The Dragon King’s Daughter
Tales from the Gosho
The Dragon King’s Daughter The Dragon King’s Daughter parable appears in the Devadatta (twelfth) chapter of the Lotus Sutra, in which The Buddha explains for the first time that a female is able to attain Enlightenment. Within this parable, Shakyamuni Buddha introduces Bodhisattva Monjushiri1 to Bodhisattva Chishaku2 in order to teach about the enlightenment of the Dragon King’s daughter.
Bodhisattva Chishaku asked Bodhisattva Monjushiri, “I heard that you went to a place called the Dragon Palace at the bottom of the sea and taught The Buddha’s teachings. I want to know how many living beings you were actually able to save?” Bodhisattva Monjushiri replied, “Well, let me see; more beings than one can count. Just a minute, I will call them all forth now.” As soon as Bodhisattva Monjushiri said this, innumerable Bodhisattvas appeared from beneath the sea and came to Eagle Peak. Bodhisattva Chishaku was profoundly impressed upon seeing the many beings who had been able to attain Enlightenment through Bodhisattva Monjushiri’s instruction. Bodhisattva Monjushiri reported, “I went beneath the ocean and preached only the Lotus Sutra.” Bodhisattva Chishaku then inquired, “Amongst all The Buddha’s teachings, the Lotus Sutra is the most Venerable, the most complex, the most difficult to understand and the hardest to believe in, and yet, are there really beings who have taken Faith in the Lotus Sutra and attained Buddhahood?” Bodhisattva Monjushiri replied, “Let me tell you about the Dragon King’s daughter.
She is the eight year old daughter of Shakatsura, King of the Dragons and she lives within the Dragon Palace. Even though she is young, she is very clever and pure at Heart. She earnestly embraced Faith in the Lotus Sutra and attained Buddhahood.” Surprised, Bodhisattva Chishaku said, “Even the World Honored One carried out Bodhisattva austerities for a long time without being able to rest for even a moment and as a result was finally able to attain Buddhahood. I can’t imagine how an eight year old animal being, the daughter of the Dragon King, was able to achieve Enlightenment in such a short time!” At this point, the Dragon King’s daughter who had eradicated all offenses against the Law from her Life and became a being endowed with good Fortune and virtues, suddenly appeared and proclaimed, “Lord Shakyamuni is also aware that I have attained Buddhahood.” Sharihotsu then exclaimed, “Daughter of the Dragon King, you may think you have attained Enlightenment, but you are mistaken. From the beginning you have been defiled and are not a pure vessel of the Law. One must normally be reborn again and again, and carry out the practice of Buddhist austerities over a period of many lifetimes, in order to finally be able to obtain the Enlightened Life condition of Buddhahood. There is no way imaginable that you as an animal and a female could obtain Enlightenment as you are.
It is taught that women all possess the five hindrances to obtaining Buddhahood. The first hindrance being that women cannot become Bonten, the second being that they cannot become Taishaku, the third being that they cannot become a Devil king, the fourth being that they cannot become a Wheel-turning king, and the fifth obstacle being that they cannot become a Buddha. So why were you as a female able to become a Buddha?” At this time, the Dragon King’s daughter proceeded to offer the most precious jewel in the Universe to Shakyamuni Buddha. Shakyamuni Buddha saw the sincerity of the Faith of the daughter of the Dragon King and accepted it. The Dragon King’s daughter stated, “Sharihotsu, Chishaku . . . did you see that Shakyamuni Buddha received the jewel I offered to him which signifies proof of my having attained Enlightenment)]?” Instantly she was mystically changed into the Form of a man and flew up into the heavens. She appeared in a World to the south called the “[[Land without Impurities” sat on top of a Lotus flower, and was endowed with the thirty-two features and eighty characteristics of a Buddha.
She then preached the teachings of the Lotus Sutra to all people of that land. All the people, Dragons and Animals who witnessed this were overjoyed as they realized that they too would be able to obtain Buddhahood as they were. Shakyamuni Buddha then proclaimed, “In the same manner, all living beings throughout the Ten Worlds can attain Buddhahood, without having to change or alter themselves nor repeat lifetime upon lifetime of lengthy Buddhist austerities. This is the benefit of the Lotus Sutra.” Nichiren Daishonin stated in the “Opening of the Eyes,” (Kaimoku Sho): The significance of the enlightenment of the Dragon King’s daughter is not that a single woman was able to attain Buddhahood. This parable signifies the enlightenment of all women which was an impossibility in the teachings before the Lotus Sutra. Until the treachings of the Lotus Sutra there had been discrimination against Evil people, women and others.
It was taught that they could not obtain Enlightenment because they had burned the seed of Buddhahood, and that although the faces of women seemed like those of Bodhisattvas, their hearts were filled with jealousy as strong as demons. It was therefore taught that women could not obtain Buddhahood because of these defects. However, within the correct teachings of The Buddha, it is preached that all living beings, no matter what Form of the Ten Worlds their lives take, inherently possess the seed of Buddhahood and are able to attain Enlightenment through correct Faith. Therefore, let’s all earnestly follow the instruction of High Priest Nikken Shonin and have confidence that no matter who we are, whether we are knowledgeable about the laws of Buddhism or not,that there is no discrimination amongst anyone in Buddhism. All men and women, through honest and sincere Faith in the Gohonzon, coupled with the daily recitation of Gongyo and Daimoku, are able to attain Enlightenment. Footnotes: 1. Bodhisattva Monjushiri: Also referred to as Bodhisattva Monju.
This Bodhisattva appears throughout many Sutras and is regarded as being symbolic of the perfection of Wisdom and as the leader amongst other Bodhisattvas. Bodhisattva Monjushiri is often depicted together with Bodhisattva Fugen as Bodhisattvas who attend Shakyamuni Buddha. 2. Bodhisattva Chishaku: Also referred to by the Sanskrit name of Bodhisattva Jnanakara. The name Chishaku in itself signifies “accumulation of Knowledge.” Bodhisattva Chishaku was the eldest of Daitsu Buddha’s sixteen sons and was mentioned in the Kejoyu seventh chapter of the Lotus Sutra.
