Learning Buddhism: Rely on the Dharma or on a Person?

As long as one does not engage in personality cults, does not regard any single individual as the supreme authority, and can contemplate and practice the Buddha's Dharma in accordance with reality and truth, that is taking refuge in the Dharma. Taking refuge in the Dharma is difficult; with some profound dharmas, when one's meditative concentration (samādhi) is insufficient, one is unable to contemplate and practice them, and the vast majority of people at that point choose to rely on persons—relying on those who already have fame and reputation, believing that since such a person is widely recognized by the majority, they must surely be without error. But do we actually know what kind of people the majority are, or even what kind of people the vast majority are? In the Saha world, is not what covers the earth and fills the sky nothing but ordinary worldlings? Are the wisdom and cognition of worldlings really that reliable? Even for those with shallow meditative concentration and wisdom, is their wisdom and cognition reliable? Are sages and absolute truth chosen by vote? Those who rely on persons are still overwhelmingly numerous. No matter how the Buddha admonished us to rely on the Dharma, when wisdom, merit, and meditative concentration are insufficient, one simply cannot rely on the Dharma and can only rely on persons—and of course those with great fame enjoy the limelight.