On the Eighteen Perfections Chapter11

The fact is that, once the Latter Day of the Law has begun, this Law of the natural enlightenment, which is bright in and of itself, ceases to be of any benefit. It should be employed simply as a supplementary practice. The only primary practice to be employed is [the chanting of] Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.

The Great Teacher Dengyō states: “The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai trusted and obeyed Shakyamuni and worked to uphold the Lotus school, spreading its teachings throughout China. We of Mount Hiei inherited the doctrine from T’ien-t’ai and work to uphold the Lotus school and to disseminate its teachings throughout Japan.”⁴²

Now I, Nichiren, have inherited the seven characters Nam-myoho-renge-kyo within the treasure tower and in this era of the Latter Day of the Law I work to disseminate them throughout Japan. This is the Buddhist Law that is appropriate to this time and this country, is it not? Now that we have entered the Latter Day of the Law, anyone who attempts to spread the Law of the natural enlightenment, which is bright in and of itself, and to make it the primary practice, will invariably fall into the great citadel of the hell of incessant suffering. There can be no doubt of this.

The fact that you have set aside the teachings of the provisional schools you have been practicing for some years and have become a disciple of Nichiren shows that you are a wise man who is able to understand what doctrine is truly suitable to this time and this country. Nichiren’s disciples, like Nichiren himself, should invariably practice the correct principles. Even though one may be a wise man or a scholar, if he falls into hell, he will amount to nothing and can be of no assistance. The essential thing, therefore, is that at each hour, at each moment, one should chant Nam-myoho-renge-kyo.