大崗山吉祥精舍佛陀教育影音圖書館

正法的代表（中英對照）　宣化上人著

《楞嚴經》是照妖鏡

The Shurangama Sutra Is a Demon-spotting Mirror

◎一九八八年十一月九日 開示於臺灣高雄元亨寺

A talk given on November 9, 1988, at Yuan Heng Monastery in Kaohsiung, Taiwan

南無薩怛他
蘇伽多耶
阿羅訶帝
三藐三菩陀寫
南無薩怛他
佛陀俱胝瑟尼釤
南無薩婆
勃陀勃地
薩多鞞弊
南無薩多南
三藐三菩陀俱知南
娑舍囉婆迦
僧伽喃
南無盧雞阿羅漢多喃
南無蘇盧多波那喃
南無娑羯唎陀伽彌喃
南無盧雞三藐伽多喃
三藐伽波囉
底波多那喃
南無提婆離瑟赧
南無悉陀耶
毗地耶
陀囉離瑟赧
舍波奴
揭囉訶
娑訶娑囉摩他喃
南無跋囉訶摩尼
南無因陀囉耶

NA MO SA DAN TUO
SU QIE DUO YE
E LA HE DI
SAN MIAO SAN PU TUO XIE
NA MO SA DAN TUO
FO TUO JU ZHI SHAI NI SHAN
NA MO SA PO
BO TUO BO DI
SA DUO PI BI
NA MO SA DUO NAN
SAN MIAO SAN PU TUO JU ZHI NAN
SUO SHE LA PO JIA
SENG QIE NAN
NA MO LU JI E LUO HAN DUO NAN
NA MO SU LU DUO BO NUO NAN
NA MO SUO JIE LI TUO QIE MI NAN
NA MO LU JI SAN MIAO QIE DUO NAN
SAN MIAO QIE BO LA
DI BO DUO NUO NAN
NA MO TI PO LI SHAI NAN
NA MO XI TUO YE
PI DI YE
TUO LA LI SHAI NAN
SHE PO NU
JIE LA HE
SUO HE SUO LA MO TUO NAN
NA MO BA LA HE MO NI
NA MO YIN TUO LA YE

方才讀的這一遍，這是〈楞嚴咒〉的前邊二十八句，這二十八句是教我們「皈依盡虛空遍法界，一切諸佛、一切菩薩、一切聲聞、緣覺、一切諸天」。那麼最後那個「南無因陀囉耶」，這一句就是我們中國人所說的玉皇大帝。所以不懂佛法的人，他說：「玉皇大帝那是道教的，我們不要拜他。」他不知道這玉皇大帝就是這個帝釋天；可是我們做佛的弟子，也要恭敬他，也要來攝受他。在〈楞嚴咒〉這前一段，這也是護持三寶的一段，所以念上這一段咒的時候，一切的妖魔鬼怪他都要退避三舍；不止退避三舍，他要退到他所不能退的那個地方去。

What I just recited was the first twenty-eight lines of the Shurangama Mantra. These twenty-eight lines tell us to take refuge in all the Buddhas, all the Bodhisattvas, all the Hearers, all Those Enlightened by Conditions, and all the gods throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm. The last line, "Na mo yin tuo la ye," refers to what Chinese people call the Jade Emperor. Those who do not understand the Buddhadharma say, "The Jade Emperor belongs to Daoism. We shouldn't bow to him." They don't realize that the Jade Emperor is just Lord Shakra. As Buddhist disciples, we should also respect him and gather him in. This first section of the Shurangama Mantra is the section for protecting and supporting the Triple Jewel. Therefore, when this section is recited, all the demons, goblins, ghosts, and other strange creatures flee far away. They retreat as far as they can go.

所以我們在佛教裏頭，如果有一個人能在這個世界上念〈楞嚴咒〉，這妖魔鬼怪他都不敢公然出現於世；如果一個人也沒有了，也沒有人會背〈楞嚴咒〉了，這時候妖魔鬼怪他們都出現於世了。他們在這個世界上為非作歹，一般人也不認識他們了。現在因為有人會念〈楞嚴咒〉，所以妖魔鬼怪他不敢公然出現於世。你念這一段咒文，有四句話可以來表達這段咒文的意思。這四句話說的：

Therefore, in Buddhism it is said that if there is even one person in the world who can recite the Shurangama Mantra, then the demons, goblins, ghosts, and all the other weird creatures will not dare to openly show themselves in the world. If not even one person can recite the Shurangama Mantra from memory, then at that point all the demons, goblins, ghosts, and all the other weird creatures will appear in the world. They will wreak havoc, but no one will recognize them. Right now, since there are still people who can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the demons, goblins, ghosts, and all the other weird creatures don't dare to openly show themselves in the world. There is a verse which expresses the meaning of this section of mantra.

千朵紅蓮護住身，
坐駒騎著墨麒麟，
萬魔一見往遠躲，
濟公法師有妙音。

A thousand red lotuses protect one's body.
As one sits astride a black unicorn.
Seeing this, the myriad demons go away to hide.
Dharma Master Ji Gong had this wonderful sound.

「千朵紅蓮護住身」：我們佛教都知道這個蓮華，有千朵紅蓮來護持你這個身。

「坐駒騎著墨麒麟」：你一念這個咒，你這個持咒的人是坐到一個麒麟的身上。

「萬魔一見往遠躲」：他都跑了，不敢面對這種大威德的相。我們人人都知道佛教裏頭有一位濟公，當初濟公就是專用這一段咒文的，所以說「濟公法師有妙音」。這是這一段咒文大概的意思，那麼至於要詳細說呢，這個〈楞嚴咒〉是妙不可言的。所以說：

奧妙無窮實難猜，
金剛密語本性來；
楞嚴咒裏有靈妙，
五眼六通道凡開。

A thousand red lotuses protect one's body. A thousand red lotuses come to protect your body.

As one sits astride a black unicorn. When you recite the mantra, you are sitting astride a unicorn.

Seeing this, the myriad demons go away to hide. They all flee, because they are afraid to face such awesome virtue. We all know about the character Ji Gong in Buddhism. In his time, Ji Gong used this section of mantra, so the verse says, Dharma Master Ji Gong had this wonderful sound. This verse gives the general meaning of this section of mantra text. If we were to go into detail, the Shurangama Mantra is wonderful beyond words. Thus it is also said:

The esoteric wonder is inexhaustible.
It is truly difficult to fathom.
The secret words of Vajra come from
the inherent nature.
The Shurangama Mantra contains
miraculous wonders.
Cultivators and ordinary people can open
the Five Eyes and Six Penetrations.

「奧妙無窮實難猜」：〈楞嚴咒〉非常奧妙，它這個變化也是不可思議，很不容易測度的。「金剛密語本性來」：這個金剛密語，〈楞嚴咒〉是密中之密，這是金剛來護持這個咒。本性來，它是從自己那個佛性生出來的。「楞嚴咒裏有靈妙」：這個〈楞嚴咒〉也叫做靈文，因為他特別靈，特別有力量，所以說「楞嚴咒裏有靈妙」。「五眼六通道凡開」：你若能常持〈楞嚴咒〉，專心一致，心不旁騖，你可以得到五眼六通，可以有不可思議那種的境界來變化莫測的，所以不是一般凡夫俗子可能知道的。因為這個，所以希望大家都能讀誦《楞嚴經》，背誦〈楞嚴咒〉。

The esoteric wonder is inexhaustible. It is truly difficult to fathom. The Shurangama Mantra is extremely wonderful, and its transformations are inconceivable. It is very difficult to fathom. The secret words of Vajra come from the inherent nature. The secret words of Vajra, the Shurangama Mantra, is the secret within the secret. It is Vajra that supports and protects this mantra, which comes from our own Buddha-nature. The Shurangama Mantra contains miraculous wonders. The Shurangama Mantra is also known as a magical text. It is very miraculous and especially potent. That's why it is said, "The Shurangama Mantra contains miraculous wonders." Cultivators and ordinary people can open the Five Eyes and Six Penetrations. If you constantly recite the Shurangama Mantra with single-minded concentration, not thinking of anything else, you can attain the Five Eyes and the Six Penetrations. You can experience inconceivable states and transformations which are beyond the understanding of ordinary people. Therefore, I hope everyone will study and recite the Shurangama Sutra, and recite the Shurangama Mantra from memory.

一般的學者說：《楞嚴經》是假的，不是佛說的，又有什麼考證，又有什麼地方記載。這都是他怕《楞嚴經》，沒有辦法來應付《楞嚴經》這個道理。《楞嚴經》中他們所最怕的，就是〈四種清淨明誨〉。這〈四種清淨明誨〉是照妖鏡，把所有妖魔鬼怪都給照現原形了；還有那個〈五十陰魔〉把天魔外道他們的骨頭都給看穿了，把他們妖怪的這種相貌都給認識了。哪一位能讀誦，能把《楞嚴經》背得出來，那是真正佛的弟子。

Most scholars say the Shurangama Sutra is false and claim that it was not spoken by the Buddha. They say they have various pieces of evidence and documents to support it. This is all because they fear the Shurangama Sutra and have no way to deal with the principles in the Shurangama Sutra. What they fear most in the Shurangama Sutra are the Four Clear Instructions on Purity. The Four Clear Instructions on Purity serve as a demon-spotting mirror. All the demons, goblins, ghosts, and weird creatures are reflected in their true form. Furthermore, the section on the Fifty Skandha-demons exposes the celestial demons and externalists to the bone, enabling people to recognize their demonic appearance. Anyone who can memorize the Shurangama Sutra is a true disciple of the Buddha.

《楞嚴經》在佛法末法的時候是先斷滅的。為什麼它斷滅？就因為這一些個學者啊，又是什麼教授啊，甚至於出家人，都說它是假的。那麼他們這種的言論，久而久之，被人以訛傳訛，就認為他們所說的是對的，所以就認為《楞嚴經》是假的了，連佛教徒也認為它是假的，久而久之，這個經就沒有了。所謂經典斷滅也就是這樣子，大家不學習，它就沒有了，就這樣斷滅了。

In the declining period of the Buddha-dharma, the first Sutra to disappear will be the Shurangama Sutra. Why will it disappear? Because these so-called scholars, professors, and even left-home people all claim it is false. Over time, their theory will become widespread, and people will all believe what they say and take the Shurangama Sutra to be false. Even Buddhist disciples will consider it false, and after a while the Sutra will disappear. That is how the Sutras become extinct. People no longer study them, so they disappear.

《楞嚴經》裏〈四種清淨明誨〉說得非常地正確，非常地肯定，就說這個殺、盜、淫、妄，所以一般學者、教授就怕這〈四種清淨明誨〉，他們就想得到不明白的那個誨，這個明誨他們就很怕很怕的。因為如果說《楞嚴經》是真的，他們就沒有立足之地了，他那種又抽煙、又喝酒、又玩女人，就立不住了，被人家都認識他了。所以你看看，《楞嚴經》裏所講的道理，是非常正確的，非常有邏輯學的，再沒有比這個說得更清楚了。《楞嚴經》全部經，就是一部照妖鏡，所以這照妖鏡一懸起來，這個妖魔鬼怪都膽顫心驚。

In the Shurangama Sutra, the Four Clear Instructions on Purity which explain killing, stealing, lust, and lying, are absolutely accurate and definite. That's why those scholars and professors fear the Four Clear Instructions on Purity. They only want to listen to muddled instructions and are terribly afraid of the Clear Instructions. If they admitted that the Shurangama Sutra is true, they would have no ground to stand upon. They would not be able to defend their smoking, drinking, and womanizing, for everyone would know them for what they are. The principles of the Shurangama Sutra are extremely accurate, extremely logical, and as clear as can be. That is why the entire Shurangama Sutra is a demon-spotting mirror. When this demon-spotting mirror is hung up, the demons, goblins, ghosts, and weird creatures are frightened out of their wits.

我方才所說的話，所解釋的《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉這個道理，如果不合乎佛的心、不合乎經的意，如果《楞嚴經》是假的，我願意永遠永遠在地獄裏，再不到世上來見所有的人。我雖然是一個很愚癡的人，可是也不會笨得願意到地獄去，不再出來。各位由這一點，應該深信這個《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉。
If what I have just said about the Shurangama Sutra and Shurangama Mantra does not accord with the Buddhas' mind and the Sutra's meaning, and if the Shurangama Sutra is really false, I am willing to stay forever in the hells and never come out to see the people in the world. Although I am a stupid person, I am not so foolish that I would want to go to the hells and never come out. For that reason, you should all deeply believe in the Shurangama Sutra and Shurangama Mantra.

