The Buddha emphasized the importance of this path of reasoning, this
intelligent examination of what is being taught. He told his students that
their level of faith in his teachings and in him should be a product of
their own critical analysis of his words. He said that if they analyzed and
found his teachings beneficial, they should practice them, and if not, they
should leave them aside. In this way, people who listened to his teachings
should be like a merchant buying gold: Gold merchants do not merely accept
the seller’s praise of his goods; rather, they use a variety of methods to
examine the quality of the merchandise before they make their purchase
decision. Similarly, the Buddha said, Do not accept my teachings out of
faith in me, but rather out of your own confidence in my words—confidence
that you have reached as a result of your own intelligent analysis.
-Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso, “The Path of Faith and the Path of Reasoning