Lotus Sutra Essay, Research Paper

One of my questions is in regards to the assembly which is referred to in the section on Devadatta. Who makes up this assembly? Is this assembly composed solely of Buddhas? Or is the assembly comprised of Bhodisattvas as well as Buddhas?

Also in the section in Devadatta is the story of the King s eight-year-old daughter who was capable of understanding the teachings of the Buddha and was capable of attaining bodhi. Yet when she is she attains Buddhahood she is transformed to a man. Why is that? Is that only a social commentary on the sexist beliefs of this time period? Or is there a deeper meaning to this transformation?

In two different parables, the poisoned children parable and the burning house parable, there are references to a large number of children. In the Life Span section of the Lotus Sutra containing the parable about the poisoned children, it is said that the physician had many sons, perhaps ten, twenty, or even a hundred . Where in the burning house parable found in the Simile and Parable section described the rich man as having ten, twenty, perhaps thirty sons in the house. Is this reference to such a large number of children a Buddhist ideal or yet another social commentary?