The True Reliance on the Dharma Rather Than Persons Is to Not Rely Even on the Buddha

Original text of the "Entry into the Womb Assembly, Fourteen" spoken by the Buddha in the Mahāratnakūṭa Sūtra:佛言。（如来）是知道者。是识道者。是说道者。是开道者。是大导师。如来。应正等觉。明行足。善逝。世间解。无上士。调御丈夫。天人师。佛世尊。世间之人无知无信。常与诸根而为奴仆。唯见掌中。不观大利。易事不修。难者恒作。难陀。且止。如斯智慧境界。汝今应以肉眼所见而观察之。知所见者皆是虚妄。即名解脱。难陀。汝莫信我。莫随我欲。莫依我语。莫观我相。莫随沙门所有见解。莫于沙门而生恭敬。莫作是语。沙门乔答摩是我大师。然而但可于我自证。所得之法。独在静处。思量观察。常多修习。随于用心。所观之法。即于彼法观想成就。正念而住。自为洲渚。自为归处。法为洲渚。法为归处。无别洲渚。无别归处。 

Explanation: The Buddha said that the Tathāgata is one who deeply knows the path that is cultivated, is one who proclaims the path, is one who reveals the path of cultivation, and is the great teacher of the world — the Tathāgata, the Worthy One of Perfect and Complete Enlightenment, the One Perfect in Knowledge and Conduct, the Well-Gone One, the Knower of the World, the Unsurpassed One, the Tamer of Beings, the Teacher of Gods and Humans, the Buddha, the World-Honored One. People of this world lack both knowledge and the faculty of faith, and they constantly serve as slaves to the six sense faculties; they can only see the small benefits in the palm of the hand and cannot see the greater benefits; they do not cultivate the easy task of cultivating the path, yet they perpetually engage in the difficult task of creating the bitter karma of birth and death. Nanda, stop for now and say no more. As for such a realm of wisdom, you should now observe the dharmas seen with the fleshly eye, and you will know that all the dharmas seen are false and illusory — this is called liberation. Nanda, do not believe what I say, do not follow my intentions, do not rely on my words, do not observe my appearance, do not follow all the views held by the śramaṇa, and do not feel reverence toward the śramaṇa, nor say that the śramaṇa Gautama is my great master. However, you must, with regard to the dharma I have attained through my own realization, alone in a quiet place, deliberate and observe it, and cultivate it frequently and abundantly. With respect to the dharma being observed, if you can cultivate it with great dedication, you will accomplish the contemplation of that dharma being observed. The dharma whose contemplation you have personally accomplished is personally realized; from then on you will abide in the dharma with right mindfulness. In this way, you yourself can become the dry land of the islet in the river, you yourself are the place of refuge, and the dharma you have personally realized is the dry land of the islet in the river, the place of refuge — there is no other dry land, no other place of refuge.

 What the Buddha says in this passage is truly brilliant: it tells disciples that they must attain personal realization and rely on the dharma they have personally verified, and not blindly believe in and rely on external dharmas that have not been personally realized. No matter what dharma it is, no matter who spoke it, it must be taken up for observation and examination; only after observation, if it can be personally realized, may it be believed and relied upon. Even the dharma spoken by the Buddha himself must be continuously observed and deliberated upon, and only after personal realization may it be fully relied upon. This is called "relying on the dharma, not relying on the person" — even the Buddha may not be relied upon; one must rely on the dharma, on truth, on facts. If it has not been examined, then it is blind reliance, without opening wisdom. In contrast to this, sentient beings of the Dharma-ending age have meager merit (alpa-puṇya) and lack wisdom, and they insist on relying on the person: as long as a person has become famous and has a reputation, they will unreservedly lean toward him without principle in order to gain a sense of belonging, yet they have no ability to examine and discern the dharma — it is entirely emotional attachment. Those who always hold some particular śāstra as absolute truth should wake up: judging the correctness of a dharma based on a celebrity's name is complete reliance on the person, not correct faith. Correct faith is what the Buddha taught: one must observe and deliberate, examine and personally realize; if it is a fact, then it may be relied upon as truth; if it cannot be examined or personally realized, then one should be very careful not to open one's mouth to make judgments, so as to avoid creating the evil karma of slandering the Three Jewels.