Day 17 covers all of Chapter 12, Devadatta, and opens Chapter 13, Encouragement for Keeping this Sutra.

The Devadatta chapter might as well be titled “Improbable.” Last Month, I focused on the Devattta’s role as a teacher of the Lotus Sutra in a previous life of Sakyamuni and the promise of future Buddhahood for Devadatta despite his efforts to kill the Buddha and split the sangha. As improbably as that might seem, there’s that 8-year-old daughter of Dragon King Sagara.

Manjusri said, “In the sea I expounded only the Sutra of the Lotus Flower of the Wonderful Dharma.”

Accumulated-Wisdom asked Manjusri:

“The sutra is exceedingly profound and wonderful. This is the treasure of all the sutras. It is rare in the world. Do you know anyone who acted according to this sutra so strenuously that he has already been qualified to become a Buddha quickly?”

Manjusri answered:

“Yes. There is a daughter of Dragon-King Sagara [among those whom I taught]. She is eight years old. She is clever. She knows the karmas of all living beings. She obtained dharanis. She keeps all the treasury of the profound and hidden core expounded by the Buddhas. She entered deep into dhyana-concentration, and understood all teachings. She aspired for Bodhi in a ksana, and reached the stage of irrevocability. She is eloquent without hindrance. She is compassionate towards all living beings just as a mother is towards her babe. She obtained all merits. Her thoughts and words are wonderful and great. She is compassionate, humble, gentle and graceful. She [has already been qualified to] attain Bodhi[, and to become a Buddha quickly].”

Despite Accumulated-Wisdom’s disbelief that anyone, especially a girl, can become a Buddha “in a moment” and Sariputra’s insistence that the “five impossibilities” – she cannot become 1. the Brahman-Heavenly-King, 2. King Sakra, 3. King Mara, 4. a wheel-turning-holy-king, and 5. a Buddha – will prevent such a feat, the dragon girl is not deterred when she sings to Sakyamuni in gathas:

You know the sins and merits
Of all living beings.
You illumine the worlds of the ten quarters.
Your wonderful, pure and sacred body
Is adorned with the thirty-two major marks
And with the eighty minor marks.

Gods and men are looking up at you.
Dragons also respect you.
None of the living beings
Sees you without adoration.

Only you know that I [am qualified to] attain Bodhi
Because I heard [the Dharma].
I will expound the teachings of the Great Vehicle
And save all living beings from suffering.

And so she does. In an instant the dragon, a representative of the animal world, is transformed into a man, becomes enlightened and sets about teaching the Dharma.

After that, one wonders why Maha-Prajapati Bhiksuni, the sister of the mother of the Buddha, and Yasodhara Bhiksuni, the mother of Rahula, would need reassurance of their eventual enlightenment.