生命中唯一真正的歸依、唯一可以立足的根基、唯一能夠給我們適當的引導和保護的，就是真理、法、自然的法則，由自己親歷親證的真理。因此佛陀在教導中，一直都重視對真理的直接體驗。佛陀將其親身驗證的真理，儘可能解釋清楚，讓眾生能夠作為依據，各自努力以了悟真理。佛陀曾說：
我所教導的正法，並沒有對內、對外之分。我手中沒有任何保留。
佛陀並沒有對特定的少數人傳授密法；相反地，他只想用最淺顯易懂、最廣為接受的方法，來說明自然的法則讓更多的人從中獲益。
佛陀對於建立教派或以他為中心的個人崇拜，也同樣不感興趣。佛陀一再強調，傳法人的個性與法比較起來，實在是微不足道。佛陀只想教導人們從痛苦煩惱中解脫，並不想將眾生變成盲從的信徒。佛陀曾對一個崇拜他的信徒說：
見到我這個終將腐朽的軀殼，對你有什麼好處呢？凡是見到法的人，就見到了我；凡是真正見到我的人，就見到了法。
無論這個人多麼神聖，對他的堅定信仰並不足以使我們解脫。缺少了對實相的直接體悟，就不可能解脫、得救。因此，真理才是最重要的，而不是講述真理的人。我們崇敬教導真理的人，但是最能表達我們對他崇敬的方法，就是自己努力去體悟真理。人們在佛陀即將入滅時，讚揚他的偉大，但佛陀說：
歌功頌德並不是對覺悟者恰當的讚揚方式，也不是表達敬意的好方法。若比丘、比丘尼、在家男女，能夠堅定不移、自始至終走在法的大道上，以正確的方式努力修持，才是對覺者至高無上的敬意。
THE SEARCH-4
The only real refuge in life, the only solid ground on which to take a stand, the only authority that can give proper guidance and protection is truth, Dhamma, the law of nature, experienced and verified by oneself. Therefore in his teaching the Buddha always gave highest importance to the direct experience of truth. What he had experienced he explained as clearly as possible so that others might have guidelines with which to work toward their own realization of truth. He said,
“The teaching I have presented does not have separate outward and inward versions. Nothing has been kept hidden in the fist of the teacher”
He had no esoteric doctrine for a chosen few. On the contrary, he wished to make the law of nature known as plainly and as widely as possible, so that as many people as possible might benefit from it.
Neither was he interested in establishing a sect or a personality cult with himself as its center. The personality of the one who teaches, he maintained, is of minor importance compared to the teaching. His purpose was to show others how to liberate themselves, not to turn them into blind devotees. To a follower who showed excessive veneration for him he said,
“What do you gain by seeing this body, which is subject to corruption？ He who sees the Dhamma sees me； he who sees me sees the Dhamma.”
Devotion toward another person, no matter how saintly, is not sufficient to liberate anyone；there can be no liberation or salvation without direct experience of reality. Therefore truth has primacy, not the one who speaks it. All respect is due to whoever teaches the truth, but the best way to show that respect is by working to realize the truth oneself. When extravagant honors were paid to him near the end of his life, the Buddha commented,
“This is not how an enlightened one is properly honored, or shown respect, or revered, or reverenced, or venerated. Rather it is the monk or nun, the lay male or female follower who steadfastly walks on the path of Dhamma from the first steps to the final goal, who practices Dhamma working in the right way, that honors, respects, reveres, reverences and venerates the enlightened one with the highest respect
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