Four reliances

The four reliances (Tib. Tönpa shyi; rton pa bzhi)

1. Rely on the message of the teacher, not on his personality;
2. Rely on the meaning, not just on the words;
3. Rely on the real meaning, not on the provisional one;
4. Rely on your wisdom mind, not on your ordinary, judgemental mind.

See Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, chapter nine.