[T]he Lotus Sūtra declares itself superior to the Nirvana Sūtra while it is stated in the Nirvana Sūtra: “In the Lotus Sūtra 8,000 śrāvakas are guaranteed to attain Buddhahood in the future. It is as if a great harvest had been reaped in autumn and stored for winter, leaving nothing more than gleaning for the Nirvana Sūtra.” Thus, the Nirvana Sūtra itself implies that it is inferior to the Lotus Sūtra. Though this statement in the Nirvana Sūtra seems clear enough, even the wisest Northern and Southern masters in China did not comprehend it. Scholars in the Latter Age must pay much attention to this. This passage of the Nirvana Sūtra not only seems to show the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra to the Nirvana Sūtra, but also reveals its comparative superiority among all the sūtras in the entire universe. Though it is understandable to doubt this puzzling statement in the Nirvana Sūtra, the superiority of the Lotus Sūtra among all the sūtras has already been proven by Grand Masters T’ien-t’ai, Miao-lê, and Dengyō. Men of wisdom should keep this statement in mind.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 5.

[I]n the 20th chapter on the “Never-Despising Bodhisattva” of the Lotus Sūtra, the Buddha describes Himself in His previous lives: “Once upon a time, there was a bodhisattva named Never-Despising. … He propagated the Lotus Sūtra fervently despite persecutions.” The sūtra describes how evil people spoke ill of him, abused him or struck him with a stick or a piece of wood, and threw pieces of tile or stones at him. By showing such ascetic practices in His previous lives, the Buddha encouraged those who propagate in the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration. Propagating the Lotus Sūtra, Never-Despising Bodhisattva was persecuted, and was struck with a stick or a piece of wood but attained the rank of the Buddha instantly. As I propagated the Lotus Sūtra, my house was set on fire at Matsubagayatsu, and I was attacked by Tōjō Kagenobu at Komatsubara, exiled to Izu, and banished to Sado Island. Therefore, I will reach Buddhahood in the future without a doubt.

Hakii Saburō-dono Go-henji, A Response to Lord Hakii Saburō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 185

Of the Lotus-Nirvana period, the Nirvana Sūtra was expounded in one day and night while facing death. Śākyamuni Buddha passed away at the age of 80, but traditions also say that Śākyamuni was 79, 80, 81, 82, 105, or 120 years old when He died. The Sūtra of Clarification of the Age of Semblance Dharma, which foretells the decline of Buddhism during the Age of Semblance Dharma and advises the practice of almsgiving, was preached by the Hiraṇyavatī River just before the death of the Buddha. Thus, this sūtra is regarded to be the conclusion of the Nirvana Sūtra.

Ichidai Goji Keizu, Genealogical Chart of the Buddha’s Lifetime Teachings in Five Periods, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Page 244

Grand Master T’ien-t’ai had to engage in vigorous disputes against three Southern and seven Northern masters in establishing his new theology, and Grand Master Dengyō in Japan had to dispute against the six schools of Buddhism in Nara during the reign of Emperor Kammu. Whether or not Buddhist masters encountered hardships depended on whether their opinions were adopted by the wise king or rejected by the foolish king; it did not depend on whether or not their ways of propagation were in accordance with the intent of the Buddha. The situations were like this even during the Ages of the True and Semblance Dharmas, not to speak of the Latter Age of Degeneration! I, Nichiren, incurred the displeasure of the Kamakura Shogunate for the sake of the Lotus Sūtra. This is the greatest happiness that ever happened to me because it is like exchanging worthless pieces of tile and stones for pieces of gold and silver.

Hakii Saburō-dono Go-henji, A Response to Lord Hakii Saburō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 185-186

In ancient times, a little boy named Tokusho offered a rice cake made of sand to the Buddha. Due to this merit he was reborn as the Emperor the king of Jambudvīpa. You have donated five shō of polished rice. How can you not become a Buddha? This will be especially so in this period of hunger and thirst!

Hakumai Wakame Gosho, A Letter of Polished Rice and Wakame Seaweed, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 170

[I]f we are to believe in the Buddha’s will, we must comprehend the teachings of all the other sūtras as reflected upon the clear mirror of the Lotus Sūtra. Now, it is stated in the Lotus Sūtra: “The Lotus Sūtra is above all the other sūtras.” This means that just as Indra resides on the top of Mt. Sumeru, or a wish-fulfilling gem exists on the head of the Wheel-turning Noble King, or the moon shines over various trees, or a protuberance is seen on the head of Buddhas, the Lotus Sūtra is a wish-fulfilling gem placed above all the Buddhist sūtras.

Hōon-jō, Essay on Gratitude, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 4.

How fortunate I am! I am spreading the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, confronting many persecutions and difficulties in this Latter Age of Degeneration just as it is foretold in the Lotus Sūtra, chapter 13 on “The Encouragement for Upholding This Sūtra”: “Those who spread this Lotus Sūtra after the death of the Buddha will be persecuted and chased out of monasteries often.” I should be proud of myself. I am writing this as a response to everyone, so I believe I do not need to explain this in detail.

Toki-dono Go-henji, A Response to Lord Toki, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 181

It is said in a non-Buddhist writing that those who can predict things before they actually take place can be called sages. In Buddhism, those who see life in the past, present, and future are called sages. I made three outstanding predictions. …

It was not I, Nichiren, who made these three important predictions. I believe it was solely the spirit of Śākyamuni Buddha, entering my body, who made them. I am overwhelmed with joy. This is the important 3,000 Existences Contained in One Thought doctrine of the Lotus Sūtra. According to it, a mind of any person is equipped with the seed of Buddhahood, which could grow to blossom in his mind when he upholds the right faith. As a result, his mind could function like that of the Buddha. This is what happened to me, Nichiren, when I made these three predictions. Due to my faith in the Lotus Sūtra, I was able to see things before they actually took place. What is the meaning of “appearances of all phenomena as they are” as stated in the Lotus Sūtra? Since “appearance” is mentioned first among the ten factors of existence, it is the most important among them and the Buddha has come into this world in order to expound it. The appearance of a thing represents its reality. So we can grasp its reality when we see through its appearance clearly, and in turn we can predicts what would happen in the future. This is what was meant by Grand Master Miao-lé when he said that wise men know the cause of phenomena and only snakes know about snakes.

Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 243-244