Also known as “The Naga Princess,” she represents the ability to attain enlightenment just as we are, without changing form or gender. The eight-year-old Dragon Girl appears in the Devadatta Chapter of the Lotus Sutra (Chapter 12, pg. She would listen to his teachings that morning and prove him wrong.Ī key theme of Shakyamuni Buddha’s final teaching, the Lotus Sutra, is the possibility of the enlightenment of women. “It simply is not done,” the guest replied. “What do you mean, girls cannot attain enlightenment?” she asked. Girls cannot attain enlightenment.” He laughed, scrutinizing her open face. “Oh, my! You are a Dragon Princess and a girl. He endured her questioning with good humor, but stopped her when she asked how she could enjoy this enlightened state. He explained austerities that a practitioner must endure to “attain enlightenment” and “enter the Buddha Way.” Perplexed, she began to question the guest. The Princess sat and listened to his long oratory on something called the Middle Way. This guest, a very learned and stuffy man, talked of esoteric subjects like dharma, enlightenment, and a lovely place called Nirvana.
She ate breakfast with the Dragon King and then stayed by his side as he welcomed a guest from the world above her ocean home. On the day she realized her difference, she’d awakened just like any other. A fiery smile and wild streak often got her into trouble with other water sprites. The red jewel embedded in her forehead sparkled in shafts of sunlight cascading through the waters in which she swam. Her tail, with its iridescent green scales and translucent apple-green fin, was her best personal attribute. Long hair danced around her face whenever she swam. Until then, she’d always thought of herself as strikingly beautiful with her human torso and mermaid tail.
The Princess was eight years old before she knew she was different. As I watch the divine feminine re-emerge into our consciousness after several thousand years of subjugation and silence, the Naga princess swims in my mind. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the Dragon Girl. The essay was originally written six years ago, but I have never shared it until now.
Author’s Note: In this piece I re-tell the story of the Dragon King’s Daughter, my favorite Buddhist parable.
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