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I am looking for the proper Suttra/Dhammapada in which the Buddha states the following.

My teaching is not a philosophy. It is the result of direct experience... My teaching is a means of practice, not something to hold onto or worship. My teaching is like a raft used to cross the river. Only a fool would carry the raft around after he had already reached the other shore of liberation.

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The raft is in MN 22.

I shall show you, monks, the Teaching's similitude to a raft: as having the purpose of crossing over, not the purpose of being clung to.

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  • I'm not sure what to give as a reference for "it is the result of direct experience" ... perhaps Paccattam veditabbo vinnuhi ("to be experienced individually by the wise"), or Sanditthiko ("apparent here and now").
    – ChrisW ♦
    Commented Jul 29, 2017 at 21:21
  • Or the paragraph before the one you quoted: which says e.g., "... They do not study the Teaching for the sake of criticizing nor for refuting others in disputation. They experience the purpose for which they study the Teaching ..."
    – ChrisW ♦
    Commented Jul 29, 2017 at 21:29
  • Okay but is Buddhism a philosophy?
    – Akila Hettiarachchi
    Commented Jul 30, 2017 at 0:52
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    Because some people consider it as philosophy. Philosophy is a taern for academic research. But I don't think using philosophy for Buddhism is a good idea since Buddhism itself is a result of direct experience rather than sepculation and academic research.
    – Akila Hettiarachchi
    Commented Jul 30, 2017 at 1:03

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