sadness being separated from your husband by death. You may have been reborn as a woman numerous times since time immemorial, but this last husband of yours was the last “good friend” of yours in this Sahā World.

The 31-syllable Japanese poems offer these sentiments: “In the natural world flowers scatter and fruits fall, but they never fail to come back in time. Why can’t a departed person ever return?” and “Thinking of the deceased day after day, my days are listless and painful year after year.” Please chant the daimoku of the Lotus Sūtra for your late husband.

Jimyō-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Response to My Lady, the Nun Jimyō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 94

A bird called cormorant can eat a piece of iron, which it digests in its stomach, but even so its unborn baby in its belly does not melt away. Also, there exists a fish that eats pieces of stone, which it digests in its stomach, yet the unborn babies in its belly remain alive. Sandalwood cannot be set on fire, and water does not extinguish the fire in the Heaven of Pure Inhabitants (where sages reside who have reached the stage of not having to be reborn in the six realms of transmigration). The body of the Buddha could not be burned although 32 sumo wrestlers tried to set it on fire, while the fire produced from the Buddha’s body could not be extinguished by the dragon god of the triple world who tried to put it out by pouring rain on it. As you helped me practice the Lotus Sūtra, no evil person can harm you. If anything should happen, it is a retribution in this life for persecuting a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in a previous life. This cannot be avoided no matter whether you fled into the mountains or to the ocean. Both Never Despising Bodhisattva who was beaten with sticks and pieces of wood, and Venerable Maudgalyāyana, who was killed by non-Buddhists with bamboo sticks, are examples of such retribution. This is nothing to grieve over.

Shijō Kingo Shakabutsu Kuyō, Opening the Eyes Service of Shijō Kingo’s Statue of Śākyamuni Buddha, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Pages 135

Interpreting the true meaning of the Lotus Sūtra, Grand Master T’ien-t’ai of
China states in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra, “Sūtras other than the Lotus Sūtra expound enlightenment of men but not of women. The Lotus Sūtra expounds enlightenment of both men and women.” Does this not mean that the Lotus Sūtra is supreme among all the holy teachings of the Buddha expounded in His lifetime and that in the Lotus Sūtra attainment of Buddhahood by women is the most precious? If so, all women in Japan need not worry since women’s enlightenment is allowed by the Lotus Sūtra although all other sūtras deny it.

Sennichi-ama Gozen Gohenji, A Reply to My Lady Nun Sennichi, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 147

If I, Nichiren, did not speak of this because of my fear of the people, I would be betraying the Buddha’s admonition in the Nirvana Sūtra, “not to hide the teachings of the Buddha even at the cost of life.” If I am to speak it up, I am afraid I shall suffer persecution. But if I do not proclaim this, I will not be pardoned from disobeying the Buddha’s commandment. What should I do? I am in a dilemma!

It is not surprising that the following can be found in the Lotus Sūtra: “Many people hate the Lotus Sūtra with jealousy even in My lifetime. Needless to say, more people will do so after My extinction (chapter 10)” and “Many people in the world would have hated it and few would have believed in it (chapter 14).”

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 8.

Śākyamuni Buddha preaches in chapter 3 on “A Parable” of the Lotus Sūtra, “All living beings in this world are My children. There are many sufferings in this world, and only I can save all living beings.” This explains that only Śākyamuni Buddha possesses the three virtues of the master, the teacher and the parent, and other Buddhas such as the Buddha of Infinite Life are not equipped with them. I have already told this many times before. However, be sure that the words “only I can” are not found in Hinayāna sūtras nor in any of the pre-Lotus Mahāyāna sūtras, which resort to expedient means or do not reveal the truth to those whose capacities to understand are not sufficient. They are the golden words of Śākyamuni Buddha in the Lotus Sūtra, validated by the Buddha of Many Treasures and all other Buddhas from all the worlds throughout the universe.

Gochū Shujō Gosho, People in the World Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 201

The Sūtra of the Transmission of the Dharma explains how the Buddhist dharma would be propagated after His death. It says, “During the Age of the True Dharma, a one-thousand-year period following the death of the Buddha, many propagators will spread His teachings. The first of them will be Venerable Kāśyapa for the first twenty years; the second, Venerable Ānanda for the next twenty years; the third, Śānavāsa for the next twenty years; and the twenty-third will be Āryasimha.”

Regarding the third propagator, Śānavāsa, the Buddha explained that his name came from the garment in which he was born. To be born wearing clothes is indeed a wonder. In the six realms of the unenlightened, all those from hell to the human realm are born naked; but only those in heaven are born with clothes on. All people, even sages and wisemen, are born in the nude. Even bodhisattvas destined to be Buddhas in the next life are born in the nude, not to say of all others. Nevertheless, Śānavāsa was born wearing a wonderful garment called Śāna-clothes.

This garment was never stained with blood or soiled just as a lotus in a pond and wings of an eagle never get wet. As Śānavāsa grew, the garment grew wider and longer. It became thicker in winter and thinner in summer, blue in spring and white in winter. He was wealthy, so he suffered no inconvenience. Later, as the Buddha had predicted, he entered the priesthood under Ānanda. Then, the garment became the ceremonial robes of gojō, shichijō, and kyūjō. The Buddha explains this wonder of Śānavāsa as follows:

Billions of years ago, this man, Śānavāsa, was a merchant. One day, he crossed an ocean for trade with five hundred merchants. There, he found a sick priest named Pratyekabuddha on the beach. Probably due to his ill karma the priest was in critical condition, had lost consciousness, and lay in filth. Feeling compassionate, the merchant nursed the sick man and brought him back to consciousness, cleaned up the filth, and wrapped him with Śāna-clothes made of a hemp garment. This sage appreciated his kindness, saying, “You helped me and covered up my shame. I shall use this garment not only in this life but also in future lives.” He then passed away. With this merit, during the incalculably long period in the past, every time Śānavāsa was reborn in heaven or on earth, he was wearing the garment. … In this life he became the third transmitter of the dharma after the death of the Buddha, and a sage called Śānavāsa. He built a great temple on Mt. Ulda in Matela. He taught the dharma to numerous people for twenty years.

Thus the Buddha preached that all the happiness and wonder of Priest Śānavāsa stemmed from this one garment.

Myōhō Bikuni Go-henji, A Reply to Nun Myōhō, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 176-180