我方才所說的我的願力是這樣子，如果不合乎佛心，我願意下地獄。那麼我現在所說的話，也請十方盡虛空遍法界無盡無盡常住佛法僧三寶，在默默中證明，令一切眾生早成佛道。

What I have just said is my vow. If what I said does not accord with the Buddhas' mind, I am willing to go to the hells. I now request the infinite, endless, eternally dwelling Buddhas, Dharma, and San-gha--the Triple Jewel in the ten directions throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm--to silently certify what I have said and to enable all living beings to quickly realize the Buddha Way.

我再請十方菩薩摩訶薩、十方聲聞緣覺諸聖人、賢聖僧，再請一切護法諸天，光明會上，所有護法放光加被，令所有一切眾生都離苦得樂，了生脫死。

I also request the Bodhisattvas Mahasattvas in the ten directions, the Sound Hearers and Those Enlightened by Conditions in the ten directions, all the Worthies and Sages in the Sangha, and all the Dharma-protecting gods of the Radiant Assembly, to emit light and shine upon all living beings, enabling them to leave suffering, attain bliss, and be liberated from birth and death.

我再請求各位善知識，如果我說的有不合乎佛法的地方，希望明以教我，我雖不敏，請嘗試之。我是一個很愚癡的人，所見的也不圓滿，所以我講的有不圓滿的地方，希望無論出家人、在家人，不吝指導，明以教我，我當叩頭頂禮，盡形壽而感謝。

I also pray that all of you Good and Wise Advisors will instruct me if I have said something that disagrees with the Buddha-dharma. Although I am not intelligent, I hope you will try to teach me. Since I am a very stupid person with limited views, my words are far from perfect. Whether you are a left-home person or a layperson, I hope you will kindly teach me. I shall bow in respect and be grateful all my life.

所以有人讀誦《楞嚴經》，要我盡形壽供養這樣的修道人，我也願意的。因為「正法興，楞嚴興；正法滅，是楞嚴滅。」由這個各位應該知道，這個《楞嚴經》在佛教裏是多麼重要的。

If there is anyone who recites the Shurangama Sutra, I am willing to serve and make offerings to such a cultivator all my life. When the Proper Dharma prospers, the Shurangama prospers. When the Proper Dharma declines, the Shurangama becomes extinct. From this, you should all realize how important the Shurangama Sutra is in Buddhism.

「開慧的楞嚴，成佛的法華，教化眾生的是華嚴。」因為這個，我在美國，頭一次由西雅圖華盛頓大學來了三十幾位大學的學生，我開講《楞嚴經》。第一個暑假班是九十六天，那麼我給這些個大學生講《楞嚴經》，中間只有禮拜六放半天假，放半天香，其餘的時間都是講經說法，他們也都寫筆記。那麼一開始，一天講一次，由他們去研究。過了半個月，我算一算這個《楞嚴經》的篇幅和日期，恐怕講不完，所以就增加一天講兩次。又過一個時期，還是講不完，就一天講三次，那麼最後有半個多月，一天講四次。

"The Shurangama is for opening wisdom. The Dharma Flower is for becoming a Buddha. The Avatamsaka is for teaching living beings." Therefore, in America I started out by lecturing on the Shurangama Sutra to a group of over thirty students from the University of Washington in Seattle. During the ninety-six days of summer vacation, I lectured on the Shurangama Sutra to those college students. During that time, there was only a half day's break on Saturdays. Aside from that, I lectured on the Sutra every day, and they all took notes. In the beginning, I lectured once a day, and then they studied on their own. After half a month, I assessed the time and the length of the Shurangama Sutra. Fearing that I might not finish in time, I began lecturing twice a day. After a while, I calculated again and decided that I still would not be able to finish, so I started lecturing three times a day. Finally, in the last half month or more, I lectured four times a day.

在這個「暑假楞嚴講修班」的期間，我一個人，給他們講經也是我，做飯也是我，做菜也是我，燒茶也是我，那麼買菜一切一切都是我，那時候四十八單執事，我一個人兼而行之，就這樣子。那麼這些個學生我本來可以叫他們輪流來做事情，但是我怕耽誤他們的功課，耽誤他們研究經典的時間，所以誰我也不用，那時候不敢說行菩薩道，但是因為有人要學《楞嚴經》，我願意盡形壽來供養這樣的人，所以在九十六天中，把《楞嚴經》講完了。講完之後，這是在美國一般人認識佛教的一個開始。

During the Summer Shurangama Study and Cultivation Session, not only did I lecture on the Sutra, I also cooked the meals, made tea, and did the grocery shopping and everything else for them. You could say I single-handedly took on all the monastic chores. Of course, I could have asked the students to take turns working, but I did not want to interfere with their cultivation and study of the Sutra. So I didn't let a single person help. Although I dare not say I was practicing the Bodhisattva Way, if people wanted to study the Shurangama Sutra, I was willing to dedicate my life to serve and support them. After ninety-six days, I finished lecturing the Shurangama Sutra. With the end of this lecture, people in America were beginning to give recognition to Buddhism.

講完《楞嚴經》，有五個人就出家了，在那年正月初一的時候，我曾經對一切的信眾說過，「今年美國的佛教會開五朵蓮華，這五朵蓮華將來就是把佛教傳到西方去。」這是那時候說的話。

At the end of the Shurangama Sutra lecture series, five people left the home-life. On New Year's Day, I said to the assembly, "This year, five lotuses will bloom in American Buddhism. In the future, these five lotuses will spread Buddhism in the West." That's what I said then.

那麼在這個「暑假楞嚴講修班」畢業之後，就有五個美國人要出家，我就派他們到臺灣海會寺去受戒，遇著臺灣的善知識，就告訴這五個人，說：「現在末法時代了，沒有人在修行了，你們還吃一餐哪，被你師父給騙了！」我這些個美國徒弟，一聽這個話，「哦！原來我們是被師父騙了，那我們怎麼辦呢？」這個善知識就說：「吃飯嘛！喝酒嘛！吃肉嘛！」這五個人對佛教就生了懷疑了，「怎麼我師父教我們吃一餐，他們叫我們早晚都應該吃飯的，這是怎麼搞的？這裏頭一定有問題？」心裏就活活動動地就要吃飯，於是乎他們自己就開會，說：「我們回去問清楚再吃飯！」他們又告訴那個臺灣的善知識說：「我們是坐單的。」臺灣有一些個人就告訴他們說：「坐單！那是佛住世的時候，有人坐單；現在佛都不在世了，你們坐什麼單哪？唉！真是美國人被中國人騙了。」

After they graduated from the Summer Shurangama Lecture and Practice Session, five Americans left the home-life. I sent them to Hai Hui (Sea-like Assembly) Monastery in Taiwan to receive the precepts. The Good and Wise Advisors in Taiwan told them, "Now it is the Dharma-Ending Age. No one cultivates anymore. You're still eating one meal a day? You've been cheated by your teacher." When my American disciples heard this, they thought, "Oh, so we've been cheated by our teacher. What should we do?" The Good and Wise Advisors said, "Well, go ahead and eat. Drink wine and eat meat." The five people started to have doubts about Buddhism. "How come our teacher taught us to eat one meal a day, and now they tell us we should eat in the morning and evening as well? What's going on? There must be something wrong here." Their minds were swayed, and they wanted to start eating more meals, but they had a meeting and decided to go back and make sure before they did that. They also told the Good and Wise Advisors in Taiwan that they slept sitting up. Some people in Taiwan told them, "You sleep sitting up? People did that when the Buddha was in the world. Now the Buddha isn't around anymore, so why do you do it? It's really a case of Americans being cheated by the Chinese."

這麼樣一來，怎麼樣呢？回去就調皮了，說：「人家臺灣人都吃三餐，我們不應該吃一餐。」就和我搗蛋了。又說…，唉！總而言之，我也不記得這麼多了。結果搞了三個月之後，這才沒有懷疑了。

What happened then? When they returned, they got mischievous. They said, "In Taiwan, everyone eats three meals a day. We shouldn't eat just one meal." They acted naughty with me. They said more, but I don't remember that much. It took more than three months before their doubts were resolved.

那麼當時臺灣就有人說：「這個宣化法師在美國，收了一些個邪皮（嬉皮），他因為到金門公園去，那兒很多邪皮，宣化法師就到那兒去打坐，一打坐，這些邪皮看著很奇怪的，就去和他談話，那麼宣化法師就叫他們去廟上看看，到廟上一看，和他們邪皮過的生活差不多，於是乎就都出家了。」

At that time, some people in Taiwan would say, "Dharma Master Hsuan Hua has taken some hippies as disciples in America. There are many hippies hanging out in Golden Gate Park, and Dharma Master Hsuan Hua goes there to meditate. When the hippies see him meditating, they are curious and go up to talk to him. Then Dharma Master Hsuan Hua tells them to go visit the temple. They go to the temple and find that the lifestyle there is pretty similar to their hippie lifestyle, so they all leave the home-life."

臺灣又有一個謠言，說：「你知道嗎？宣化法師在美國，和一班邪皮在一起吸毒啊！那個邪皮吃LSD（迷幻藥）、吸大麻，一粒LSD一吃，就惚惚悠悠的，好像到了極樂國似的，這個宣化法師他吃十幾粒，都不動彈，也不這麼惚惚悠悠到極樂世界去。所以這些邪皮都佩服了，於是乎就跟他出家。你們不要相信他！」

There is another rumor in Taiwan: "You know what? Dharma Master Hsuan Hua takes drugs with the hippies in America. The hippies take LSD and marijuana. They can get high on just one capsule of LSD and feel as carefree as if they were in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. But Dharma Master Hsuan Hua can take more than ten capsules without being affected in the least. He doesn't get high or feel as carefree as if he were in the Land of Ultimate Bliss. That's why all those hippies admire him and left the home-life under him. Don't believe in him."

那麼說來說去，邪皮也好，不邪皮也好，大家誰用功修行誰就好，誰不用功修行誰就不好。不是邪皮，你若不修行也不好；若是邪皮，你若能修行也一樣好。所以佛教裏頭，不是口頭禪所說的，要有真實的功夫，要有真實的受用，你不要在口頭上說：「我得了定了！我有三昧！我有四昧！」那個人又創出個五昧來。

You can talk back and forth, but whether they are hippies or not does not matter. He who works hard in cultivation is good. He who does not work hard in cultivation is not good. If he is not a hippie, but he does not cultivate, that is not good. If he is a hippie and he cultivates, that is just as good. Therefore, in Buddhism, mere talking about cultivation doesn't count. There must be real practice and real benefit. Don't just say, "I have concentration. I have this samadhi or that samadhi." And another person also comes up with another kind of samadhi.

現在我想起幾句話來，和大家說一說，我說：

Now I will tell everyone about some lines that I thought of:

口頭說三昧，
我對你不對；
日久現原形，
搞得滿身罪。

Paying lip service to samadhi,
They say, "I am right and you are wrong."
In time, their original appearance is revealed,
And they are covered with offenses.

這是說的這個盡用口頭禪，把佛教當兒戲，來隨便亂講亂說，也不負因果的責任。誰下拔舌地獄呢？就是這一類人。將來下拔舌地獄，那時候把舌頭給拔出來，他不會說話了，那時候他說不出話，心裏想：「唉呀！我真糟糕！我若知道這麼樣子，我就不應該開那種玩笑。」

This is saying that people just pay lip service to Buddhism and treat it as child's play. They talk carelessly without taking responsibility for the cause and effect. Who will fall into the hell of Ripping Out Tongues? Precisely that kind of people. When they get there, their tongues will be ripped out and they cannot talk anymore. In their minds they will think, "What a mess I'm in. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldn't have fooled around like that."

總是口頭三昧，總說：「我對，我自己對！你什麼都不對！」你對，我也說你不對；你不對，我也說你不對。這是「我對你不對！」，你說這有公理沒有？什麼事情都是「我對你不對！」。「日久現原形」：時間一久了，「路遙知馬力，日久見人心」，日久那個原形畢露了。「搞得滿身罪」：滿身都是罪業，入了拔舌地獄還不知道。

They always paid lip service to samadhi, saying, "I'm right. You're wrong about everything. Even if you were right, I'd say you were wrong. And if you're wrong, I also say you're wrong." Would you say that is just? In everything, they say "I am right and you are wrong." "In time, their original appearance is revealed."

After a long distance, one will know a horse's stamina.
After a long time, one will see a person's heart.

In time, their true form is uncovered. "And they are covered with offenses." Their bodies are covered by offensive karma. They enter the Hell of Ripping Out Tongues without even realizing it.

