The philosopher Hajime NAKAMURA guesses that the oldest limit of age when Hokke-kyo sutra was written must be 40 B.C., judging by the situation of a dying wealthy man who took an interest in finance, as described in the parable of the wealthy man and the poor son; because there could not be such a wealthy man who was not only a wealthy man but also a capitalist and was scared by kings and utilized them, unless it was in the age when money economy became much more developed.
中村元(哲学者)は、長者窮子の譬喩で金融を行って利息を取っていた長者の臨終の様子から、貨幣経済の非常に発達した時代でなければ、このような一人富豪であるに留まらず国王等を畏怖駆使せしめるような資本家はでてこないので、法華経が成立した年代の上限は西暦40年であると推察している。