The Buddha said:

"O monks and wise ones, do not accept my words simply out of reverence. You should subject them to critical analysis and accept the on the basis of your own understanding"

Commentaries on this phrase by His Holiness the 14^th Dalai Lama.

"This remarkable statement has many implications. It is clear that the Buddha is telling us that when we read a text, we should rely not merely on the fame of the author but rather on the content. And when grappling with the content, we should rely on the subject matter rather then on the literary style. When relating to the subject matter, we should rely on our empirical understanding rather then our intellectual grasp. In other words, we must ultimately develop more then mere academic knowledge of the Dharma. We must integrate the truths of the Buddha’s teachings into our very depths of our being, so that they become reflected in our lives. Compassion is of little value if it remains nothing more then an idea. It must become our attitude toward others, reflected in all our thoughts and actions. And the mere concept of humanity does not diminish our arrogance, it must become our actual state of being."

I wanted to share this because of the wisdom HHDL shares in his commentary. It can be applied to any religion, or any way of belief for that matter. I personally believe, that all to often, individuals can have a good intellectual grasp of the teachings and beliefs of there choosing but never fully understand what they know and more importantly what they choose to present to others as teaching or truth rather then mere opinion.

The Buddha’s phrase is also invaluable for those seeking any kind of spiritual learning, even the Buddha wanted individuals to "find out for themselves". I find it very helpful to have a guild through the teachings but ultimately it is only you who can know the Buddha’s full and total truth.

~Mykkyo