說：「法師，你不要罵人哪，講法罵什麼人！」唉！我這不是罵人哪！我罵人？我天天都向那個蚊蟲、螞蟻叩頭，我怎麼敢罵人，不過我不能不說真理，真理是如此！

"Dharma Master, don't scold people. As you speak the Dharma, why are you scolding people?" you ask. I am not scolding anyone. I bow to the ants and mosquitoes every day; how would I dare to scold people? But I cannot refrain from telling the truth. The truth is just like that.

我再告訴你們各位，我有今天，就是這些個說我不對的人，來教我的，來幫助我的。所以這些個說我不對的人、毀謗我的人，都是我的善知識。他們都是我的師父，我的師父都是口頭禪的，我現在所以會說口頭禪，也就因為學我師父的。

Let me tell you, it's just those people that criticize me who have taught and helped me, making me the way I am today. So the people who criticize and slander me are all my Good and Wise Advisors. They are all my teachers. My teachers all pay lip service to Chan. The reason I know how to do it is because I learned it from my teachers.

我有這麼幾句話，我說：「眾人是我師」：眾人都是我的師父，不論哪一個，你是有血氣的，我都要照你們學習。你們有好的，我就學好的；有壞的，我就學壞的；我要學得全身都是武藝，十八般兵刃件件精通，所以到比起武來，這絕招很多。「我是眾人師」：我也是大家的師父。「時常師自己」：時常我還要以自己作為師父，自己也時常給人家作師父，所以大家互相提攜，互相向這個菩提道路上勇猛精進，不要在娑婆世界這麼打算盤，來爭你強我勝的。我們看誰先走到極樂世界去！

I have another verse which begins: "All people are my teachers." Everyone is my teacher. As long as you have blood and breath, I want to learn from you. If you are good, I learn the good. If you are bad, I learn the bad. I want to learn until I am a martial arts expert, skilled in all weapons. That way, when I am challenged to a fight, I will have many winning moves. "I am a teacher for all people." I am also everyone's teacher. "I always teach myself." I am very often a teacher for myself. I am also constantly a teacher for others. That way, everyone can encourage one another to vigorously advance on the Bodhi Way. Let's not linger in the Saha world, scheming and calculating about wins and losses. Let's see who will reach the Land of Ultimate Bliss first!

有人說：「法師你盡強辭奪理，罵人還不承認！你承認嗎？你罵人你若承認，你就不會罵人的。對嗎？」可是罵人的人，是「仰天自唾，還岔己身」。那麼要喜歡被人罵，罵人給人加肥料呢！你那土地不肥沃，要上一點肥料，令你那五穀就長得茂盛了，你那果實也堅固了。

Someone says, "Dharma Master, you keep arguing and refusing to admit that you are scolding people. Do you admit it? If you admit that you are scolding people, then you won't scold them anymore. Right?" But the one who scolds people is like "one who spits up into the skies, and gets the spit back on his own face." We should like being scolded, because when people scold us, they are giving us fertilizer. Our fields are not fertile, so they need to be fertilized. Then our crops will be abundant and our fruits will thrive.

說：「法師！你方才說眾人是你的師父，那有好人，有壞人，都是你師父，你也學好，也學壞？」你這是誤會了，所謂「眾人是我師」，善者，是我的法師，我就效法他；惡者，是我的戒師，我自己不要學他那樣子，所以眾人都是我的師父。「時常師自己」，自己要常常提高警覺，不要做錯了，不要用那個無明去做事，要用那個智慧。要用光明智慧來處理一切的問題，不要用那個愚癡、無明處理事情。人要把這個境界轉過來，那個境界不要轉我們人，我們再要「勿以善小而不為，勿以惡小而為之」。不要說，善很小的，我不要做了；那惡事很小的，我要做，做了也不要緊；譬如吃齋，吃個雞蛋沒有關係。沒有關係？將來你去作雞的時候，就知道那關係是從吃雞蛋那兒來的。就這一點點小的問題，你弄不清楚，這叫「善惡夾雜，果報不爽」，不是很好玩的！

"Dharma Master, you just said that all people are your teachers. But there are good people and bad people, and if you take them all as teachers, you will learn to be both good and bad," you object. You have misunderstood. When I say "All people are my teachers," I mean that good people teach me how I should be, and I learn to be like them. Bad people teach me how I should not be, and I learn to not be like them. That's why all people are my teachers. "I always teach myself." We ourselves must always be alert and not make mistakes, not act in ignorance. We should use bright wisdom in handling all matters instead of using stupidity and ignorance to take care of things. We must turn states around, rather than being turned by states. "Do not fail to perform a good deed, thinking it is trivial. Do not perform an evil deed, thinking it is insignificant." Don't think, "That good deed is trivial. I'm not going to do it. That bad deed is really minor. I'll go ahead and do it. It doesn't matter." For example, you think, "I'm vegetarian, but it won't matter if I eat an egg." But in the future when you are reborn as a chicken, you will know that it was because you ate chicken eggs. If you are not clear in these small matters, then you are "mixing good and evil, and the retribution will not be off." It's not fun at all.


今天我又發狂了，也不知道講什麼，我若講的有得罪各位的，請你來打我一頓、罵我一頓，我都很歡喜的！

I've gone kind of crazy today, and I don't really know what I am saying. If I have offended you, please come up and give me a beating or scolding. I would be very delighted.

〈楞嚴咒〉的妙用

The Wonderful Effects of the Shurangama Mantra

◎一九七五年一月十日開示於臺灣

A talk given on January 10, 1975 in Taiwan

《大佛頂首楞嚴經》這一部經其中有〈楞嚴咒〉，這〈楞嚴咒〉的「楞嚴」兩個字，就翻譯成「究竟堅固」。那麼這一部經，在中國來說，是很重要的一部經，所謂「成佛的法華，開慧的楞嚴。」我也很願意講這個《楞嚴經》和《法華經》，因為這兩部經，既能開智慧，又能成佛。所以不單我願意講，我希望每一個人都把它研究明白了，尤其是《楞嚴經》。

The Shurangama Mantra is in the Shurangama Sutra. The word 'Shurangama' has the meaning 'absolutely firm and solid.' In China, this Sutra is considered one of the most important Sutras. It is said: "to become a Buddha requires the Dharma Flower Sutra; to develop one's wisdom requires the Shurangama Sutra." I'm very willing to lecture on the the Shurangama Sutra and the Dharma Flower Sutra, because these two Sutras can develop people's wisdom and lead them to Buddhahood. Not only do I want to talk about them, but I also hope everyone here will study and understand them, especially the Shurangama Sutra.

講到這個《楞嚴經》，在我們中國有一位智者大師，他在一生之中，只聽見這部經的名字，他就想要讀誦這一部經，就向著印度天天叩頭禮拜，希望見到這一部經。叩頭禮拜十八年，結果也沒有見著這一部經。智者大師他的智慧已經出類拔萃，他的辯才已經是無礙了，那麼他還恭敬禮拜這一部《楞嚴經》，可見這一部《楞嚴經》的重要性。

Speaking of the Shurangama Sutra, I remember in China there was a Great Master named Zhi Zhe ("Wise One") who, upon hearing the name of the Shurangama Sutra, wanted to read it. For that reason he bowed in the direction of India every day, hoping to someday to study it. Although he made full prostrations for eighteen years, he never saw this Sutra. Though the wisdom and intelligence of Great Master Zhi Zhe surpassed that of ordinary people and his eloquence had no limits, he still revered and bowed to the Shurangama Sutra. This shows how important this Sutra is.

有這一部《楞嚴經》在世的時候，天魔外道就都不敢出現。可是很不幸地，這一部《楞嚴經》在末法的時候，就先先沒有了，先沒了。等這一部經一沒的時候，這天魔外道就會得便了。所以現在有一些個冒充佛學的專家，也說自己是研究佛法的一個學者，或者是某一個大學裏頭佛學系的教授，那麼他們公然就提倡，說是《楞嚴經》是假的，是中國人偽造的。啊！你們各位想一想，我們中國雖然是出過很多的聖人，但是我相信能造《楞嚴經》的這種聖人，還找不出來哪一個。所以我絕對相信這《楞嚴經》是真的，是正確的，是降伏天魔、制諸外道的一部經。因為〈楞嚴咒〉裏邊所說的，都是降伏天魔、制諸外道的，從一開始到終了，每一句都有它的妙處，都有它不可思議的力量。所以這個《楞嚴經》，就是為〈楞嚴咒〉而說。

As long as the Shurangama Sutra exists in this world, the demons from the heavens and the externalists will be afraid to show themselves. Unfortunately, the Shurangama Sutra will be the first to disappear in the Dharma-ending Age. After this Sutra disappears, the demons from the heavens and the externalists will take advantage of the situation. That is why now there are some who pretend to be experts on Buddhism, who say they are scholars of Buddhist studies or professors of Buddhism in such-and-such universities, and they publicly suggest that the Shurangama Sutra is a spurious Sutra created by the Chinese. All of you just think for a moment: Although China has produced many sages, I doubt that we could find one among them who could have written the Shurangama Sutra. I firmly believe that the Shurangama Sutra is genuine and correct, and that it offers the means to subdue demons from the heavens and control externalists. That is because the phrases in the Shurangama Mantra serve to subdue demons from the heavens and control externalists. From the beginning to the end, each line of the mantra has its mystical effect and inconceivable power. It was because of the Shurangama Mantra that the Shurangama Sutra was spoken.

以前在香港有翻譯《楞嚴經》的人，把《楞嚴經》翻譯成英文了。那麼翻譯成英文，他就把「設楞嚴壇」這種儀規都刪去了，把那一段經文也不要了，咒也不要了。他說西方人哪一個也不相信〈楞嚴咒〉，他們都不願意誦持咒的，他們對於咒認為是迷信，不相信咒的這種功用。所以他把怎麼樣地設壇啊，怎麼樣修持這個楞嚴大法啊，他都不要了。那麼現在等我到西方國家，到美國，我親身的經驗，在西方人裏，很多很多都是歡喜誦持〈楞嚴咒〉的。不單歡喜誦持〈楞嚴咒〉，而且還都能背得出來。在金山聖寺，我有一個徒弟，他早晨做早課隨著誦〈楞嚴咒〉，晚間做晚課我們也誦持〈楞嚴咒〉，那麼早晚這麼念一念，他念到二十六天，就能背得出來了。我在美國第一個考試，就是考試〈楞嚴咒〉，誰會背〈楞嚴咒〉，誰就第一個考試及格；誰若不會〈楞嚴咒〉，就暫時不及格、不合格。那麼我在那個暑假班是這樣規定的，所以有一位是二十六天能背得出〈楞嚴咒〉，有一位是二十八天能背出〈楞嚴咒〉。所以現在在西方的佛教徒，認識〈楞嚴咒〉的，是很多的。

In the past, someone in Hong Kong translated the Shurangama Sutra into English, but he deleted the section on the rites of setting up the Shurangama Platform and also left out the entire Shurangama Mantra. He said that no Westerners would believe in the Shurangama Mantra, that they wouldn't recite it since they consider mantras to be superstitious and don't believe in the functions of mantras. Therefore, he left out the instructions for setting up the platforms and for practicing and upholding the Great Shurangama Dharma. After coming to this Western country--the United States, I personally realized that there are many Westerners who love to chant the Shurangama Mantra. Not only do they like to chant the Shurangama Mantra, they are even able to recite it from memory! At Gold Mountain Monastery, I had a disciple who joined us in reciting the Shurangama Mantra during morning recitation and again during evening recitation. After twenty-six days of reciting it in the morning and evening, he was able to recite it from memory. The first test I gave to my students in America was on the Shurangama Mantra. I stipulated in the summer session (1968) that whoever could memorize the Shurangama Mantra would pass, and whoever could not would fail. There was one who memorized the Shurangama Mantra in twenty-six days, and another who memorized it in twenty-eight days. And now, many Western Buddhists are familiar with the Shurangama Mantra.

