The aphorism is not advising people to abandon practice; rather, it is saying that practice is important, but that which the Buddha knows and sees is even more important.Without the guidance of th Buddha's experience, people would not be practicing Buddhadharma correctly. They would be practicing outer path teachings. So, before enlightenment, practitioners need the guidance of what the Buddha knows and sees. After enlightenment, they still need to check their experience against the teachings of the Buddha and see if their experience is truly what the Buddha knows and sees.

If you have intellectually grasped what the Buddha knows and sees, even without enlightenment, you will not likely venture down the wrong path. You can even guide others in practice, but you won't be able to confirm someone's possible enlightenment. At least you can help people in the correct way of practice. On the other hand, if a teacher isn't enlightened and does not conceptually understand what the Buddha knows and sees, he or she is probably practicing outer paths and leading others down the wrong path. People often practice with some attachment or expectation in mind ─ an idea that there is something to be gained. This can lead to problems.

From this perspective, I say that without the guidance of what the Buddha knows and sees, practitioners of other religions cannot experience the Buddha's enlightenment, no matter how deep their experience. Such persons will still have an idea of, or an attachment to, an unchanging, eternal totality ─ an omnipresence. What it is called does not matter. When one experiences an unchanging totality or eternity, it is not what the Buddha knows and sees.