Notes 

This chapter’s location is different in different versions of the sūtra, making the chapter numbers misalign. A note on this issue from Kim’s translation of Tao-sheng’s commentary, which treats Chapter Twelve as “Perseverance:” 

Chapter 12 of Kumārajīva’s translation as found in the Taishō edition is “Devadatta”. Tao-sheng’s commentary is no doubt based on Kumārajīva’s version. It was during the period of T’ien-t’ai Chih-I (538-597) that the “Chapter on Devadatta” was added to Kumārajīva’s version, and thus that version came to be made up of 28 chapters, one more than the original 27. (Kim, 568)

As clarification, checking with the Sanskrit edition, it seems not that the chapter was “added,” but that Chapter Eleven was split in two. Chapter Twelve used to be conclusion to Chapter Eleven. The contents are the same. 

Nāgas are a feature in this chapter. They are frequently depicted as serpents, as mixes between elephants and serpents, as humans with serpent hoods or bodies, or, in Chinese depictions, as dragons. They are said to dwell in the waters at the base of Mount Sumeru, or in and around trees. They typically have various treasures and powers, such as appearing as humans. 

As he is important to this chapter, it may be worthwhile learning more about Devadatta, so that the contrast between his typical depiction, and his depiction here, may be made more stark, as it would have been to those who first heard this sūtra. Devadatta was the Buddha's cousin and brother-in-law. He was converted by the Buddha after the Buddha returned to Kapilavastu, along with Ānanda, Aniruddha, and others. While he showed early promise with his attainment of extra-sensory powers, towards the end of the Buddha’s life he grew in jealousy and in his attempts to win over the son of the king of Magadha, Ajātaśatru. He won the favour of Ajātaśatru after performing magic tricks in his presence. After aspiring to take the Buddha’s place at the head of the sangha, he lost his powers. After suggesting his leadership of the sangha to the Buddha, and being rejected for his lack of suitability, Devadatta goaded Ajātaśatru into killing his father, Bimbisara.  

With Ajātaśatru as King, Devadatta incited him to have his archers shoot the Buddha, but the Buddha dissuaded the assassins with his words. Then, Devadatta attempted to kill the Buddha by pushing a boulder onto when he was ascending Vulture’s Peak, but only made his foot bleed. Then, Devadatta had a drunken elephant unleashed in the Buddha’s path, but the Buddha calmed the elephant with his kindness. After Ajātaśatru withdrew his support for Devadatta, he attempted to bring about a schism, with four other monks, and requested the Buddha increase the strictness of the Sangha, but the Buddha refused.  

After spreading false rumours about the Buddha’s discipline, Devadatta tried to form a separate Sangha of five hundred monks, but Śāriputra and Maudgalyāyana were sent, and won them back to the Buddha’s fold: upon learning of this, Devadatta purportedly vomited blood. It is said that when Devadatta was nearing death, he was carried by his few remaining followers on a litter, and requested to be let down by a pond. After stepping off his litter, he was immediately swallowed by the earth was born in Avīci, the lowest level of hell. However, on descending, he took refuge in the Buddha. According to the Milindapañha, the Buddha never harboured any ill-will towards Devadatta. 

Overall Teaching 

The Lotus Sutra can render Buddhahood in this life, and both men and women can attain it. 

Summary 

• 1. In the past the Buddha, as a Bodhisattva, vowed that he will be devoted to the Mahāyāna. When a sage called Asita came who said he would teach him the Lotus Sūtra, he earnestly devoted himself to him as his disciple. As a result he became a Buddha. (34b-c) 

  2. The Buddha reveals that Asita was, in fact, Devadatta, who, although he was not yet a Buddha, conditioned the Buddha’s own awakening. In the future he will become the greatly honoured Buddha Devarāja. (35a) 

  3. Any beings who uphold and accept the Devadatta chapter will be born in the presence of the Buddhas or devas.  (35a) 

  4. Buddha Prabhūtaratna’s attendant, Bodhisattva Prajñākūṭa (Wisdom Mountain), requests to return to their original land, but Śākyamuni Buddha suggests they first meet Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva. (35a) 

