“Say Hello to my Little Frenemy!” – Devadatta in the Lotus

In response to the 2024 CFP from the Seminar on Religious Reflections on Friendship, I propose to present a paper on the relationship between the Buddha and his archnemesis Devadatta, specifically as depicted in the Lotus Sutra. In traditional Buddhist lore, Devadatta is something of the “Judas of Buddhism,” in that he tries to usurp Buddha’s role as leader of the sangha (imposing far more stringent ascetic practices among the clergy), encourages a royal patron to murder his father (an unforgiveable “sin” in Buddhism), and even seeks to kill the Blessed One on several occasions. He is, thus, a serious political (and personal) threat to the Buddha and his community of followers – violent, aiming to institute an oppressive rule rooted in own selfish ambitions. Indeed, so egregious were his crimes that standard accounts have him being swallowed up by the earth and descending directly to the worst of the Buddhist “hells.” Generally, Devadatta is regarded as one of the greatest villains in Buddhist history, yet in the Lotus the Buddha proclaims to his rapt audience that Devadatta was his “good friend” (kalyna mitra) whose life and teachings were instrumental in his (the Buddha’s) own awakening. That the Buddha himself speaks of his nemesis in terms of one of the highest Buddhist ideals directly challenges traditional views. Moreover, in keeping with so many of the teachings in the Lotus, this pronouncementrequires major rethinking Buddhist understandings of both faith and friendship. One implication here is that many/most of us have a very shallow understanding of how the Dharma works and what it means to follow it in daily life, and who are our best guides and teachers. 

My fascination with this incident involving Devadatta is part of my on-going work with the Lotus, one of the most influential Buddhist texts yet one that continues to provoke controversy for the challenges if offers to common (and simplistic) notions of what “Buddhism” is. Having presented (and published) various papers on different aspects of the Lotus and regularly teaching a seminar on it in my university’s Honors Program, this topic is definitely one that will allow me to expand my past efforts into new territory and enable to draw on my own previous work on the complexities surrounding the notion of “friendship” in Buddhism. Tales of Devadatta have proven quite popular over the centuries and have been memorialized in numerous works of art. Devadatta figures in several Buddhist texts, at times in conflicting ways; seemingly he is a complex and contradictory figure with whom Buddhist tradition must continually grapple. Understandably, his positive portrayal in the Lotus Sutra (affirmed by the words of the World Honored One himself) has garnered so much attention, since it runs so counter to traditional “mainstream” views.

Taking a different tack, however, I will focus on the way the Buddha spins this traditional view around via the Buddhist ideal of the “good friend.” Here, it seems that short term (apparent) harm and evil can be truly beneficial in the long run, and that our enemies can be our best spiritual friends. Indeed, Devadatta’s example in the Lotus suggests that common understandings of “friendship” may be inadequate and even misleading from a Buddhist spiritual standpoint. Paradoxically, perhaps a “bad friend” can turn out to be the best friend we could ask for. In this sense, the example of Devadatta in the Lotus fits quite well with depictions of other figures in the text (a “dragon princess,” deceptively shape-shifting bodhisattvas) as well as other examples of “good friends” in later chapters. In turn, these examples suggest that we should rethink what “friendship” can mean in religious contexts. 

            This paper draws on some of my earlier work on Buddhism, interfaith friendship, violence, and narrative but extends such work into fresh territory. In this case, my analysis highlights the rhetorical dimensions of this narrative of friendship as a creative way to push us beyond shallow, perhaps even “selfish” understandings of “friendship” that inhibit our spiritual (and intellectual) growth. As such, it reveals some of the complexities surrounding the practice of friendship in Buddhism and its relationship to ultimate awakening.

I believe that this paper should prove quite thought-provoking. It draws on diverse sources, bringing them to bear on an intriguing episode in Buddhist lore that resonates through the ages. As such, it fits very well with the focus of the seminar on “Friendship,” including several themes listed in this year’s CFP (Friendship, Freedom, and Nonviolent Resistance to Oppression; Friendship, Peacebuilding, and Politics). Moreover, I think it resonates very well with this year’s AAR presidential theme, “Freedom,” as it raises various questions about the way dogmatic attitudes (both within and beyond a specific religious tradition) can trap people in rigid views, thereby shutting down possibilities for mutual enrichment and understanding. To put it simply, in this dire period of political and social chaos, we not only need to embrace friendship with each other, but to develop a deeper understanding of what “friendship” might be and how it can help us not only to survive but to thrive together on this good earth, at this good time.