Hi bohiruci
I refer to faculties as the roots of sentient beings.
It is indeed said in the Lotus Sutra that only a Buddha can
completely fanthom the roots, needs and greeds of a sentient being.
And from here, he may prescribe the proper Dhamma for his
salvation.
It brings to mind the analogy of Buddhism as a medical system.
Whereby Buddha is the specialist doctor, dhamma as the medicine and
sangha as the assist. doctors or nurses.
The Gohonzon as a medicine enjoys no higher, nor lower status than
other methods of Buddhism e.g. chanting buddha name, meditation,
vinaya practice. The same goes for the Lotus Sutra. It shouldn't be
known as the King of Sutras, but rather the central teaching in
some schools of Buddhism.
There is also a reason why medicines are called drugs in Western
medicine 