我們各位應該想一想，這一些個冒充佛學專家，或者一些個自命為學者的，或者是某一個大學裏頭的教授，為什麼他們要倡議說這個《楞嚴經》是假的？就因為《楞嚴經》上所說的，都是對治這些人的毛病，把他們所本有的一些老毛病都說得清清楚楚的。好像其中那個〈四種清淨明誨〉，說得清清楚楚的，不可毀犯。這一些人根本就不願去他們的毛病，所以就提議說：「《楞嚴經》是中國人造的。」這個最初是誰說的呢？是日本人提議出來的。那日本人說誰告訴他的呢？說是一個中國的法師告訴他的，說這個《楞嚴經》是假的。那麼我不知道這個法師究竟他懂不懂《楞嚴經》？這法師的名字不要提他了，因為已經是很早的事情了。那麼就這麼樣以訛傳訛，說《楞嚴經》是假的。這就證明這個佛法沒啊，一點一點地就是由佛教裏邊的人造出這種謠言來，一點一點地就令人生一種懷疑；生一種懷疑，久而久之就狐疑不信了；那麼狐疑不信，就把這一部經會置諸高閣；置諸高閣就等於毀滅了一樣的。所以，你對這一部經也不研究了，他對這一部經也不發生興趣了，久而久之，就這樣毀沒了。不是這個經自己就沒有字了，或者沒有紙了，或者怎麼樣的，而是人們一點一點地就把它淡忘下來了。

All of us should stop for a moment and think, "Why do these fake Buddhist experts, self-proclaimed scholars, and college professors say that the Shurangama Sutra is false?" It's because the doctrines of the Shurangama Sutra counteract the faults of these people; it clearly exposes their faults. For example, it explains very clearly that the Four Clear Instructions on Purity must not be transgressed. Since these people have no intention of eliminating their faults, they insinuate that the Shurangama Sutra was created by the Chinese. Who were the first ones to say this? The Japanese. Who told the Japanese? It is said that a Chinese Dharma Master informed them that the Shurangama Sutra was counterfeit. I don't know whether that Dharma Master understood the Shurangama Sutra. We don't have to mention his name, because it was a long time ago. Since then, people have been spreading the rumor that the Shurangama Sutra is not genuine. This shows that the Buddhadharma is declining: people within Buddhism made up such a rumor, gradually causing doubts in others. Over a period of time, people became doubtful and disbelieving, and in their disbelief they put this Sutra away in the attic. That's equivalent to destroying it, for no one will study this Sutra or have any interest in it. Over the course of time, the Sutra will disappear, not because of something like the words fading away or the pages falling out, but because, little by little, people will forget about it.

為什麼人要提倡這個？就是因為他不願意守這個規矩。那經上又說，五十種陰魔有種種的神通，這都不算一回事。所以他想自己有一點神通的時候，就認為我如果有這個神通，也變成假的了。現在在日本有一個同參，據說他有神通，用手一指，這個蠟燭就著了，那麼究竟是不是這樣子？我還沒有證實。我這一次十四號到日本去，或者見一見這個人，他在很早以前也希望見我，那麼我們去，大家互相交換一下意見。

Why have people made up this false theory? Simply because they do not want to follow the rules. The Sutra also states that the various spiritual powers associated with the fifty skandha-demon states are not significant. So those people think, "Even if I had some spiritual powers, they would be considered false." I've heard that a certain cultivator in Japan has spiritual penetrations--it's said that he can point his finger at a candle and cause it to light up. Is this the case? I haven't witnessed it yet. I'm going to Japan on the fourteenth, so maybe I'll look him up. A long time ago he also wanted to see me, so when I visit him we can exchange ideas.

那麼《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉這個重要性，是沒有法子能說得完的，盡未來際也說不完它的這種妙用，所以說不可思議。我今天再用我誠誠實實的這種心，來向你們各位坦坦白白地說一說這個〈楞嚴咒〉的妙用。過去我在東北的時候，每逢遇著人有病，我就一定要令他的病好。我以什麼力量來令一切的人病好？就是這個〈楞嚴咒〉的力量。

The importance of the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra is beyond words. Even if I were to speak to the end of time, it would be impossible to completely describe its wonderful effects. It is inconceivable. Today I'm using a very honest mind to candidly tell all of you about the wonderful effects of the Shurangama Mantra. When I was in Manchuria, whenever I met people who were sick, I was determined to cure their illness. What power did I use to cure sick people? The power of the Shurangama Mantra.

這個〈楞嚴咒〉其中有五部，東方是阿閦佛，阿閦佛就是金剛部；南方是寶生佛，就是寶生部；中央是佛部；西方是蓮華部；北方是羯磨部。這五部就是管理這個世界五方的五大魔軍，所以你一誦〈楞嚴咒〉，這五方的五大魔軍他都俯首低頭，那麼老老實實地不敢違犯〈楞嚴咒〉的這種威力。

The Shurangama Mantra contains five divisions: In the East is the Vajra Division, hosted by Akshobhya Buddha; in the south, the Jewel-creating Division, hosted by Creation of Jewels (Ratnasambhava) Buddha; in the center, the Buddha Division, hosted by Vairochana Buddha; in the West, the Lotus Division, hosted by Amitabha Buddha; in the North, the Karma Division, hosted by Accomplishment (Amoghasiddhi) Buddha. These five divisions control the vast demon armies of the five directions. When you recite the Shurangama Mantra, the soldiers of the five demon armies will lower their heads in obedience. They will behave themselves and will not dare to oppose the awesome power of the Shurangama Mantra.

〈楞嚴咒〉上，又有「息災法」：你一誦這個〈楞嚴咒〉，一切的災難都沒有了。有「降伏法」：就是無論你是什麼天魔外道，一誦〈楞嚴咒〉，就把這個魔的法力都給破了，把他就降伏了。又有「增益法」：你譬如修道，能增益你的智慧，增益你的菩提心，增益你這個願力，一切一切都會增加，這是增益法。有「成就法」：一誦這個〈楞嚴咒〉，你修什麼法門都會成就的，這又是一種。又有一種「鉤召法」：就是遇著天魔外道，你想要把他抓來的時候──舉個例子，就像世間的警察，到那兒把那個犯罪的人抓來了；這鉤召法也就是無論是天魔也好，外道也好，你想要把他抓來，這一切的護法善神、天龍八部、八萬四千金剛藏菩薩即刻就會把他抓來，這是鉤召法。

In the Shurangama Mantra, there is a Dharma for Quelling Calamities. When you recite the mantra, all disasters and misfortunes will disappear. There is also a Dharma for Subduing. No matter what kind of demons from the heavens or heretics you encounter, when you recite the Shurangama Mantra, you will destroy the power of the demons and subdue them. There is a Dharma that Increases Benefits. When you are cultivating the Way, this dharma will help you increase your wisdom, your resolve for Bodhi, and the power of your vows; it can increase everything. This is called the Dharma that Increases Benefits. There is an Accomplishment Dharma. When you recite the Shurangama Mantra, no matter what Dharma-door you practice, you will accomplish it. There is another dharma called the Hooking and Summoning Dharma. This dharma is to be employed when you encounter demons from the heavens and heretics and you want to seize them, just as the policemen in our society catch criminals. When you want to catch the demons from the heavens or the heretics, all the kind-hearted Dharma-protecting spirits, the gods and dragons, and the remainder of the eightfold division, and the 84,000 Vajra Store Bodhisattvas will immediately seize them. This is the Hooking and Summoning Dharma.

〈楞嚴咒〉有五會，其中分出來有三十幾部法。那麼我在東北能對治這一切人的病痛，都因為〈楞嚴咒〉的這種力量。可是這個〈楞嚴咒〉不是隨隨便便人人都可以使用的；那麼使用也不是全面的，因為分出來三十幾部，有三十幾部法。我這樣說，那麼在美國有一些個不懂佛法的教授，他們就想了，說：「哦！原來這個〈楞嚴咒〉是很多小咒湊到一起的！」你說這講出來，真是笑死人！自己也不明白，就以教授這個科學的腦袋，來揣測〈楞嚴咒〉這種不可思議的情形。我聽見這麼樣地講，覺得很可笑！

The Shurangama Mantra consists of five sections and can be divided into over thirty types of dharmas. It was because of the power of the Shurangama Mantra that I was able to treat people's illnesses when I was in Manchuria. However, it is not the case that just anyone can casually use the Shurangama Mantra. When one uses it, one doesn't necessarily have to use the whole mantra, because it contains over thirty types of dharmas. When I mentioned this, some professors in the United States didn't really understand Buddhism, and they thought, "Oh! Now I see that the Shurangama Mantra is just a combination of many little mantras." How ridiculous! They themselves do not understand, so they use the scientific mind of a professor to speculate on the inconceivable state of the Shurangama Mantra. This is what I've heard. What a joke!

為什麼要講這個〈楞嚴咒〉呢？因為這一部《楞嚴經》，就是為著〈楞嚴咒〉而說的；如果沒有〈楞嚴咒〉的話，根本就不會有《楞嚴經》。所以翻譯英文這一位先生，他把〈楞嚴咒〉不要，把結壇這種儀規也都不翻譯，這可以說，就好像一個人沒有了頭似的。一個人沒有個頭，這有什麼用呢？所以在翻譯經典時，不能武斷，不能自己用自己這個小智小慧，或者以管窺天、以蠡測海，用自己這種知見來斷章取義，妄加去取，對於經上，這是不可以的。

Why do we want to talk about the Shurangama Mantra? Because it was for the sake of the Shurangama Mantra that the Shurangama Sutra was expounded. Without the Shurangama Mantra, there wouldn't be any Shurangama Sutra. Therefore, since that person from Hong Kong left out the Shurangama Mantra and didn't translate the rites of setting up the platform, you could say that his English translation is like a person without a head. What can a person do if he has no head? When we translate Sutras, we shouldn't arbitrarily add or delete sentences by interpreting passages out of context or using our own limited understanding and wisdom. If we did, it would be like viewing the sky through a reed or measuring the ocean with a gourd. This is not allowed when we are translating Sutras.

我們現在在金山聖寺也是翻譯經典，那麼凡是經上所有的，絕對是保留的，不會或者把這個經的頭給砍去，或者把腳給剁去了。也不會像某某一個professor（教授），翻譯這個「兩足尊」，他翻譯成什麼呢？就翻譯成「兩條腿」，他說「皈依佛，兩條腿。」那麼這種的翻譯法，也不能說是完全不對，但是有多少是大相逕庭了，與這個經的本意是不相合的。因為這種關係，所以我們金山聖寺所翻譯的這個經典都特別謹慎小心，不是隨便就把經某一段取消了。那麼今天講這《楞嚴經》，順便說一說這個意思。

Now, we are also working on Sutra translations at Gold Mountain Monastery, and we absolutely must retain all the text that is in the Sutras. We will not chop off the head or do away with the feet. Nor will we be like a certain professor who translated liang zu zun (which means "Doubly Perfect Honored One") as "Most Venerable of Two Legged Beings," implying that we should "Take refuge with the Buddha's two legs." [The Chinese character zu can mean perfect or foot.] This way of translating (word-for-word) cannot be said to be completely incorrect, but it is quite far from the intent of the text and does not agree with the original meaning in the Sutra. For these reasons, we are extremely attentive and careful in all the Sutras we translate at Gold Mountain Monastery. We would not casually delete a paragraph in the Sutras. Since I'm talking about the Shurangama Sutra today, I have taken an opportunity to bring this up.   　    

節錄自《大勢至菩薩念佛圓通章淺釋》

Excerpted from the explanation of
The Chapter on the Perfect Penetration
through Mindfulness of the Buddha
by Great Strength Attained Bodhisattva

佛弟子應誦持《楞嚴經》

Disciples of the Buddha Should Recite and Uphold the Shurangama Sutra

◎一九八三年一月開示於金輪聖寺

A talk given in January, 1983 at Gold Wheel Monastery

《楞嚴經》這是佛教裏一部照妖鏡的經，所有天魔外道、魑魅魍魎，一見到《楞嚴經》都現原形了，牠無所遁形，什麼地方牠也跑不了。所以在過去，智者大師聽說有這一部經，就向印度遙拜，拜了十八年，以十八年這種懇切至誠的心，求這一部經到中國來。   

The Shurangama Sutra is a Sutra that acts like a demon-spotting mirror in Buddhism. All the celestial demons, externalists, and the li, mei, and wang liang ghosts reveal their true appearance when they see the Shurangama Sutra. They have no way to hide and no place to flee to. And so in the past, when Great Master Zhi Zhe heard of the existence of this Sutra, he bowed in the direction of India for eighteen years. For eighteen years, he used this spirit of utmost sincerity to pray for this Sutra to be brought to China.

過去的大德高僧，所有這一些有智慧的高僧，沒有哪一個不讚歎《楞嚴經》的。所以《楞嚴經》存在，佛法就存在；《楞嚴經》如果毀滅了，佛法也就毀滅了。怎麼樣末法呢？末法就是《楞嚴經》先毀滅了。誰毀滅的呢？就是這一些個天魔外道。這些天魔外道一看見《楞嚴經》，就好像眼中的釘、肉中的刺一樣，坐也坐不住，站也站不穩，所以牠必須要創出一種邪說，說是《楞嚴經》是假的。

Of all the greatly virtuous and eminent monks of the past, all the wise and lofty Sanghans, there was not a single one who did not praise the Shurangama Sutra. Therefore, as long as the Shurangama Sutra exists, the Buddhadharma exists. If the Shurangama Sutra is destroyed, then the Buddhadharma will also become extinct. How will the decline of the Dharma come about? It will begin with the destruction of the Shurangama Sutra. Who will destroy it? The celestial demons and externalists will. They see the Shurangama Sutra like a nail in their eyes and a thorn in their flesh. They can't sit still, and they can't stand steady; they are compelled to invent the deviant theory saying that the Shurangama Sutra is false.

