The Lotus Sūtra presents a vision in which every sentient being, without exception, possesses the inherent capacity to attain Buddhahood. What appear as different spiritual paths—such as those of the śrāvaka, pratyekabuddha, and bodhisattva—are reinterpreted as provisional expressions of a single, deeper reality. This is the “one vehicle” (ekayāna), the Buddha Vehicle, which ultimately leads all beings toward complete enlightenment. Earlier teachings that seem to set limited goals, such as arhatship or final extinction in nirvāṇa, are portrayed as skillful means (upāya), adapted to differing capacities but never the Buddha’s final intention. The underlying message is that the Buddha’s compassionate activity is always oriented toward the full awakening of all beings.

This universal horizon of Buddhahood is not restricted by gender, social standing, or moral history. The Lotus Sūtra explicitly extends the promise of enlightenment to those traditionally viewed as spiritually marginal or excluded: women, children, persons of low status, and those of bad conduct. By offering predictions of future Buddhahood even to eminent disciples known as śrāvakas, it overturns the idea that their attainment is somehow inferior or final. Narratives such as the rapid enlightenment of the Dragon King’s daughter dramatize this inclusivity, showing that even beings regarded as impossible candidates for awakening can realize Buddhahood. In this way, the text grounds the Mahāyāna ideal of universal salvation in a radical affirmation of the latent Buddha-potential present in all.

At the heart of this teaching lies a re-reading of the Buddha’s entire career as an expression of skillful means. The diversity of doctrines and practices is not a sign of multiple ultimate goals, but of a single compassionate strategy tailored to the varied needs of beings. All authentic paths are thus gathered into one great movement toward Buddhahood, and no sincere practitioner is ultimately left outside this trajectory. The Lotus Sūtra’s message, taken as a whole, is that enlightenment is not a rare privilege reserved for a spiritual elite, but the destined fulfillment of every sentient life.