The Essence of the Heart Sutra

Section 4  The Buddhas of the Three Times Attain Supreme Perfect Enlightenment by Relying on the True Suchness Mind-Substance

Sutra text: 【三世诸佛。依般若波罗蜜多故。得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。】The Buddhas of the three times include: the World-Honored Buddhas who attained buddhahood in the past, the World-Honored Buddhas currently abiding in the world, and the World-Honored Buddhas who will attain buddhahood in the future. All the Buddhas of the three times must rely on this prajñāpāramitā in order to attain supreme, perfect enlightenment (anuttarā-samyak-saṃbodhi). All of them attain ultimate buddhahood by realizing the tathāgatagarbha, this mind of true suchness, and by relying on the tathāgatagarbha, this mind of true suchness. Here, the Buddha makes clear that the tathāgatagarbha is the true substance and principal basis for attaining buddhahood, the key and the fundamental reliance for becoming a Buddha.

Sentient beings who realize the tathāgatagarbha are called great bodhisattvas—bodhisattva-mahāsattvas—and in the lands of the various Buddhas, they are the principal members of the future Buddhas. Ordinary sentient beings, because they all possess the true mind, the tathāgatagarbha, can also be spoken of in principle as future Buddhas; however, because their spiritual faculties (indriya) differ vastly, attaining buddhahood is, after all, too distant in time to be anticipated. The future Buddhas, in order to accomplish the Buddha Way, must realize the tathāgatagarbha, then undertake the transformation of the basis (āśraya-parāvṛtti) toward the purity of the tathāgatagarbha, and study the immeasurable and boundless prajñā wisdom inherently possessed by the tathāgatagarbha. Only then can they ultimately transform the consciousness-mind into great wisdom and become perfectly and completely realized Buddhas.