Here is Yeshe Gyamtso, paraphrased a little (with my bold emphasis) from his Introduction to Mipham's Garland of Jewels, a book about the Arya Sangha:
The purpose of these sutras passages is to inspire us to emulate these great bodhisattvas and give us confidence in the effectiveness of the Mahayana path. The Buddhist is asked to open his or her mind to the vastness and profundity of the Mahayana. The miracles described here are often outrageous in their transgression of what we regard as laws of nature. This is very much to the point. It seems that there is no way to enter the Mahayana without being open to the inconceivable.
We often meditate on and pray to these bodhisattvas without much understanding of who and what they are. Although to fully understand bodhisattvas you have to be one, the stories in this book do communicate the particular activity and deeds for which these eight bodhisattvas are renowned, allowing us a glimpse into their world: a world of freedom, compassion, and wisdom far beyond ordinary experience.
