[F]ourteen chapters in the essential section can be regarded as one sūtra with three parts: the preface, the main discourse, and the epilogue. The first half of the fifteenth chapter, “Appearance of Bodhisattvas from Underground,” is the prologue. The second half of the fifteenth chapter, the sixteenth chapter, “The Life Span of the Buddha,” and the first half of the following chapter, the “Variety of Merits,” (a chapter and two-halves in all) make up the main discourse. The remainder constitutes the epilogue.

The Lord who preaches here is the Eternal Buddha, not Śākyamuni Buddha who attained Buddhahood for the first time in this world under the bodhi tree in Buddhagayā. Accordingly, what is preached here differs from what was preached previously as clearly as heaven and earth. That is to say, it is revealed here that all living beings in the ten realms as well as the world in which they live manifest themselves to be eternal. It comes close to revealing the truth of the “3,000 existences contained in one thought,” with only an extremely thin bamboo film separating them.

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 151-152

What use is it to possess an intelligence that lacks sophistication? If only you are intelligent enough to distinguish heat from cold, you will understand the importance of the “good friend.”

This being said, it is most difficult to encounter the “good friend.” Indeed, the Buddha likened the difficulty to a one-eyed turtle in the ocean finding a piece of floating sandalwood with the right-sized hole so it can get into the hole, or a string lowered from the Brahma Heaven to be threaded through the eye of a needle on the earth.

Moreover, in the evil world in the Latter Age of Degeneration, the “good friend” is as scarce as the amount of soil on a fingernail while “evil friends,” who lead the people to evil realms, are as numerous as the number of dust particles of the great earth.

San Sanzō Kiu no Koto, Concerning the Prayer Services for Rain by Three Tripiṭaka Masters, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 3, Pages 204.

According to the Lotus Sutra, the Buddha carries on His shoulders and back men and women who have firm faith in the sutra. Tripiṭaka Master Kumārāyana is said to have been carried on the back of a wooden statue of Śākyamuni Buddha. As for myself, the Buddha took my place to save my life at Tatsunokuchi. This has always been true, today as in the past. You are my followers. How can you each fail to attain Buddhahood? No matter whom you remarry, do not follow him if he does not believe in the Lotus Sutra. Have a stronger affirmation than ever.

Ice is made of water, but it is colder than water. Blue colored cloth is colored by indigo, but it will be bluer than indigo when dyed repeatedly. In the same fashion, if you pile up your faith in the Lotus Sutra, you will be filled with more vitality and blessings than other people.

Oto Gozen Go-shōsoku, A Letter to Lady Oto, Nyonin Gosho, Letters Addressed to Female Followers, Page 122-124

I have never seen or heard of any man of knowledge who recited “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō” himself and advised others to do so during the 700-year period between the reigns of Emperor Kimmei, when Buddhism was introduced to Japan, and the latest emperor. It is only natural that when the sun rises, stars disappear; and when a wise king rises to power, an ignorant king is destroyed. So when the True Dharma spreads, provisional ones decline; and when a man of knowledge recites “Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō,” ignorant people follow him, just as a body is followed by its shadow and a sound is followed by its echo. Consider what is said above. I, Nichiren, undoubtedly am the prime practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in Japan. No one in China, India, and in the whole world is comparable to me.

Senji-shō, Selecting the Right time: A Tract by Nichiren, the Buddha’s Disciple, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 1, Page 238

Having thus manifested the ten divine powers, Śākyamuni Buddha transmitted the five characters of myō, hō, ren, ge, and kyō to the original disciples of the Buddha since the eternal past, who had sprung up from underground. So it is stated in the chapter on the “Divine Powers”:

“Thereupon Śākyamuni Buddha proclaimed to the host of those bodhisattvas such as Superior Practice, who had sprung from underground: ‘The divine powers of the Buddhas are as immeasurable, boundless and unfathomable as shown above. Nevertheless, I shall not be able to reveal all the merits of this sūtra even if I continue telling them, for the sake of its transmission, with my divine powers for infinite myriads of kalpa. To sum up, all the dharma of the Buddha, all the unrestricted divine powers of the Buddha, all the most secretly treasured teachings of the Buddha, and all the profundity of the Buddha are clearly revealed and explained in this Lotus Sūtra.’ ”

T’ien-t’ai comments on this in his Words and Phrases of the Lotus Sūtra: “Following ‘Thereupon Śākyamuni Buddha said to the host of bodhisattvas’ is the third section of the chapter on the ‘Divine Powers,’ summarizing the essence of the Lotus Sūtra and transmitting it to the bodhisattvas from underground.” Dengyō interpreted this in his Outstanding Principle of the Lotus Sūtra (Hokke shūku):

“Again, the chapter on the ‘Divine Powers of the Buddha’ says: ‘To sum up, all the dharmas of the Buddha. … are clearly revealed in this Lotus Sūtra.’ This makes it clear that the dharmas embodying Perfect Enlightenment of the Buddha in the eternal past, all the unrestricted divine powers which the Buddha attained in the eternal past, all the teachings in which the Buddha’s Perfect Enlightenment in the eternal past is most secretly treasured, and all the profundity which the Buddha attained in the eternal past, are all clearly revealed and explained in this sūtra.’ ”

Kanjin Honzon-shō, A Treatise Revealing the Spiritual Contemplation and the Most Verable One, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Doctrine 2, Page 158-159

It is preached in the Lotus Sūtra that anyone who hates a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra is certain to fall into the Avīci Hell without fail. The fourth fascicle of the sūtra (“Teacher of the Dharma” chapter) preaches, “The sin of abusing a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra in the Latter Age of Degeneration is more serious than if one abused the Buddha for as long as a medium kalpa (aeon).” The seventh fascicle (“Never Despising Bodhisattva” chapter) declares, “Those who despise a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra will wallow in the Hell of Incessant Suffering for 1,000 kalpa (aeons).” The fifth fascicle (“Encouragement for Keeping This Sūtra” chapter) preaches, “During the Latter Age of Degeneration after my passing a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra will appear. Then in the country a great number of priests, observers, and violators of the Buddhist precepts will gather together to bring false charges against the practicer and advise the king to exile or behead the practicer.” Each of these scriptural statements match me perfectly. Therefore, I am certain that I am a practicer of the Lotus Sūtra and you, who help me, will inevitably attain Buddhahood in the future.

Matsuno-dono Gohenji, Response to Lord Matsuno, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 7, Followers II, Page 70

From the time I began preaching the teaching of the Lotus Sūtra, I have resolved to dedicate my life to the Lotus Sūtra and spread my name in the Pure Land of Buddhas in all the worlds throughout the universe. Thus, I have been prepared to meet with persecution.

Ichinosawa Nyūdō Gosho, A Letter to Lay Priest Ichinosawa, Writings of Nichiren Shōnin, Volume 6, Followers I, Page 161