The Problem of Relying on the Dharma Rather Than on Persons

If one has genuine realization and can engage in direct-perception contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā), then one relies on the true facts of all dharmas, not on any individual person. Only the true facts of reality are the true Dharma, the definitive Dharma. However, the true facts of reality are not something ordinary people can know or realize, so ordinary people have no choice but to rely on the words of others. Yet human words all have flaws and deficiencies. Even the Buddha's words have a surface meaning (the words) and a definitive meaning (the purport), and ordinary people cannot distinguish between them; in that case, they cannot rely on the definitive meaning.

In short, only through genuine realization can one rely on a portion of the facts, and in the future gradually come to rely on the complete truth of reality. Those of great wisdom are certainly like this. All Buddhas rely on the true facts of reality; especially the first Buddha, Buddha Vipula (Weiyinwang, the Buddha of Awesome Voice), relied entirely on the truth realized through personal verification, with no one to rely upon. Therefore, we should still find ways to cultivate meditative concentration (samādhi), engage in contemplative practice within concentration, and strive for genuine realization. Relying on people is ultimately unreliable. The Buddha warned his disciples: "Take heed not to believe your mind; your mind is not to be believed." Only after attaining the fruit of an arhat can one trust one's own mind. Even quotations from Buddhist sutras are not necessarily correct. If a bodhisattva's treatise, such as the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, is inconsistent with the Buddhist sutras, then the Buddhist sutras should be taken as the standard. However, Buddhist sutras are also divided into different levels, and relying on the meaning rather than the words is very difficult; without genuine realization, it is hard to understand the true meaning. One can imagine in what state of mind the Buddha spoke the four reliances when he instructed them on his deathbed, and how deeply worried He must have been?

If the Buddha has not certified that a certain bodhisattva's realization level is such that one can rely on him completely, one hundred percent, then one cannot rely on him completely, one hundred percent. After all, bodhisattvas do not possess the full wisdom of a Buddha; their wisdom still has flaws and deficiencies. Even Bodhisattva Maitreya was once reproached by the Buddha for the inadequacy of his wisdom.

All the teachings spoken by bodhisattvas can certainly be relied upon, but not one hundred percent. Bodhisattva treatises surely contain some flaws and deficiencies, which those without the dharma eye cannot discern. Even the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra was not personally spoken by Bodhisattva Maitreya himself when he came to the human world; rather, it was relayed through the mouth of an intermediate bodhisattva. If that bodhisattva's realization level was not extremely high, his relayed account could also contain errors. Thus, when one sentence is relayed by ten people, there may be ten different meanings. Therefore, every student of the Dharma should still devote effort to contemplative practice (vipaśyanā-caryā) to eradicate the view of self (satkāya-dṛṣṭi-prahāṇa), and then proceed to seeing the mind and seeing the nature—that is the safer approach.