Secure and peaceful thanks to persecution, the lofty lifestate of Nichiren and his disciples

"[They will be] secure and peaceful in their present life and will later be born in a good place." [STN 3:2566-67]

"Our teacher said: Hearing the Sutra of the Lotus Blossom of the Wonderful Dharma is called 'security and peace in the present life' and also 'later birth in a good place.' [This passage] is immediately preceded by the words, 'Having heard this Dharma.' 'Heard' indicates the ordinary worldling at the stage of verbal identity. In hearing the Wonderful Dharma, one hears that one attains Buddhahood in this very body. This is the meaning of the passage, 'One who can hold [this sutra] thereby holds the Buddha's body.' Because one hears, one holds, and therefore the three kinds of powerful enemies arise; their coming fulfills this passage's prediction of 'security and peace in this life.' There can then be no doubt that one is a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra, [for] we read in the sutra that a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra will encounter such grave persecutions. And by encountering grave persecutions, one's attainment of Buddhahood indicated by 'later be born in a good place' is assured. So how can one not feel secure and peaceful in the present? 'Later birth in a good place' is clearly expounded in the 'Devadatta chapter.'" 

-- Niko's Lectures