  5. Mañjuśrī arises from the palace of the nāga king, Sāgara (Ocean), sitting on a lotus. He reveals that he led innumerable beings in the nāga king’s palace, and as proof invites innumerable bodhisattvas from the ocean. (35b) 

  6. Mañjuśrī reveals that he only taught these beings the Lotus Sutra and uses the daughter of the nāga king, who is now a Bodhisattva, as an example of the capacities one is endowed with by studying the sutra: in fact, he reveals that she has attained enlightenment. (35b) 

  7. Prajñākūṭa expresses doubt that the daughter of the nāga king could instantly attain enlightenment, since even Śākyamuni Buddha had to practice severe deeds for countless aeons. (35b) 

  8. The daughter of the nāga king speaks, saying that whether or not she will or will not attain awakening upon hearing the Buddha “can only be known by a buddha.” (35c) 

  9. Śāriputra asks how a woman can attain enlightenment if they have bodily impurity and are said to have five obstructions. (35c) 

  10. The daughter of the nāga king offered the Buddha a jewel extremely quickly, and told Śāriputra and Prajñākūṭa to watch her become a Buddha even more quickly. 

  11. The daughter of the nāga king then transforms into a man and complete the bodhisattva path and become a Buddha instantly. 

  12. Then after many beings paid homage to the daughter of the nāga king, countless beings attained various stages on the path. 

Analysis 

Tao-sheng does not say anything in particular about this material, which in his time was part of Chapter Eleven. However, a couple themes seem to be most prominent. 

Firstly, Devadatta is considered the archetypal villain in Buddhist texts. Not only does he attempt to kill the Buddha, his cousin and brother-in-law, multiple times, but he also is almost always revealed the villain in the Jātakas. It is said that injuring a Buddha is one of the deeds that prevents one from attaining awakening in this life. However, here we see that at one point Devadatta was in fact the teacher of Śākyamuni Buddha. Causes and conditions change, and it happened that Śākyamuni Buddha became awakened first. Nonetheless, Devadatta is on the path to awakening, and in the larger scale, there are, particularly from the Mahāyāna perspective, no fundamental reasons why any sentient being is not capable for attaining Buddhahood. 

This leads into the second most important aspect of this chapter, which is the instantaneous attainment of Buddhahood by the daughter of the Nāga king, as a result of relying upon the Lotus Sūtra. The theme of “instant enlightenment” is fundamental to a number of Buddhist traditions: Ch’an/Zen, Mahāmudra, and Dzogchen. The theme that all of these traditions have in common is Buddha-nature: that, in fact, we are already fundamentally awakened. With the correct realisation, we will attain Buddhahood in this life. To a certain extent, we have to accept that some aspects of this teaching are figurative, and others are literal. For one, the daughter of the nāga king transforms into a man and engage in all the deeds of a Buddha instantaneously. That this happens instantaneously is an indication that there is a figurative teaching going on as these deeds, practically, require space and time to operate.  

What this is saying, is that men and women both have Buddha nature and the capacity to attain Buddhahood, and it is also saying that through full reliance upon the core teaching of the Mahāyāna, one can attain Buddhahood, i.e. directly see one’s true nature and cut through all obscuration, in this life. Knowing the One Vehicle, knowing the apparitional nature of the Buddha and bodhisattvas in the world, knowing the fundamental principle of skilful means and its implications, means that one can fully actualise the path here and now. So, to what extent are three aeons required? Why did the Buddha take three aeons but the nāga king’s daughter did not? This is explained in Chapter Sixteen, on “The Lifespan of the Buddha.” The Buddha is “always here without extinction,” but “through the power of skilful means I manifest extinction and nonextinction.” (43b) His lifespan is also said to be incalculable. (43c) In this sense, the Buddha is always there. Any display or appearance training over time is a device to teach limited beings.