In Chapter Two, “Expedients,” the Buddha says, that although he has only one teaching (the One Vehicle), he divides it into several according to people’s capacities. In this chapter, World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva employs the same expedient, not by using words, but by using his many appearances.

Who are the Bodhisattvas and what is meant by the hearts of Bodhisattvas? Bodhisattvas seek to save other people besides themselves, just as the Buddha did. The Bodhisattva heart is the same as the Buddha heart. It does not take much study or diligent practice to know the heart of the Buddha and make it one’s own. The Buddha is a symbol of the human ideal. Even an ignorant person can experience the Buddha’s heart by dedicating his or her own heart to Him, exalting Him as the ideal, wishing to follow His teachings, believing in and praying to Him, and putting such thoughts into practice to the best of one’s ability. It is possible for anyone to experience the heart of the Buddha; that is a way of Practice which is open to anyone. For example, someone who is trying to help another person or persons (the Bodhisattva Practice) is already experiencing the Buddha in his heart. Such a potential for realizing Buddhahood in one’s heart is something every one of us already possesses by nature. (The Buddha was a human being, and so are we; he achieved Buddhahood, and so can we.) This potential is called the “Buddha-nature.”

The Bodhisattva Vehicle includes those who seek or already possess the enlightenment of the Buddha. Although they neither enter into nirvana nor attain the ultimate enlightenment of Sakyamuni, Bodhisattvas share his ideal of working in this world for the salvation of others. In contrast to the Lesser Vehicle, the teaching for Bodhisattvas is called the Great Vehicle, for it seeks to guide all living things to enlightenment, just as a large vehicle can carry many passengers besides the driver.

The complete name of this chapter is the “Universal Gate of World-Voice-Perceiver Bodhisattva.” Universal Gate means that he [or she], representing the gate of Buddhism, is open to everyone without exception. This does not mean that there is only one gate [as some religions teach]. There are as many gates as there are people and other creatures who are in need. Gate is mukha in Sanskrit, which also means “face” in that language. World-Voice-Perceiver has many faces, which means he is expounding many teachings.