我們做佛教徒應該認識真理，《楞嚴經》上所講的道理，每一個字都是真經真典，沒有一個字不是講真理的。所以我們現在研究這五十種陰魔，更應該明白《楞嚴經》這種重要性，其他這些邪魔鬼怪最怕的就是《楞嚴經》。

As Buddhist disciples, we should recognize true principle. Every word of the doctrines in the Shurangama Sutra is the absolute truth. There isn't one word which does not express the truth. So now that we are studying the Fifty Skandha-demons, we should realize even more just how important the Shurangama Sutra is. The Shurangama Sutra is what the deviant demons, ghosts, and goblins fear most.

虛老活了一百二十歲，他一生，旁的什麼經典也沒註解過，只有註解這部《楞嚴經》。註解《楞嚴經》這個稿子，他是很注意地來保存，保存了幾十年，結果以後在雲門事變時，就丟了，這是虛老一生一個最大遺憾的事情。他主張我們身為一個出家人，都應該把《楞嚴經》讀得能背得出來，由前邊背到後邊，由後邊背到前邊，順背倒背，順倒都能背得出來，這是他的主張。那麼我知道虛老一生之中，對《楞嚴經》是特別重視的。

The Venerable Master Hsu Yun lived to be a hundred and twenty years old, and during his whole life, he didn't write a commentary for any Sutra other than the Shurangama Sutra. He took special care to preserve the manuscript of his commentary on the Shurangama Sutra. He preserved it for several decades, but it was later lost during the Yunmen incident. This was the Elder Hsu's greatest regret in his life. He proposed that, as left-home people, we should study the Shurangama Sutra to the point that we can recite it by memory, from the beginning to the end, and from the end to the beginning, forwards and backwards. That was his proposal. I know that, throughout his whole life, the Elder Hsu regarded the Shurangama Sutra as being especially important.

有人也對虛老提過，說：「《楞嚴經》有人說是偽造的。」老和尚說這末法怎麼叫末法呢？就因為有這一班人，弄得魚目混珠，是非分不清楚，教你這人都迷了，瞎人眼目，令人認不清楚佛法了。他在那兒把這個真的，他當假的；假的他又當真的了。你看這一些個人，又是這個人寫一部書，人也拿著看；那一個人寫一部書，他也拿著看，真正佛所說的經典，人都把它置諸高閣，放到那個書架子上，永遠也不看。所以這也就看出來眾生的業障是很重的，他若聽邪知邪見，就很相信的；你講正知正見的法，說了他也不信，說了他也不信。為什麼呢？就是善根不夠，根基不夠的關係，所以對正法有一種懷疑的心，有一種狐疑不信的心。

When someone informed the Elder Hsu that there were people who said the Shurangama Sutra was false, he explained that the decline of the Dharma occurs just because these people try to pass fish eyes off as pearls, confusing people so that they cannot distinguish right from wrong. They make people blind so that they can no longer recognize the Buddhadharma. They take the true as false, and the false as true. Look at these people: this one writes a book and people all read it. That one writes a book and they read it too. The real Sutras spoken by the Buddha himself are put up on the shelf, where no one ever reads them. From this, we can see that living beings' karmic obstacles are very heavy. If they hear deviant knowledge and deviant views, they will readily believe them. If you speak Dharma based on proper knowledge and proper views, they won't believe it. Speak it again, and they still won't believe it. Why? Because they don't have sufficient good roots and foundations. That's why they have doubts about the proper Dharma. They are skeptical and unwilling to believe.

我們萬佛城這兒要立楞嚴的壇場，最好你們誰發心把這部《楞嚴經》，天天能讀它，或者一個鐘頭、兩個鐘頭。能把它像讀書那麼讀，能記得又能背得出，把這《楞嚴經》、《法華經》，甚至於《華嚴經》都能背誦出來，這是最好的。誰能把《楞嚴經》、《法華經》、《華嚴經》若都能背得出來，那世界上這還是正法存在的時候。所以我們這兒萬佛城這麼好的地方，大家要發大菩提心，做一些個事情。不是說我們和人比賽，我們要出乎其類、拔乎其萃，要做這些事情。

Here at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, we will be setting up the Shurangama Platform, so it would be ideal if some of you bring forth the resolve to read the Shurangama Sutra every day for one or two hours. You can study it daily just as if you were studying in school, and memorize it so that you can recite it by heart. If you can recite the Shurangama Sutra, the Dharma Flower Sutra, and even the Avatamsaka Sutra from memory, that would be the very best. If someone is able to recite the Shurangama Sutra, the Dharma Flower Sutra, and the Avatamsaka Sutra from memory, then it will mean that this is still a time when the proper Dharma exists in the world. Therefore, in such a wonderful place as the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, everyone should bring forth a great Bodhi resolve to do these things.It is not that we are competing with others. We should be outstanding, rise above the crowd, and do these things.

我在以前有這麼一個心願，想要把《法華經》能背得出來，再能把《楞嚴經》也背得出來。在香港有位果一，就是恆定，他《楞嚴經》能背得出來，《法華經》我教他讀，他最後大約沒有完全背得出來，這是很遺憾的事情。我們這麼好的地方，大家要發大心，把佛經和戒律、《楞嚴經》、《法華經》和《四分律》、《梵網經》都能背得出來，這是最好的，那我們這兒一定是正法久住了。

In the past, I had a wish: I wanted to be able to recite the Dharma Flower Sutra and the Shurangama Sutra from memory. In Hong Kong, there is a disciple named Guo Yi (Heng Ding) who can recite the Shurangama Sutra from memory. I taught him to study the Dharma Flower Sutra, but in the end he probably didn't finish memorizing it, which is very regrettable. In such a fine place as we have here, everyone should bring forth a great resolve to study the Buddhist Sutras and precepts--the Shurangama Sutra, the Dharma Flower Sutra, the Vinaya in Four Divisions, and the Brahma Net Sutra--until he can recite it from memory. That would be the best, for then the proper Dharma would surely remain here for a long time.

天地靈文楞嚴咒

The Shurangama Mantra--
The Efficacious Language of Heaven and Earth

我現在給你們講〈楞嚴咒〉，這〈楞嚴咒〉百千萬劫也沒有人講一次，也不容易講一次。這麼一個法會是很稀有的，難遭難遇的。在我給各位講時，我知道沒有人聽得懂。就是有人自以為懂得，也不是真懂。有人自以為懂了，所以不注意，那也等於不懂。在佛教裏頭，〈楞嚴咒〉是最重要的一部咒，是咒中的王，也是咒裏邊最長的一個咒，這個咒關係整個佛教的興衰。〈楞嚴咒〉是支持天地沒有毀滅的靈文，〈楞嚴咒〉是支持世界不到末日的靈文。所以我常說，世界上若有一人會念〈楞嚴咒〉，這世界就不會毀滅，佛法也不會毀滅的。等到世上沒有人會念〈楞嚴咒〉時，這世界就快毀滅了，因為正法不存在了。

Now I am explaining the Shurangama Mantra for you and it is extremely difficult to encounter such a rare Dharma assembly as this. Billions of eons pass and no one explains the Shurangama Mantra even once. Nor is it easy to explain even once. When I am explaining, I know full well that no one understands what's being said. Even if there are those who think they do, they don't really understand. Some think they already understand and so they don't pay attention, but that's also failing to understood.

Among the Buddha's teachings, the Shurangama Mantra is considered to be the king of mantras because it is the longest and most important. The flourish or demise of Buddhism rests entirely with the Shurangama Mantra. It is the efficacious phrases of the Shurangama Mantra that keep heaven and earth from being destroyed. It is the efficacious phrases of the Shurangama Mantra that keep the world from coming to an end. That is why I often tell you that as long as a single person can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the world cannot be destroyed, nor can Buddhism. But when there is no longer anyone who can recite the Shurangama Mantra, then very quickly the world will be destroyed, because the Proper Dharma no longer abides.

現在便有一些天魔外道說，《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉都是假的，這是天魔外道派出魔子魔孫來造出這些謠言，令人不相信《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉。《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉，這是正法最要緊的一部經和一部咒，《楞嚴經》就是為〈楞嚴咒〉而說的，這《楞嚴經》就是解釋〈楞嚴咒〉的一部經。《楞嚴經》和〈楞嚴咒〉的重要性是沒有法子能說得完的，盡未來際也說不完它的這種功德和妙用，所以是不可思議。說來說去，歸納起來，《楞嚴經》就是讚歎〈楞嚴咒〉的。如果有一個人能在世界上念〈楞嚴咒〉，這妖魔鬼怪都不敢公然出現於世，因為他們所怕的就是〈楞嚴咒〉。如果一個人也不會背〈楞嚴咒〉了，這時候妖魔鬼怪就都出現於世。他們在世界上為非作歹，一般人也不認識他們了。現在因為有人會念〈楞嚴咒〉，妖魔鬼怪就不敢公然出現於世。所以若想世界不滅，就趕快念〈楞嚴咒〉、讀《楞嚴經》，這就是正法住世。

Now there are even heavenly demons and externalists who claim that the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra are false. These heaven demons and externalists send their demon sons and grandsons to stir up rumors that cause people to not believe in the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra. This sutra and mantra are critically important to the preservation of the Proper Dharma. The Shurangama Sutra was spoken for the sake of the Shurangama Mantra. There's no way to ever finish expressing the importance of the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra; to the ends of all time their merits, virtues, and wonderful functions could never be told--so absolutely inconceivable and ineffable are they! When all is said and done, the Shurangama Sutra is an ode to the Shurangama Mantra. As long as there is even one person who can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the demons, ghosts, and strange entities don't dare show themselves in this world. They fear the mantra. But when not even one person can recite the Shurangama Mantra by heart, then those weird entities, those demons and ghosts will come out of hiding. Depraved and up to no good, they will not be recognized by most people. At this point in time, since there are still those who can recite the mantra from memory, those malevolent beings haven't made their appearance yet. And so, if you want to keep the world from being destroyed, quickly learn the Shurangama Mantra and read the Shurangama Sutra to keep the Proper Dharma in the world.

今天開始講〈楞嚴咒〉，〈楞嚴咒〉的「楞嚴」兩個字，就翻譯成「究竟堅固」。

Today the explanation of the Shurangama Mantra is beginning. The word "Shurangama" translates as "Ultimately firm and strong."

這〈楞嚴咒〉的名字叫「摩訶薩怛多般怛囉陀羅尼」，又叫「佛頂光明摩訶薩怛多般怛囉無上神咒」。佛頂就是佛的頂上化佛，所以這〈楞嚴咒〉是微妙不可思議的。〈楞嚴咒〉裏邊所說的，都是降伏天魔、制諸外道的，從一開始到終了，每一句都是諸佛的心地法門，每一句有每一句的用途，每一個字有每一個字的奧妙，都具足不可思議的力量。即使只念一字、一句、一會，或念全咒，都是驚天動地，所謂驚天地，泣鬼神，妖魔遠避，魑魅遁形。所以佛頂光明，這光明也就是表示咒的力量，是能破除一切黑暗，能成就人一切功德。你若能受持〈楞嚴咒〉，將來一定是成佛的，一定得到無上正等正覺的。你若常常誦念〈楞嚴咒〉，就能消除你宿世的業障，往昔的罪業都可以消除。這是〈楞嚴咒〉的妙用。

The entire title of the Shurangama Mantra is "Great White Canopy of Light Dharani Mantra" (mo he sa dan tuo bo da la tuo lo ni zhou). It is also called "Brilliant Buddha's Crown, Great White Canopy of Light, Unsurpassed Spiritual Mantra." The Buddha's Crown refers to the transformation Buddha atop the Buddha's crown. There is no way to conceive the subtle wonder of the mantra. The content of the Shurangama Mantra subdues heavenly demons and controls externalists. Every line, from beginning to end, is the Buddhas' mind-ground Dharma-door. Each line has its own function; each possesses its own esoteric wonder; and each is endowed with incredible power. The recitation of a single word, a single line, a single assembly, or the recitation of the entire mantra causes the heavens to vibrate and the earth to tremble; it's said that heaven and earth are shocked, the ghosts and spirits wail, the demons keep a wide distance, and mountain and river sprites hide away. That brilliance at the Buddha's crown represents the power of the mantra that can dispel every sort of darkness and that enables people to amass all kinds of merit and virtue. If you can accept and uphold the Shurangama Mantra, then you will definitely become a Buddha in the future. You will certainly attain the Unsurpassed Proper and Equal Right Enlightenment. If you continually recite the Shurangama Mantra, then you can get rid of your karmic obstacles from last life and all past lives. That's the incredible function of the Shurangama Mantra!

