Why Can't Sentient Beings Have Unimpeded Supernatural Powers?

For example, the divine eye: whether in the heavens or beneath the earth, no matter how vast the distance, no matter how subtle the material form, nothing can obstruct what the eye consciousness and mind consciousness see. Why is this so? Because all material form is the material form within the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha is formless and without characteristics, having no distance, no far or near, no large or small. The manas relies on the tathāgatagarbha and can see all the material form within the tathāgatagarbha, with no distinctions of high or low, far or near, large or small, broad or subtle. Without the manas moving, it can see the material form within the tathāgatagarbha, with no notion of time or distance. Then the eye consciousness and mind consciousness, relying on the manas, can instantly see all the material form within the tathāgatagarbha, with no distinctions of time, distance, high or low, up or down, soft or hard.

For example, the divine ear: one can hear all sounds, far and near, in an instant, with no notion of time or distance, no distinction between loud and faint sounds—all sounds can be heard immediately. Why is this so? Because all sounds are sounds within the tathāgatagarbha, conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha. The manas, relying on the tathāgatagarbha, can know all sounds, whether far or near, high or low, past, future, or present; the ear consciousness and mind consciousness, relying on the manas, can also discern all sounds.

For example, the recollection of past lives (pūrvanivāsānusmṛti): whether one's own or others' past, future, and present—all the people, matters, and things that have been experienced or are yet to be experienced—the mind consciousness can know them all. Why is this so? Because all these matters are matters within the tathāgatagarbha, conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha, archives within the tathāgatagarbha. The manas, relying on the tathāgatagarbha, can know all people, matters, and principles, and the mind consciousness, relying on the manas, can also know all these dharmas, as if they were right before one's eyes, without obstruction.

For example, the ability to know others' minds: the mental activity of all sentient beings can be fully known by the mind consciousness. Why is this so? Because the mental activity of sentient beings is all dharma within the tathāgatagarbha, all conjured forth by the tathāgatagarbha. The manas, relying on the tathāgatagarbha, can know all these dharmas without obstruction; the mind consciousness, relying on the manas, can also know all the mental activity of sentient beings, whether from the distant past kalpas, the future, or the present, without obstruction.

For example, the power of psychic travel: the body consciousness and mind consciousness can carry the physical body to distant worlds elsewhere, and can enter the physical body of a being right nearby, without obstruction. Why is this so? Because all locations are entirely within the tathāgatagarbha. The tathāgatagarbha is formless and without characteristics, with no distinctions of far or near, broad or narrow. The manas, relying on the tathāgatagarbha, can instantly, in a single moment, reach any location within the tathāgatagarbha; the body consciousness and mind consciousness, relying on the manas, can also reach any location within the tathāgatagarbha, with no notion of time, distance, far or near, broad or narrow—arriving in a single instant. 

Sentient beings are so ignorant that they do not understand this principle. They do not know the vastness of the tathāgatagarbha, nor how capable they themselves are, and yet they stubbornly insist on chasing useless worldly dharmas, creating karmic actions of greed, anger, and delusion, obstructing their own powers of supernatural abilities—truly the loss outweighs the gain. In pursuing the Buddha-dharma, whatever you seek, you shall have; nothing is lacking within the tathāgatagarbha. As long as one fulfills the accumulations of merit, even becoming a Buddha is a trivial matter—what difficulty is there?

But why must sentient beings still cultivate for three great immeasurable kalpas before they can become Buddhas? The blame lies solely with the manas, that old fellow: its greed, anger, and delusion are too blazing, its attachments too severe. There is not one useless worldly dharma it does not cling to, yet it does not cling to the useful Buddha-dharma. Removing the manas's attachments requires two great immeasurable kalpas, and then removing the manas's subtle ignorance requires yet another immeasurable kalpa. This is precisely where the difficulty lies!

From the tathāgatagarbha's pouch of ten thousand treasures, ignorant sentient beings only know how to take those useless burdens that bind them and deprive them of freedom, never knowing to take the treasures that would enrich them and bring them liberation. One is light and the other heavy, yet they do not know which is light and which is heavy. This is ignorance! Think about it: of all the worldly dharmas each person pursues, which ones bind them in birth-and-death and deprive them of freedom? Do you feel their weight? Do you wish to untie the ropes? Do you wish to gain freedom? Do you wish to possess the great thousand worlds and cast away the bubbles of foam?