法界次第初門 3.21

3.21

一、依法不依人。依法者，實相及一切隨順實相善法，通名為法，亦名法身。若依實相法身而修諸波羅蜜萬行功德，皆悉具足、一切清淨，能至菩提，故云依法。不依人者，人是攬五陰所成，假名相好之身。若依相好之身而修諸波羅蜜萬行功德，則皆墮顛倒，終不得見真實法身，故云不依人也。所以者何？如《涅槃》說「魔王波旬尚能作佛」，況不能作四依之人？是故雖是凡夫，若所說行與實相相應，則可依信；雖現佛身相好，若所說行乖實相法者，則不應依，況餘人也。

First, rely on the Dharma, do not rely on the person. 'Relying on the Dharma' means that the real mark and all wholesome dharmas that accord with the real mark are collectively called 'Dharma', and also called the 'Dharmakāya'. If one relies on the real-mark Dharmakāya to cultivate the myriad practices and merits of the pāramitās, all will be fully perfected and completely pure, and able to reach bodhi; hence it is said: 'rely on the Dharma'. 'Do not rely on the person' means that a person is a body constructed by assembling the five skandhas, having merely the nominal designations of physical marks and signs. If one relies on a body of marks and signs to cultivate the myriad practices and merits of the pāramitās, one then falls into inversion and will never see the true Dharmakāya; hence it is said: 'do not rely on the person'. Why is this? As the Nirvāṇa [Sūtra] says: 'The demon king Pāpīyān can even assume the form of a buddha', how much more can he assume the form of a person of the four reliances? Therefore, even if someone is an ordinary person, if their spoken teaching and conduct accord with the real mark, they should be relied upon and trusted; even if someone manifests the bodily marks and signs of a buddha, if their spoken teaching and conduct deviate from the Dharma of the real mark, they should not be relied upon, much less any other person.