Question: I have heard of some who claim to be ‘Buddhists’, who claim that ‘so-and-so’ is a Buddhist teaching. Is this true? (i.e. Is Right Dharma [正法])
Answer: While it can be easily answered that ‘so-and-so’ is not a true Buddhist teaching, you should learn how to discern by yourself too.
Question: Why should I learn to do so?
Answer: For example, you are asking who you believe to be a true Buddhist now. What if I happen to not be a true Buddhist?
Question: How should I discern if a teaching is a true Buddhist teaching?
Answer: You should do so by asking for its source in the sūtras taught by the Buddha. You should also check to see if the source is true, with the sūtras indeed found in the authentic Great Treasury Of Sūtras《大藏经》, and with the related Buddhist tradition’s authentic commentaries by authentic teachers explaining them accordingly too. If the source is not present, or cannot be clearly inferred from, it cannot be considered a true Buddhist teaching.
