Following the story of Ōhashi no Tarō, Nichiren Daishonin teaches that Nanjo Tokimitsu’s sincere offerings to the Daishonin—expressing his faith in the true Law—constitute the supreme form of filial devotion to his late father. The Daishonin further praises that the merit of Tokimitsu’s offerings is certainly aiding his father’s future existence and that his filial heart is in no way inferior to that of Ōhashi no Tarō’s son.

The principle that faith in the Mystic Law itself is the highest act of filial piety toward one’s deceased parents is clearly stated in the On Offerings for Deceased Ancestors (Urabon Gosho):

“The Venerable Maudgalyāyana put his faith in the Lotus Sutra, which is the greatest good there is, and thus not only did he himself attain Buddhahood, but his father and mother did so as well. And, amazing as it may seem, all the fathers and mothers of the preceding seven generations and the seven generations that followed, indeed, of countless lifetimes before and after, were able to become Buddhas. In addition, all their sons, their wives or husbands, their retainers, supporters, and countless other persons not only were enabled to escape from the three evil paths, but all attained the first stage of security and then Buddhahood, the stage of perfect enlightenment.” (WND1, p.820)

Likewise, as the Daishonin declares, “Since he himself had not yet attained Buddhahood, it was very difficult for him to relieve the sufferings of his parents. And how much more difficult would it have been for him to do so for anyone else!” (WND1, Gosho, On Offerings for Deceased Ancestors, p.819).
Through the benefit of faith in the correct Law, one’s own life attains Buddhahood, and the virtue thereby generated naturally extends to one’s deceased parents and ancestors, and even to others—this is the working of ekō, the transfer of merit. This, he teaches, is the truest form of memorial offering and the highest expression of filial devotion.

Furthermore, in his letter to Nanjo Tokimitsu dated the fifth month of Kenji 3 (1277), the Daishonin writes:

“If your faith is firm, then you should single-mindedly resolve: “I maintain faith not for the sake of other people but for the benefit of my deceased father. Others will not perform memorial services for him; because I am his son, I am the one who must pray for his repose. I govern one village. I will spend one half of my revenue making offerings for the sake of my deceased father, and use the other half to feed my wife, children, and clansmen. ” (WND1, The Workings of Brahma and Shakra, p.800)

Understanding the sentiments of the samurai of that era—who valued family honor and held deep respect for their ancestors—the Daishonin repeatedly teaches that the supreme memorial offering and the truest means of saving the departed from suffering is not through ordinary ritual observances, but through ekō grounded in the correct Law, the practice of true Buddhism itself.