The Eight-Year-Old Dragon Girl Attains Buddhahood in This Very Body

The Dragon Girl Appears on Spirit Vulture Peak

The Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra recounts the story of the eight-year-old Dragon Girl attaining Buddhahood in this very body. Sagara the Dragon King, whose might shakes the four seas, had a youngest princess who was bright, clever, and possessed deep wholesome roots. By the age of eight, she had already performed many extraordinary miracles, and everyone respectfully called her the Dragon Girl. Even at her young age, the Dragon Girl was unlike other little girls. She had no interest in tasty candies or fun toys; what she loved most was hearing about the wonders of the universe and the profound mysteries of human life. One day, Manjushri Bodhisattva, great in wisdom, appeared in Sagara the Dragon King’s palace, seated on a thousand-petaled great lotus. Speaking on the Buddha’s behalf, he expounded subtle, profound Dharma principles. The eight-year-old Dragon Girl was deeply moved; she longed to see the Buddha, and asked Manjushri to bring her at once to Spirit Vulture Peak to pay her respects and hear the Dharma. Spirit Vulture Peak was thick with green pines and verdant cypresses, and mandala flowers filled the air with their fragrance. In the great Lotus Sutra assembly, where all the great bodhisattvas and arhats had gathered, the young Dragon Girl followed Manjushri and took her place among them.

The Young Dragon Girl Attains Dhāraṇī

After the Buddha finished expounding the profound principles of the One Vehicle in the Lotus Sutra, the Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva (Jñāna-saṃbhāra Bodhisattva) turned to Manjushri Bodhisattva and asked, “Venerable Manjushri! The Lotus Sutra taught by the Buddha is extremely profound and subtle. If any sentient being in any world applies themselves diligently to its teachings, can they swiftly attain Buddhahood?” Manjushri paused for a moment before answering, “Venerable one! As far as I know, Sagara the Dragon King’s eight-year-old daughter has already attained dhāraṇī after hearing the Buddha teach this sutra.” The Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva was taken aback by this. Manjushri was the Buddha’s foremost disciple in wisdom, yet instead of praising the assembled great bodhisattvas and arhats, he was speaking up for a small child. In his mind, there was no way an eight-year-old girl could have attained dhāraṇī. The Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva shook his head, clearly unconvinced. Manjushri continued, “Venerable one! Though the Dragon Girl is only eight, her keen faculties and wisdom far surpass ordinary capacity. She understands every profound secret teaching the Buddha has expounded, and upholds all the practices the Buddha has taught for cultivation. She has already aroused the great bodhicitta, and has truly attained the stage of non-retrogression.” The Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva still said in a disbelieving tone, “Manjushri Bodhisattva! I have watched Shakyamuni Tathagata practice arduous asceticism across countless eons, accumulating merit and virtue without cease, only then attaining perfect enlightenment. I don’t believe an eight-year-old girl could attain Buddhahood this easily.” Before the Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva could finish speaking, the Dragon Girl suddenly appeared before him, and bowed to him gently and solemnly. Even a bodhisattva already established on the bhūmi grounds could not help but feel deeply awkward before such a young girl.

Disbelieving That a Female Body Can Quickly Attain Buddhahood

Seeing the Dragon Girl, the Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva was too embarrassed to say another word. Venerable Shariputra, who had long looked down on women, also addressed the Dragon Girl, his tone sharp with disbelief: “Our Manjushri Bodhisattva claims you will soon attain the unexcelled path of enlightenment – this is beyond our ability to believe!” “This is not a matter of belief,” the Dragon Girl replied, standing her ground even before Shariputra, who had always scorned women. “It is simply the way things are.” “A female body is defiled and impure, no fit vessel for the Dharma. You are bound by the five obstacles; how could you ever attain the unexcelled Buddha path?” Shariputra retorted bluntly. Manjushri Bodhisattva could not let this stand, and said, “Venerable Shariputra, you must not speak this way. While women’s bodies and forms may differ from men’s, Buddha-nature is equal for all, without distinction of gender. The Buddha taught that all sentient beings possess the wisdom and virtuous qualities of the Tathagata. Young men and women are the truest embodiment of a bodhisattva’s compassionate vows, zeal, courage, enterprise, and willingness to sacrifice.” Venerable Shariputra was easygoing on most matters, but when it came to women, he always held that men were the supreme, most honored beings. Now, when faced with an eight-year-old Dragon Girl, how could he accept that she could attain Buddhahood so quickly? Though he fell silent after Manjushri’s explanation, the deep-seated belief that men were superior to women still lingered in his mind. Shariputra was reminded of the time a heavenly maiden had teased him in Vimalakirti’s humble abode. He had always thought that even if women devoted themselves to deep spiritual practice, there was no way they could attain Buddhahood so quickly.

Sitting on a Precious Lotus, She Attains Perfect Enlightenment

Knowing Shariputra’s dispositions and deep attachments, the Dragon Girl knew that further debate with someone who clung so tightly to fixed views of the Dharma would only waste breath. It would be better to prove the truth with action, so they would have no choice but to believe. The Dragon Girl carried a rare, precious jewel with her. She held it in both hands and offered it to the Buddha, who accepted it with compassion. She then turned to the Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva and Shariputra, and asked courteously, “I just offered this jewel to the Buddha, and he accepted it. Was that not over in no time?” “It was over in an instant!” both the Wisdom Accumulation Bodhisattva and Shariputra replied. “Use your spiritual powers to see for yourselves,” the Dragon Girl said. “I will attain Buddhahood this instant, far faster than it took to make that offering!” As soon as the Dragon Girl finished speaking, everyone in the assembly saw her instantly transform into a man, fully endowed with the perfect practices of a bodhisattva. She traveled at once to the Southern World of Undefiled Purity, sat upon a great precious lotus, attained unexcelled perfect enlightenment, and universally taught the unexcelled, profound, subtle Dharma to all sentient beings across the ten directions. Young women should never give up on themselves or fall into despair. The story of the eight-year-old Dragon Girl’s attainment of Buddhahood can truly strengthen the faith of all women.