摩訶是梵語，翻譯中文叫「大」，英文叫 Big。那麼什麼叫大？就是體、相、用都是大的。體遍十方，所以叫大；這個用是盡虛空遍法界的；相，它是沒有相的，可是無相無不相。這個用也可以說它沒什麼用，盡虛空遍法界無所不用。這用是大用，這個相是大相，這個體也是大體，周遍十方，盡虛空、遍法界，這是摩訶的意思。薩怛多也是梵語，翻譯過來叫「白」，就是清淨的意思，也就是沒有污染的意思。所謂白淨法，清淨沒有染污的法，這〈楞嚴咒〉是白淨法。

Mo he is Sanskrit and means "Great." The substance, appearance and function are all great. The substance is said to be great because it pervades the ten directions; the function fills up empty space and reaches throughout the Dharma Realm; and the appearance--well, there isn't any appearance. You can say that it neither has any appearance nor lacks any appearance. The function also doesn't really exist, yet there isn't any place its function doesn't reach in all of space and the Dharma Realm. That's a great function, a great appearance, and a great substance. Pervading the ten directions, exhausting the limits of space, and filling the Dharma Realm is the meaning of "mo he."
Sa dan tuo, also Sanskrit, means "white" and represents purity and lack of defilement. Pure white Dharma is devoid of filth. The Shurangama Mantra is pure white Dharma.

般怛囉也是梵語，翻譯中文叫「傘蓋」。傘蓋是譬喻，這個傘蓋它是用蔭萬德，這傘蓋的用，就是保護一切有德的人，誰有德行，誰就能遇到這種白淨法；沒有德行的人，是遇不到這種法的。所以才說：

Bo da la is also Sanskrit and translates as "canopy." Canopy is an analogy. This canopy provides shelter for those with myriad virtues. The function of this canopy is to protect those endowed with virtue and those practicing virtuous conduct, meaning anyone who encounters this mantra. Those lacking virtuous conduct won't have an opportunity to meet with this Dharma. It's said:

    三光普照透三才
    閻浮世界取不來
    大德大善能遇得
    無德無善不明白

    The three lights universally illumine,
    　permeating the three forces.
    In all this world of Jambudvipa
    　you may not come upon it.
    Only those with great virtue and
    　 great goodness will attain it.
    Those lacking virtue and goodness
    　 just won't understand it.

「三光普照透三才」，這三光不是日、月、星，是你誦持〈楞嚴咒〉，身上有身光，口裏有口光，你心裏頭有心光，身、口、意這三業都放光。三才，就是天、地、人。

The three lights universally illumine, permeating the three forces. Here, the three lights do not refer to the sun, moon, and stars. Rather, it means that when you recite the Shurangama Mantra, your body emits light, your mouth emits light, and your mind emits light. It is talking about the light of the three karmas. The three forces refer to heaven, earth, and people.

「閻浮世界取不來」，在閻浮界你找不著，你各處找不著，你一定要受持〈楞嚴咒〉才能得到這種光。
  
In all this world of Jambudvipa you may not come upon it. Throughout our world, Jambudvipa, you may seek but not find it. You absolutely must uphold the Shurangama Mantra in order to attain this light.
  
「大德大善能遇得」，你若有大的德行、大的善，才能得到這種法門。
  Only those with great virtue and great goodness will attain it. If you have amassed virtuous conduct and have magnanimous virtue, then you will be able to attain the Dharma-door.
  
「無德無善不明白」，你若沒有德行，沒有善功德來栽培著，你就是當面也會錯過，交臂也會失之。見到黃金你以為是銅，見到鑽石你以為是玻璃，都會不認識。你見到〈楞嚴咒〉了，以為這是很普通的，沒有什麼，所以就不知道寶其所寶，不知道妙其所妙！不知道〈楞嚴咒〉這種的功德，是不可思議的。  Those lacking virtue and goodness just won't understand it. If you don't have sufficient virtue and haven't done enough good deeds, then even if you come face-to-face with it, you'll miss your chance. Right within arms' reach, you'll lose it. Having come upon gold you'll mistake it for copper; having found a diamond, you'll think it's a piece of glass. You'll fail to recognize it. You'll look upon the Shurangama Mantra as nothing at all out of the ordinary, and as a consequence won't realize it's the gem of gems, the wonder of wonders! You won't have any concept of the Shurangama Mantra's unfathomable merit and virtue.
  
這方才說三光，還不只這個身、口、意三業放出清淨的光明，還有紅光繚繞。你誦〈楞嚴咒〉，自然就有紅光繚繞。所以才說：

Besides the three lights emitted when the three karmas of body, mouth, and mind are pure, there is also a swirling red light. Recitation of the Shurangama Mantra generates a swirling red light. It's described this way:

千朵紅蓮護住身
坐駒騎著墨麒麟
萬妖一見往遠躲
濟公法師有妙音

A thousand petaled red lotus supports one's body.
As one sits firmly mounted on a black unicorn.
Seeing this, the hordes of monsters go far away to hide.
Dharma Master Ji, the Venerable,
mastered these wonderful sounds.

「千朵紅蓮護住身」，有千朵的紅蓮來護持你的身，紅蓮華放出紅光。你一念〈楞嚴咒〉最前面二十九句咒文，就會現出這個境界。「坐駒騎著墨麒麟」，一念這〈楞嚴咒〉，這持咒的人是坐在一個麒麟的身上。「萬妖一見往遠躲」，什麼妖魔鬼怪一見都跑了，他不敢面對這種大威德的相。我們人人都知道佛教裏有一位濟公，當初濟公就是專用這一段咒文來降伏天魔、制諸外道，很靈感的，所以說「濟公法師有妙音」。這一段咒文是教我們「皈依盡虛空、遍法界，一切諸佛、一切菩薩、一切聲聞緣覺、一切諸天。」這也是護持三寶的一段，所以念這一段咒的時候，一切的妖魔鬼怪都要退避三舍；不止退避三舍，要退到他所不能退的地方去，他們都不敢作怪，都老實了。

A thousand petaled red lotus supports one's body. When you recite the first twenty-nine lines of the Shurangama Mantra a state occurs wherein a red lotus with a thousand petals manifests and emits red light. As one sits firmly mounted on a black unicorn. Upon reciting the Mantra, the person chanting finds himself sitting astride a unicorn. Seeing this, the hordes of monsters go far away to hide. No matter what kind of weird creature or demon or ghost it might be, they all flee, not daring to face such a magnificent and awesome manifestation. The Venerable Ji is a well-known High Master in Buddhism. His expert use of this passage of the mantra to subdue heavenly demons and control externalists was extremely efficacious. And so the last line says: Dharma Master Ji, the Venerable, mastered these wonderful sounds. This passage of the mantra instructs us to "take refuge with all the Buddhas, all the Bodhisattvas, all the Hearers and Condition-Enlightened Ones, and all the gods throughout empty space and the Dharma Realm." It's a passage that protects the Triple Jewel, and so when you recite it the demons flee and the ghosts don't stop running until they're ten miles away. Not just ten miles, they back off until there's no more room to retreat. They don't dare make trouble; they are forced to behave themselves.

這是說這一段咒文大概的意思，至於若詳細說，這〈楞嚴咒〉是妙不可言的，所以又說：

That's a general description of what this passage of mantra is about; the details are even more wonderful.

奧妙無窮實難猜
金剛密語本性來
楞嚴咒裏有靈妙
五眼六通道凡開

Unendingly miraculous and mysterious,
it's extremely hard to fathom.
This vajra secret language wells forth from your own nature.
Inside the Shurangama Mantra is marvelous magic!
Then come five eyes and six penetrations and the Way opens up.

「奧妙無窮實難猜」，這個〈楞嚴咒〉非常奧妙，它的變化也不可思議，很不容易測度的。「金剛密語本性來」，〈楞嚴咒〉是密中之密，這是金剛來護持這個咒。本性來，它是從自己那個佛性中生出來的。「楞嚴咒裏有靈妙」，〈楞嚴咒〉也叫做靈文，因為他特別靈，特別有力量，所以說〈楞嚴咒〉裏有靈妙。「五眼六通道凡開」，你若能常持〈楞嚴咒〉，專心一致，心不旁騖，你可以得到五眼六通，可以有不可思議的那種境界來變化莫測，所以不是一般凡夫俗子可能知道的。因為這個，所以希望大家都能讀誦《楞嚴經》，背誦〈楞嚴咒〉。你一誦〈楞嚴咒〉，為什麼妖魔鬼怪不敢出來？因為力量太大了，盡虛空遍法界沒有一個地方，不是有這種祥光瑞氣彌漫著。所以有人誦〈楞嚴咒〉，就是補天地正氣的不足。你一個人念〈楞嚴咒〉，就有一個人的力量；百人念〈楞嚴咒〉，就有百人的力量，這世界妖魔鬼怪都會老老實實的。所以多一點人念〈楞嚴咒〉是好的。

Unendingly miraculous and mysterious, it's extremely hard to fathom. The Shurangama Mantra is quite esoteric and its changes and transformations are inexplicable; it's not easy to figure out. This vajra secret language wells forth from your own nature. The Shurangama Mantra is the secret within the secret. That's the vajras who come to protect the mantra. Your own nature--it is born from your own Buddha nature. Inside the Shurangama Mantra is marvelous magic! The Shurangama Mantra is called an efficacious language because of its spell-binding power. That's what "marvelous magic" is referring to. Then come five eyes and six penetrations and the Way opens up. If you can continually uphold the Shurangama Mantra--single-mindedly without entertaining other thoughts--then you can attain the Five Eyes and Six Spiritual Penetrations. You will then experience the inconceivable, unfathomable changes and transformations that occur which ordinary people are totally unaware of. And that's the reason why I hope everyone will learn to read the Shurangama Mantra and memorize it. Why is it that the demons, ghosts, and goblins don't dare show themselves when you recite the Shurangama Mantra? It's so powerful that there isn't a place in all of space or the entirety of the Dharma Realm that isn't flooded with auspicious light. Recitation of the Shurangama Mantra patches up the imperfections in the heavens and the earth. One person reciting the Shurangama Mantra creates power equivalent to one person. A hundred people reciting create power equivalent to a hundred people. And the weird beings here in this world become very well-behaved. So it's better if more people recite.

無上神咒，什麼叫「無」呢？這個無，就是高明無極，也光明到極點了，沒有再超過這種高和光明的，這叫無。「上」呢？是沒有再比這更尊貴、更高尚了，這叫上。神就是不可思議，也就是威靈叵測，這叫神。咒就是感應道交，有一種力量，你念這咒就有感應。「佛頂光明摩訶薩怛多般怛囉無上神咒」，這是說佛頂的光明，猶如大白傘蓋來蔭罩我們一切持咒的人。

It's an unsurpassed spiritual mantra. The negating prefix "un-" actually means "lofty to the utmost; brilliant to the extreme." Peerless radiant illumination piercing the heights is the meaning of "un-". And "surpassed"? Well, there's nothing more esteemed, nothing more venerated. "Spiritual" is what is inconceivable and ineffable, what is awe-inspiring, efficacious and unfathomable. The power of mantras brings a response with the Way. When you recite mantras, something happens. "Brilliant Buddha's Crown, Great White Canopy of Light, Unsurpassed Spiritual Mantra." This means that the light at the crown of the Buddha's head is like a great white canopy that comes to shelter and protect all of us who recite the mantra.

