Learning from the Gosho - The Actions of the Votary of the Lotus Sutra

In the past, the boy Snow Mountains offered his body for the sake of half a verse, Bodhisattva Ever Wailing sold his body, the boy Good Treasures threw himself into a fire, the ascetic Aspiration for the Law peeled off his own skin, Bodhisattva Medicine King burned his own arms, Bodhisattva Never Disparaging was beaten with sticks and staves, the Venerable Aryasimha was beheaded, and Bodhisattva Aryadeva was killed by a non-Buddhist, [all because of their devotion to Buddhism].
These events should be considered in terms of the time in which they occurred. The Great Teacher T’ien-t’ai declared that practice “should be that which accords with the time.” The Great Teacher Chang-an states, “You should let your choices be fitting and never adhere solely to one or the other.” The Lotus Sutra represents a single truth, but the way of its practice varies greatly according to the people’s capacity and the time.

Source: Writings of Nichiren Daishonin - 1, Pg. 764