From the eternal past, 500 (million) dust particle kalpa ago, this Sahā World has been the territory of Śākyamuni Buddha, Lord Preacher of the Lotus Sūtra. The earth, sky, mountains, and oceans, even trees and plants do not belong to other Buddhas. Moreover, all living beings are the children of Śākyamuni Buddha. At the beginning of the (period) of creation, one of the Brahma kings descended from the heavens and gave birth to the living beings of the six lower realms thus becoming the parent of all living beings. In the same way Śākyamuni Buddha is also the parent of all living beings. Lord Preacher Śākyamuni Buddha is the excellent teacher who shows all living beings in this country the right way. He teaches us justice such as our debt of gratitude to our parents and judgment of good and evil.

Ichinosawa Nyūdō Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Ichinosawa, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 163

It is said that the water of the Yellow River becomes clear only once in a thousand years; a saint appears once in a thousand years, but a Buddha appears once in innumerable kalpa (aeons). Even though we may see the Buddha, it is difficult to meet with the Lotus Sūtra. Even though we may meet with the Lotus Sūtra, it is more difficult for an ordinary person in the Latter Age of Degeneration to meet a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra. For the practicer who expounds the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration is superior to more than twelve hundred Buddhas in the Flower Garland Sūtra, the Āgama sūtras, the Hōdō sūtras, the Wisdom Sūtra and the Great Sun Buddha Sūtra who do not preach the Lotus Sūtra. Grand Master Miao-lê explains in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “The happiness and prosperity of the person who makes offerings to the practicer of the Lotus Sūtra exceed those of Buddhas, while a person who harasses the practicer will have his head broken into seven pieces.”

Nichinyo Gozen Gohenji, Response to My Lady Nichinyo, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Faith and Practice, Volume 4, Page 135-136

Now we are at the beginning of the Latter Age of Degeneration, when Hinayāna teachings strike down Mahāyāna teachings, provisional teachings destroy true teachings, east is taken for west and west for east, and heaven and earth are upside down. Under these circumstances the four ranks of bodhisattva-teachers who preach the theoretical section of the Lotus Sūtra remain in hiding. Gods desert the land which they are supposed to protect. Then for the first time those bodhisattvas from underground appear in this world attempting to encourage ignorant people to take the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō, the excellent medicine of the Latter Age. Many ignorant people would fall into hell by slandering the five characters, but they would be saved eventually. This is what is meant by Miao-lê in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Slanderers of the True Dharma will fall into hell but they will inevitably be saved by virtue of having heard the True Dharma.”

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 162

[I]n the first fascicle of the Lotus Sūtra proper, it is preached: “The Buddha will expound the truth after preaching for a long time” and “He will solely expound the supreme way, honestly discarding the expedient teaching.” This means that it is only the Lotus Sūtra that is true. It is like a full moon appearing in the dark night, or the disassembling of a scaffold after the construction of a huge tower. Later, Śākyamuni Buddha expounded the truth saying:

“This Sahā World is My domain and the living beings in it are all My children. This world, however, is full of suffering and pain. It is only I, the Buddha, who can save all living beings suffering in this world. Having wandered out of the right way and losing rationality, they refuse to accept My guidance and persuasion. Instead, they slight, or show contempt for, hate, are envious of and bear grudges against those who recite and uphold the Lotus Sūtra. Such people will surely fall into the Avīci Hell.”

The way in which this sūtra is preached differs from the teachings in ordinary sūtras. Usually those who commit the five rebellious or seven rebellious sins are said to fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering, but this sūtra does not say so. It preaches that of all the people in the Buddha’s lifetime and after His extinction, those who do not believe in the Lotus Sūtra and adhere to such provisional teachings as the Amitābha Sūtra preached during the forty years or so before the Lotus Sūtra was preached, or those who believe in the Lotus Sūtra but cannot relinquish faith in the provisional teachings, and practice the Lotus Sūtra and the provisional teachings at the same time, or those who claim that the provisional teachings they believe in are superior to the Lotus Sūtra, or those who despise and abuse the people who practice the Lotus Sūtra by saying they are not practicers of the Lotus Sūtra—all these people “will surely fall into the Hell of Incessant Suffering upon death.”

Shimoyama Goshōsoku, The Shimoyama Letter, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 5, Page 88

The doctrine of the “mutual possession of the ten realms” is not explained in any sūtras expounded during forty years or so of the Buddha’s preaching except in the Lotus Sūtra. Since the “mutual possession of the ten realms” doctrine is not preached, believers of those sūtras do not know about the realm of Buddhas inherent in their minds.

Unaware of the realm of Buddhas in their minds, they do not know of other Buddhas outside of their minds either. Namely, practicers of expedient sūtras preached in the pre-Lotus period of forty years or so do not know of Buddhas. Even if they see Buddhas, they merely see Buddhas in other worlds, not real Buddhas.

Practicers of the two teachings, śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha, are unaware of the Buddha within their own minds, so they cannot become Buddhas. Bodhisattvas of the pre-Lotus sūtras, unaware of the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” themselves deny the attainment of Buddhahood by practicers of śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha teachings. Thus, they are unable to fulfill their vow of saving all people. These bodhisattvas do not see the Buddha. Likewise, ignorant people do not know the “mutual possession of the ten realms,” so the Buddha realm inherent in them is not revealed. As a result, the Buddha of Infinite Life will not come to welcome them at the last moment of life, and Buddhas will not come to help them upon request. They are like the blind who cannot see their own shadow.

Now in the Lotus Sūtra, it was clarified that the Buddha realm is inherently possessed by even those in the unenlightened nine realms, enabling those who had listened to the expedient pre-Lotus sūtras–bodhisattvas, Two Vehicles (śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha ), and those in the six realms of illusion–all to see for the first time the Buddha realm in themselves. It was the first time that those people were able to become true Buddhas, true bodhisattvas and true śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha. It was the first time that bodhisattvas and śrāvaka and pratyekabuddha attained Buddhahood and ignorant people were able to be reborn in the Pure Land. Regardless, during or after the lifetime of the Buddha, the true, trustworthy teacher (“good friend”) of all the people is the Lotus Sūtra. Tendai scholars in general assert that one can achieve enlightenment through pre-Lotus sūtras, but I, Nichiren, do not accept it. Having no time to discuss this thoroughly in this book, I merely mention it here briefly. I hope to discuss it in detail someday.

Shugo Kokka-ron, Treatise on Protecting the Nation, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 60-61

T’ien-t’ai has this to say in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Looking at heavy rainfall, one can tell the size of the dragon which causes it; looking at the abundance of lotus flowers, one can tell the depth of the pond.” Miao-lê explains it in his Annotations on the Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Only wise men can foretell what is going to happen; only snakes know the way of snakes.” When the sky is blue, the land is bright, so those who know the Lotus Sūtra can see the reasons for occurrences in the world.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 164

When the weather turns cold, water becomes ice. The snow piled on the ground will become crystallized with the passing of years. A human falls into hell when he heaps up evil deeds, while he becomes a Buddha when he accumulates the meritorious acts. Consumed with jealousy a woman becomes a poisonous snake. However, if she accumulates the merit of donating for the cause of the Lotus Sūtra, how can she not follow the same road of a dragon girl and attain Buddhahood as described in the “Devadatta” chapter of the Lotus Sūtra?

Nanjō-dono Nyōbō Gohenji, Reply to the Wife of Lord Nanjō, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 89

When a stream gets muddy at its origin, the whole stream becomes muddy. When a body is crooked, its shadow cannot be straight.

Ichinosawa Nyūdō Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Ichinosawa, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 162