這個咒是沒有人明白的，也不能一句一句、一個字一個字去講，不過你如果想要明白它，我可以勉強講給你聽。單這〈楞嚴咒〉，一年也講不完，三年也講不完，甚至於十年也講不完。現在我把這個咒的大意講一講，它有五會，這五會就表示五方，五方就是東、西、南、北、中。東方就是金剛部，阿門佛為教主；南方就是寶生部，寶生佛做教主；中央就是佛部，釋迦牟尼佛做教主；西方就是蓮華部，阿彌陀佛做教主；北方叫羯磨部，成就佛做教主，共有這五部。這五部就是管理這世界五方的五大魔軍，因為有這五魔，所以佛也分開五方，鎮壓這個魔。如果沒有佛，那魔就會出現於世了。所以你一誦〈楞嚴咒〉，這五方的五大魔軍就都俯首低頭，老老實實，不敢違犯〈楞嚴咒〉的這種威力。〈楞嚴咒〉具足這五部，所以這個〈楞嚴咒〉是最妙不過了；可是你要沒有執著，若有所執著，就不會太妙了。

No one understands this mantra, nor can they explain line by line and word by word. But if you want to understand it, I can try my best to explain it to you. The Shurangama Mantra can't be explained in a year's time, or three years' time, or even ten years' time. Now I will explain the general intent of this mantra. This mantra is composed of five assemblies which represent the five directions of east, west, south, north, and center. The east is the vajra division with Akshobhya Buddha as the teaching host. The south is the welling up of jewels division with Welling Up of Jewels Buddha as the teaching host. The center is the Buddha division with Shakyamuni Buddha as the teaching host. The west is the lotus division with Amitabha Buddha as the teaching host. The north is the karma division with Accomplishment Buddha as the teaching host. Altogether these five divisions watch over the five demonic armies that abide in this world. Because of these five demons, the Buddhas split up in five directions to repress these demons. Without the Buddhas, these demons would show themselves here in our world. And so, when you recite the Shurangama Mantra, the five demonic armies in the five directions submit and surrender. They behave themselves and don't dare try to oppose the power of the Shurangama Mantra. The five divisions in the mantra are what make it so fine. But you shouldn't be attached. Your becoming attached won't be so fine.

〈楞嚴咒〉有五會，其中分出來有三十幾部法。我過去在東北的時候，能對治一切人的病痛，都因為〈楞嚴咒〉的這種力量。可是這〈楞嚴咒〉不是隨隨便便人人都可以使用的，若使用也不是全面的，因為分出來有三十幾部法。這是大概，若往詳細了說，有一百多種。

Within the five assemblies of the Shurangama Mantra are more than thirty sections of Dharmas. Before, when I was in Manchuria, the reason I was able to cure people's illnesses was all because of the power of the Shurangama Mantra. But the Shurangama Mantra cannot be used casually. If used, it's not the entire thing that's used, because within it are, in general, more than thirty different Dharmas. If looked at in detail there are over a hundred.

這個法，有成就法：就是一誦這〈楞嚴咒〉，你無論修什麼法門，求什麼事情，求什麼願，都會成就的，這是一種。又有增益法：就是譬如你修道，道心不夠，你一誦這個咒，能增益你的智慧，增益你的菩提心，增益你的願力，一切一切都會增加。你誦這個咒，對你自己有所求，也可以增益；對於旁人也可以增益，這是增益法。

As to these Dharmas, there's the Dharma of Accomplishment. That means by reciting the Shurangama Mantra, whatever method you are practicing will be perfected; whatever thing you want to do will get done. There's also the Dharma of Increasing Benefits. That means, for example, if you don't have enough resolve for the Way in your practice, by reciting the mantra you can increase your wisdom; increase your Bodhi mind; increase the power of your vows; everything will get better. When you recite the mantra, everything you hope increases will surely do so! It will increase for others, too.

息災法：就是你有什麼災難，你一誦這個咒就沒有了，消災了。譬如本來這個人應該掉海裡淹死，一念這個〈楞嚴咒〉，就把他解過去了，掉到海裡也淹不死了。或者你搭船，這個船應該會沉了，念這個咒，這個船也不沉了。或者坐飛機，這個飛機在空中應該爆炸，你一念這個咒，它也不爆炸了。但是你還要靠自己，把你自己心裏的災，也要消除出去。你心裏有什麼災呢？譬如你單靠著念咒，你心裏還是亂打妄想，盡想一些不好的念頭，你有這些不清淨的雜念、欲念，那你心裏頭那根本的災沒有除去，你念什麼咒也沒有用。所以想要息你的災，你必須要心裏先清淨；心裏清淨了，那是真息災。你心裏要是貪、瞋、癡裝滿肚子，你念什麼咒都不靈的。所以這心是最要緊的，心一定要慈悲良善，願意幫助其他人，要有一種好心。

The Dharma of Quelling Disasters means that if a calamity is due, reciting the mantra will make it disappear. The disaster will be quelled. Suppose someone is due to drown in the ocean. Reciting the mantra can change the situation so that he doesn't get drowned. Or you're on a boat that's supposed to sink. Recitation of the mantra can keep the boat from sinking. Or the airplane is supposed to crash, but you are reciting the mantra and so it doesn't. Nonetheless, you have to take responsibility for dispelling the calamities in your own mind. What calamities are there in your mind? Well, if you merely rely on the mantra, but inside you are a bundle of false and malevolent thoughts, scattered and impure thoughts, lustful thoughts, then you certainly haven't expelled the calamities in your own mind. In that case, no mantra is going to work. And so if you want to avoid disasters you must first purify your own mind. The purity of your mind is what really dispels calamities. If you are full of greed, hatred, and stupidity, no mantra is going to be efficacious. Our frame of mind is extremely important. We must be kindhearted and filled with goodness, wishing to help others. Our mind should be wholesome.

勾召法：就是遇著天魔外道，你想要把他抓來的時候用。舉個例子，就像世間的警察，把那犯罪的人抓來了；勾召法也是這樣子的，這妖魔鬼怪，他在這個地方害人，做不對的事情，令人生病，或者生災難，然後他跑了。你想要把他抓來，一誦這咒，用這個勾召法，他就相離多遠，這一切的護法善神、天龍八部、八萬四千金剛藏菩薩，即刻就能把妖魔鬼怪抓來。但是抓是抓來，他有時還是不服的，你必須用種種的方法來教化他。你單強壓迫他，來降伏他，是下品法，不是一種好的方法。好的方法，不用任何的勢力來壓迫，也不壓迫他，也不和他鬥爭，不要好像修羅似的，鬥爭堅固，不要學那樣。你明明有力量可以降伏他，也不要用降伏法，要用德行來感化他，來教化他。

The Dharma for Hooking and Summoning is for use when you meet up with heavenly demons and externalists and want to catch them. Just as law enforcement officers catch criminals, so too, the Hooking and Summoning Dharma catches weird creatures, demons, and ghosts. They do something here to harm others or do some bad thing that causes people to get sick and then they run away. But you want to catch them and so you recite the mantra, using the Hooking and Summoning Dharma. Well, no matter how far away from you they are, the Dharma-protecting good spirits, or members of the eightfold division, or some of the eighty-four thousand Vajra Treasury Bodhisattvas will immediately snatch them and bring those demonic beings back. Even then, sometimes they won't give in and you have to use all kinds of expedients to teach and transform them. If you use brute force to subdue them, then that's the lowest grade of dharma, it's not a good method. The best methods don't use any sort of power plays to oppress beings. Don't oppress them and don't contend with them. Don't be like an asura--tough and looking for a fight. Even when you clearly have the power to do so, don't use the dharmas to subdue them. You should use virtuous conduct to influence beings and then teach and transform them.

又有降伏法：魔它也有神通，他也有咒，你念咒，他也念咒。但是你用這個〈楞嚴咒〉，就把他所有的咒，都給破了，把他降伏了。用這勢力把他折伏了，令他老實了。我以前對你們大家都講過，〈楞嚴咒〉其中有幾句是破魔羅網的一種咒，也是破魔咒術的。為什麼這個〈楞嚴咒〉一念，那個先梵天咒就沒有效驗了呢？就因為有這個五大心咒。這五大心咒是破天魔外道一切咒術的根本的咒。無論他有什麼咒，你一念這幾句，就都給他破了，他的咒就沒有功效了。我這個法如果要賣錢，幾百萬我也不賣。不過我看你們都有點誠心，我一個 cent（分）也不要 ，傳授給你們。這就是降伏法。總而言之，無論你修什麼法，你必須要有無上的菩提道心，大慈大悲、大喜大捨。不可以用你的道力，來壓迫任何的人，或來壓迫任何的妖魔鬼怪。

And finally, there is the Dharma of Subduing. Demons have spiritual penetrations and they also have mantras. You recite your mantra and they recite theirs. But when you use the Shurangama Mantra, you break through all their mantras and subdue them. You use the power to quell them and make them behave. I've told you all before that the Shurangama Mantra has within it a few lines of mantra that rends the nets of demons. Why was the mantra from the Brahma Heavens rendered useless? It was because of the Five Great Hearts Mantra. The Five Great Hearts Mantra destroys the mantras underlying the demons' and externalists' spells and incantations. It doesn't matter what mantra they use, when you recite these lines, their spells are smashed and their mantras become ineffectual. If I wanted to market this Dharma, a million dollars wouldn't even touch my asking price! But I can see that you have a bit of sincerity and so I am transmitting it to you absolutely free. To sum it up, no matter what Dharma you cultivate, you must have the unsurpassed resolve for Bodhi; you must have great kindness and compassion; you must practice great giving and great renunciation. You must not use the powers you gain in practicing the Way to oppress any other person or to squelch any demon, monster, goblin, or ghost.

又有吉祥法：你念這個咒，一切的事情都隨心如意，很吉祥的。這是有這種種的法，我把這幾種法的意思給你們講一講。

Furthermore, the Dharma of Auspiciousness enables things to go your way when you recite the mantra. Good fortune prevails. Now I've given you an explanation of these Dharmas.

這個咒如果要說它的好處，那就是說幾年也說不完的，太多了。所有十方一切諸佛都是從〈楞嚴咒〉裡邊生出來的，所以〈楞嚴咒〉可以說是佛的母親。十方如來就是藉著〈楞嚴咒〉，得成無上正遍知覺。十方如來能應身到微塵數那麼多國家，去轉法輪教化眾生，在十方給眾生摩頂授記，拔濟眾生的群苦，令眾生一切大小諸橫同時得到解脫，都是憑著這個〈楞嚴咒〉心的力量。假設想得阿羅漢果，你一定要誦這個咒，才能沒有魔事。末法的時候，如果有人能背誦〈楞嚴咒〉，或者叫他人誦讀〈楞嚴咒〉，這樣的人火也不能燒他，水也不能淹死他，無論大毒小毒，都害不了他。一切的毒入到誦持〈楞嚴咒〉這個人的口裡，都會變成甘露味。受持〈楞嚴咒〉的人不會生到不好的地方，就是你想去也不行。為什麼呢？這個〈楞嚴咒〉拉著你，叫你不要去！不要去！誦持〈楞嚴咒〉的眾生縱然他自己不做什麼福德，十方如來所有的功德都給這個人。你說這便宜不便宜！只念念〈楞嚴咒〉而已。你念〈楞嚴咒〉，就能常常生在佛出世的時候，和佛在一起熏修。

I could talk for several years and never finish describing the good points of this mantra. All Buddhas of the ten directions come forth from the Shurangama Mantra. The Shurangama Mantra is the mother of all Buddhas. It was by means of the Shurangama Mantra that all Buddhas perfected Unsurpassed Proper and Pervasive Enlightened Knowledge. The ability of the Buddhas of the ten directions to create response bodies and go throughout the ten directions turning the Dharma wheel to teach and transform living beings; to rub the crowns of those beings and bestow predictions upon them; to rescue beings from their complex sufferings; to enable beings to escape both large disasters and small calamities--their ability to do all that comes from the power of the Shurangama Mantra Heart. If you want to attain the fruition of Arhatship, you absolutely must recite this mantra to keep demonic things from happening. During the Dharma-ending Age if people can memorize the Shurangama Mantra or encourage others to memorize it, well, fire cannot burn such people and water cannot drown them. No matter how potent a poison, it cannot harm them. For those who recite the Shurangama Mantra, poison turns to sweet dew as soon as it enters their mouths. People who recite the Shurangama Mantra will never get born in bad places, even if they want to. Why is that so? It's because the Shurangama Mantra pulls you back and won't allow you to go. Someone who recites the Shurangama Mantra may never have amassed any blessings or virtue, but, simply because he recites the mantra, the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions will bestow their own merit and virtue upon that person. Wouldn't you call that a bargain? That happens based on the recitation of the Mantra alone. If you recite the Shurangama Mantra, you will continually get to be born at a time when a Buddha is in the world and will be able to immerse yourself in cultivation under that Buddha's guidance.

假設你心念非常散亂，沒能專一，而且沒有定力。可是你心裡想佛所說的〈楞嚴咒〉，口裡就誦持。金剛藏王菩薩就用很精真的這種心，跟著你這個散亂心持〈楞嚴咒〉的人，暗暗來催速，一點一點令你這個散亂心就沒有了，一點一點就可以得到定力。就是在默默中幫助你，令你開智慧，心念專一，從前八萬四千恆河沙劫這麼長時間的事情，你就一切一切都明瞭了。

If your mind is terribly scattered so that you can't concentrate and don't have any samadhi-power, but you think about the Shurangama Mantra and recite it with your lips, the Vajra Treasury King Bodhisattvas will very attentively watch for ways to invisibly help you gradually until your confusion has disappeared and you develop samadhi. They will imperceptibly help you open your wisdom and concentrate your mind to the point that you become crystal clear about all the events spanning the previous eighty-four thousand Ganges' sands of eons.

