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Record
of the Orally Transmitted
Teachings of Nichiren Daishonin
- Ongi Kuden -
Chapter 12: Devadatta [Daibadatta]
The sutra states, "There is the daughter of the Dragon King Sagara,
who has just turned eight." Devadatta represents the world of hell. The 'dragon girl' represents
the Buddha realm. However, the ten worlds are mutually possessed, which equal a
hundred realms, a thousand realities and three thousand realms. Eight [years]
represent the eight volumes [of the Lotus Sutra]. The eight years are the
impurities that are our eight sufferings. One should bear in mind that, in its
entirety, the attainment of Buddhahood set forth in the Lotus Sutra is
represented by the eight years [of the dragon girl]. The eight sufferings are
precisely the sutra's eight rolls, and these eight sufferings, being the eight
rolls, appeared as the eight-year old dragon girl. (Gosho Zenshu p. 7 Another interpretation is that 'eight' should be read as 'opening a
jewel.' The 'jewel' indicates the one mind of the dragon girl, and 'opening,'
the three thousand realms. Therefore, 'eight' is what is expressed by 'opening
the Buddha's knowledge and insight.' [The passage] from "her
wisdom has keen roots' to 'she is gentle and refined in will, capable of
attaining bodhi" "Conceiving in mind" The two Chinese characters 'dragon' and 'woman' are used to
represent the dragon king's daughter. 'Dragon' refers to the father and 'woman'
refers to his eight-year old daughter. The combination of both these Chinese
characters indicates the Buddhahood of the father and daughter. The eight-year
old dragon girl's attainment of Buddhahood [indicates that] the ancestral
founder [of Japan] was an imperial ruler who upheld the sutra. The first of the
human rulers was Emperor Jimmu. Emperor Jimmu was the son of Ugaya-fukiaezu-no-mikoto,
who was the fifth in the five reigns of earth deities. This Ugaya-fukiaezu-no-mikoto
was the son of Toyatama-hime, and Toyotama-hime was the daughter
of the Dragon King Sagara, the elder sister of the eight-year old dragon
girl. Thus, the ancestral founder was a practitioner of the Lotus Sutra.
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