According to Buddhist theory, are all "humans" now beings who have had contact with Buddhism in the past, or are they simply "well-behaved"?

According to Buddhist theory and the teachings of Master Hsuan Hua, the core reason why we are able to be "human beings" now is that we "observed the five precepts and cultivated the ten virtues" in our past lives (that is, what you call being "well-behaved" and following the rules), and not necessarily everyone has been exposed to Buddhism in their past lives.

Master Hsuan Hua provided a very clear analysis of this, which we can examine separately:

1. Why can one be reborn as a human in this life? (Because of good behavior and adherence to rules in past lives)

According to the law of cause and effect in Buddhist teachings, it is extremely difficult to obtain a human body (as difficult as "a blind turtle finding a piece of driftwood"). Master Hsuan Hua clearly pointed out that the fundamental reason for being born as a human lies in upholding the Five Precepts and practicing the Ten Virtues:

The Qualifications of Being Human: Master Hsuan Hua once taught that you can only be reborn as a human in this life if you performed good deeds in your past life. If you break the rules and commit acts of killing, stealing, adultery, lying, or drinking, you damage the moral foundation of your being, and the light of your true nature will be obscured by dark clouds. In your next life, you might end up in the belly of a pig, cow, or horse.

The common ground between Confucianism and Buddhism: The Venerable Master Hsuan Hua highly valued the fundamentals of being a good person. He often said that to be a good person, one must understand "propriety, righteousness, integrity, shame, loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and love," which is what you described as "well-behaved," kind, and dutiful. As long as one has high moral character and has not committed evil deeds in past lives, even without having heard the Dharma, one can still be reborn as a human being through the merit of this good karma.

2. Have all of us, as human beings now, been exposed to Buddhism in the past? (Not necessarily)

Being able to be a human and being able to encounter Buddhism are two different things. There are billions of people in the world, but not everyone has believed in or heard of Buddhism.

People who have never been exposed to Buddhism: Many people are reborn as humans based on their worldly kindness and morality in their past lives (the prototype of keeping the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues), but they may be born in a place without Buddhism in this life, or they may have no interest in Buddhism at all.

For those who have encountered Buddhism: Master Hsuan Hua specifically mentioned that if you "enjoy listening to sermons and teachings" or wish to practice in this life, it's because you had a karmic connection with Buddhism in your past lives. In his "A Simple Explanation of the Lotus Sutra," Venerable Master Hsuan Hua said: "Why are we all here to hear the Dharma? It is because we had faith in Buddhism in our past lives, so we are happy to listen to the sermons in this life. If someone did not have good roots, they would run away as soon as they heard the sermons."

3. Master Hsuan Hua's Macro Perspective: All People Are Ultimately Buddhists:

However, Master Hsuan Hua held a very broad and compassionate viewpoint. He once said, "I include those who don't believe in Buddhism within the Buddhist community." This is because Buddhism teaches that "all sentient beings possess Buddha-nature and can attain Buddhahood." The Master believed that even if some people don't believe in Buddhism now or haven't encountered the Dharma in the past, they will eventually encounter the Dharma and ultimately attain Buddhahood in countless lifetimes of reincarnation. From this extended, infinitely macroscopic timeline, all humankind (and indeed all sentient beings) have a karmic connection with Buddhism that will inevitably lead them to encounter it sooner or later.

In summary: You are able to obtain a "human body" in this life because you were obedient and followed the rules in your past lives (observing the Five Precepts and Ten Virtues); but the fact that you can sit here discussing the Dharma and are interested in Buddhism in this life is entirely because you encountered the Dharma and planted seeds of good karma in your past lives.

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