As I do not have any compelling reasons not to share this beautiful Buddhist wisdom with everyone — here I am posting it for everyone to ponder on.
Buddhist (Zen) Wisdom on the 4 Reliances
Followers of Buddhism usually establish whether a teacher is authentic and whether or not the guidance he or she is giving accords with the teachings of the Buddha. It cannot be stressed too often that it is the truth of the teaching which is all-important, and never the personality of the teacher. This is why Buddha reminded us about the 4 reliances:
- that people should Rely on the message of the teacher and not on his personality;
- that people should Rely on the meaning, not just on the words;
- that people should Rely on the real meaning, not just the provisional one;
- that people should Rely on their wisdom mind, not on their ordinary, judgmental mind.
It is, therefore, very important to remember that the true teacher, as we shall see, is the spokesman of the truth: its compassionate “wisdom display.” All the buddhas, masters, and prophets, in fact are the emanation of this truth, appearing in countless skillful, compassionate guises in order to guide us through their teaching, back to our true nature. At first then, more important than finding the teacher is through making a connection with the truth of the teaching, for it is through making a connection with the truth of the teaching that you will discover your living connection with a master.
Tags: Buddhist wisdom, four reliances, spiritual leadership, teachings of Buddha
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