Four Dharmas to Rely Upon
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Four Dharmas to Rely Upon (四依法). In the Mahā Parinirvāṇa Sūtra (T12n0375 [different from the Mahāparinibbāna Sutta in the Pāli Canon)), fascicle 6, The Buddha teaches us to rely upon
(1) the Dharma, not an individual;
(2) sūtras of definitive meaning, not those of provisional meaning;
(3) the true meaning, not just the words;
(4) one’s Wisdom-Knowledge, not Consciousness. In summary, Dharma means Dharma nature; definitive meaning refers to Mahāyāna sūtras; true meaning refers to the eternal abiding and changelessness of the Tathāgata; Wisdom-Knowledge means the understanding that all Sentient beings have Buddha nature.
