The story of how the Dragon-King’s daughter attained enlightenment [in Chapter 12, Devadatta,] has long been taken as an example of women attaining enlightenment by instantly understanding the Dharma. In India, it was thought that women were spiritually inferior to men, and could not enter any of the five superior existences–Buddhahood being one of them. However, Sakyamuni taught that all living beings–male or female, young or old, human or nonhuman–are potential Buddhas. This story graphically illustrates his point, and it helped future generations overcome their prejudice against women.