[T]he female rākṣasas appear to be vowing vengeance on the enemies of the Lotus Sutra. This is a mistaken interpretation, however. We should consider rather that their vigor and zeal caused them to utter passionate words because they had not accumulated such great virtues as the disciples of the Buddha and because of their demonic nature. Otherwise Sakyamuni Buddha, who preached tolerance for all living beings, could not have unconditionally extolled the female rākṣasas, saying, “Good, good!”

The explanation of the principle of punishment in Buddhism … fully applies here. The verse reads, “May his head be split in seven,” not “May the Buddha split his head in seven.” And again, we read, “Such shall be his retribution,” following the list of the various dooms for offending teachers of the Law. This expression accords with the principle of the Buddhist concept of punishment, which teaches that one will be punished by his own crimes, not by some outside agency or arbitrary force.

After the female rākṣasas had uttered this stanza, they addressed the Buddha, saying: “World-honored One! We ourselves will also protect those who receive and keep, read and recite, and practice this sutra, and give them ease of mind, freedom from corroding care and from all poisons.” The Buddha addressed the rākṣasa women: “Good, good! Even if you are only able to protect those who receive and keep the name of the Law-Flower, your happiness will be beyond calculation; how much more if you protect those who perfectly receive, keep, and pay homage to the sutra with flowers, scents, necklaces, sandal powder, unguents, incense, flags, canopies, and music, burning various kinds of lamps — ghee lamps, oil lamps, lamps of scented oil, lamps of oil of campaka flowers, lamps of oil of vārṣika flowers, and lamps of oil of udumbara flowers, such hundreds of thousands of kinds of offerings as these. Kunti! You and your followers should protect such teachers of the Law as these.”