2) Another key point in the Lotus Sutra is that becoming a Buddha is available to anyone. The human nature of any person, regardless of their situation, is suitable for enlightenment.
(3) The Buddha did not just live and die in one lifetime. Rather, in accordance with Mahayana teaching, he is eternal, and actually attained enlightenment many eras (millions of years) ago.
Therefore the physical death of the Buddha was not the end of his aliveness. Even after death he remains conscious in the world, even if not immediately visible