你若能把〈楞嚴咒〉讀會了，能背得出，就像由你自己心裡流出來的，〈楞嚴咒〉也就是你一個心，你的心也就是〈楞嚴咒〉，得到持咒三昧，誦得猶如流水似的，源源不斷。這樣子，你最低限度也可以七生都像美國煤油大王那麼有錢，七世都做員外，做有錢的人。說：「這麼好，我趕快學〈楞嚴咒〉，好做七世員外。」你要是境界這麼小，那就不要學〈楞嚴咒〉了，七世員外也是一眨眼的期間。那麼念會〈楞嚴咒〉要希望什麼呢？要希望究竟作佛，得到無上正等正覺。不要境界那麼小，實際上學〈楞嚴咒〉，就是佛的化身；不但是佛的化身，還是佛的頂上化佛，化佛中的化佛，所以〈楞嚴咒〉的妙處是不可思議的。有人真能持〈楞嚴咒〉，在這個地方，虛空裡頭就有一個大白傘蓋。你的功夫若大、若高，你一念這個傘蓋，甚至於幾千里地以內，都無災無難了；你功夫若小，那麼這個傘蓋在你自己的頭上，也保護著你。你要是有道德，是一個大德高僧，你這一念，甚至於整個國家都得到好處了，都沒有什麼災難了。就有災難，大的災難也就化小了，小的災難就化沒有了。

If you can learn the Shurangama Mantra until you have memorized it fluently--so that you become one with the mantra--then you attain the mantra's samadhi and your recitation will be like flowing water, welling up uninterrupted. If you can do that, then at the very least for seven lives to come you will be as wealthy as America's richest oil magnates. And you say, "That's great! I'm going to learn the mantra right away! I wouldn't mind being a magnate of some kind!" Well, if you are that selfish, then don't even bother learning the mantra. Seven lives pass in the blink of an eye anyway. What should those who learn the Shurangama Mantra be hoping for? You should hope for ultimate Buddhahood; hope to attain the Unsurpassed Proper and Equal Right Enlightenment. Don't be so petty! Actually those who are really dedicated in reciting the Shurangama Mantra are transformation bodies of Buddhas. Not just any transformation bodies, but those atop the Buddha's crown--transformation bodies of that transformation body! And so you see that the wonderful aspects of the Shurangama Mantra are difficult to express, difficult to conceptualize. Wherever someone is seriously reciting the Shurangama Mantra, a great white canopy will be there in the space above him. If your skill in reciting the mantra is high-level and far-reaching, then when you recite, the canopy will extend for thousands of miles, preventing any disasters or difficulties. If you only have a little skill, then the canopy will be right above your own head protecting you. If you have virtue in the Way, if you are a High Sanghan, then when you recite, the entire nation will be benefitted and no calamities will occur. Or if disasters are unavoidable, big ones will turn into little ones, and the little ones won't even happen.

無論哪一個國家飢荒、瘟疫傳染病，或者有打仗、賊難，所有一切的災難。你若能寫楞嚴神咒，放到城的四門上，或者有砲臺、堡壘那個看崗的地方，使令這個國家所有的眾生都迎接這個〈楞嚴咒〉，叩頭頂禮恭敬，一心供養這個〈楞嚴咒〉，就像供養佛那麼樣恭敬。使令這個國家的人民，每個人身上都佩帶一卷〈楞嚴咒〉，或者每個人把它放到自己所住的宅子裡邊。這樣，這些災難的事情都消滅了。如果有〈楞嚴咒〉在這個地方，天龍就都歡喜，也沒有狂風暴雨這種災害了，所有的五穀也都豐收，一般老百姓都很平安的。所以〈楞嚴咒〉這個功德是不可思議的，你想也想不到，思也思不到的，它妙的地方也在這個地方。

It doesn't matter if it's a nationwide famine, plague, war, or plunder, all those kinds of disasters will be alleviated. Suppose you were to write out the Shurangama spiritual mantra and place it at the main entrances to the city, or in its watchtowers or other lookout places; suppose you could inspire the nation's inhabitants to show interest in the Shurangama Mantra, so that they bow to and revere it and single-mindedly make offerings to it as if they were offering to the Buddhas themselves; suppose you could get every single citizen to wear the mantra on their person or to keep it in their place of residence; well, if you could do that, all disasters would disappear. Whenever the Shurangama Mantra can be found in a place, the gods and dragons are delighted, and so that place will be free from devastating storms; the crops will produce in abundance; and the populace will be peaceful and happy. That is why I say that the merit and virtue of the Shurangama Mantra is inexpressible; it can't be reckoned in the mind; it can't be cognized in our thoughts. That's the wonder of it!

本來破戒是不可補救的，但是你若能念〈楞嚴咒〉，還能恢復你戒根清淨。但是能念，不是就念一念，一定要得到誦咒三昧。這個咒就是從你心裡念出來的，這個咒又能回來到你心裡。所謂咒心心咒，這個心和咒合成一個了，沒有分別，你想要忘，也忘不了了，這叫不念而念，念而無念。你把一切妄想雜念都念沒有了，就是一個誦持〈楞嚴咒〉的心，這叫打成一團，成一個了，團結起來了。你這思想念頭團結起來了，沒有第二念了，就像流水源源而來，前浪推後浪，浪浪不斷，這樣子水流風動演摩訶，水流的聲音，和風動的聲音，都是〈楞嚴咒〉的咒心。你能念到這個樣子，那時候你就是破戒了，也還能得到戒根清淨；你沒有受戒，就得到受戒。本來你不向前進步，不研究佛法，一念〈楞嚴咒〉，念得時間久了，也自然生出一種精進心來；沒有智慧的人，也會開智慧。如果你修行不得清淨，開齋破戒，但是因為你不忘〈楞嚴咒〉，所以很快又恢復清淨了。如果你在沒持咒、沒受戒以前，犯過禁戒，那麼持咒之後，所有一切破齋犯戒，這一些個罪，不管是輕、是重，甚至於不通懺悔的四波羅夷罪、五逆、四棄八棄，你一念〈楞嚴咒〉，無論怎麼樣重的罪都消滅了，連一個頭髮那麼多都沒有了，所以〈楞嚴咒〉的力量是不可思議。

Basically broken precepts cannot be mended. But if you recite the Shurangama Mantra, you can return to purity. But when I say recite, I don't mean you can just do it casually. You have to attain the mantra-recitation samadhi. The recitation of the mantra must flow forth from your mind and the mantra must flow back into your mind. That's called "the mantra is the mind and the mind is the mantra." Your mind and the mantra become united. There isn't any distinction. It reaches the point where you couldn't forget it if you wanted to. That's called even when not reciting, the recitation continues; when reciting there really isn't any recitation. You recite until there aren't any idle thoughts remaining. The only function of the mind is the recitation of the Shurangama Mantra. That's called meshing with the mind. There are no second thoughts. The flow of the mantra's recitation is like water that flows on in uninterrupted waves. At that point, everything expresses the Mahayana--the sounds of the breezes blowing and the water flowing are all the Shurangama Mantra's Heart Mantra. If you can reach that level, then if you have broken precepts, you will be able to return to pure precepts. You will be endowed with the precepts without going through the formal transmission. If you are someone who doesn't want to progress in your practice, who doesn't want to investigate the Buddhadharma, but you recite the Shurangama Mantra for a period of time, quite naturally you will be inspired to be vigorous; those who lack wisdom can open their wisdom. If you are not pure in your cultivation so that you break your vegetarian practices and violate the precepts, but you have not forgotten the Shurangama Mantra, you will be able to quickly return to purity. If you violated precepts before you began upholding the mantra and prior to receiving the precepts, then once you start reciting the mantra you can completely wipe out all those former offenses, no matter how serious they were, including even the Four Parajikas, the Five Rebellious Acts, the Four or Eight Offenses warranting dismissal from the Sangha, which are basically unpardonable. Not even a hair's breadth of an offense will remain. And so I say that the power of the Shurangama Mantra is beyond all conception or description!

有的人聽見〈楞嚴咒〉這麼靈，他就單單念咒，也不修行了，這也是一種太過的行為。因為修道，無論修哪一種法，要求中道，不要太過，也不要不及。這個咒固然是靈，但是定力也要修的。《楞嚴經》說這個咒是靈的，但是反聞聞自性，修耳根圓通這個法門，也是最要緊的。你就誦咒的時候，也應該反聞聞自性，要自己迴光返照。前邊不是說嗎？誦這個咒，咒就是心，心也就是咒，心和咒分不開了，心、咒，二而不二。你能到這個樣子上了，你求什麼就都能隨心如意，一定會成就的。那麼你能心和咒都合到一起，這也正是你得到禪定三昧了，得到真正的定力了。所以這一點，我們每一個人要知道的。

Some people who learn how efficacious the Shurangama Mantra is decide to exclusively recite it and ignore all other aspects of cultivation. That's going overboard. In cultivation, no matter what Dharma it is, you have to keep to the Middle Way. Don't do too much and don't fail to do enough. Although the mantra is definitely efficacious, still, you have to develop samadhi. The Shurangama Sutra describes how efficacious this mantra is, but it also explains the method of returning the hearing to listen to your own nature by cultivating perfect penetration of the ear organ. That's also extremely important. While you are reciting the mantra you should be returning your hearing to listen to your own nature. You must reflect within. Didn't I explain earlier how the mantra becomes the mind and the mind becomes the mantra? The mind and the mantra cannot be separated; they are non-dual. When you get there, then you can attain whatever you seek; everything will go the way you want it to; and you will have success in whatever you undertake. When the mind and the mantra merge into one, then you have actually attained the samadhi of Chan meditation and have acquired real samadhi-power. That is something you should know.

〈楞嚴咒〉每一句都有無量意義，每一義都有無量功能。要明白〈楞嚴咒〉是天地間的靈文，靈文中之靈文，秘中之秘，無上法寶，是一切眾生救命之寶。它包羅萬有，上自十方諸佛，下至阿鼻地獄，四聖六凡都要遵從〈楞嚴咒〉的法，十法界中，無論哪一個法界都沒有超出這個範圍；所有一切鬼種類、神種類、一切護法諸天的種類、聲聞、緣覺、佛乘都在〈楞嚴咒〉內。〈楞嚴咒〉所說的都是鬼神王的名字，一念這鬼神王的名字，其餘鬼眷屬和神眷屬就都服服貼貼，循規蹈矩，不敢放肆了。天天念〈楞嚴咒〉，能令世上的妖魔鬼怪都老實一點，不敢出來害人。〈楞嚴咒〉是全體大用的，可以說是包括佛教所有的教義，若能明白〈楞嚴咒〉，就能將佛教秘密精華都明白。天地間的奧妙、天地間不可思議的事情，也是在〈楞嚴咒〉內。若會〈楞嚴咒〉，則不必學密宗，白教、黑教、黃教、紅教，什麼教也不需要學。這是根本的三昧法，最究竟的密法。不過這種密法沒有人懂得，也沒有人認識。一般人都是學而不化，只知道念，卻不知它的意義。本來咒不必知道意義，只要知道它是不可思議的靈文就夠了。

Every line of the Shurangama Mantra contains infinite meanings as well as infinite functions. You should realize that the Shurangama Mantra is the most efficacious language in the world--the efficacious within the efficacious, the esoteric within the esoteric! It is an unsurpassed Dharma Treasure--the gem that can save living beings' lives. It embraces all that exists. From the Buddhas of the ten directions to the Avichi Hell, all the four kinds of sages and six sorts of common realms pay homage to the Shurangama Mantra. None of the ten Dharma realms transcends its scope. All categories of ghosts, spirits, Dharma-protecting deities, Hearers, Condition-enlightened Ones, up to the Buddha Vehicle are contained within the Shurangama Mantra. The Shurangama Mantra contains the names of ghost and spirit kings. When the names of those leaders are recited, all the ghosts and spirits in their retinues become very obedient and behave themselves. They don't dare to make trouble. Reciting the Shurangama Mantra every day can cause demonic beings and weird ghosts throughout the world to settle down and stop harming people. The substance and function of the Shurangama Mantra are all-encompassing. It can be said that within the mantra can be found the entirety of Buddhism's teachings and meanings. If you can understand the Shurangama Mantra, then you have understood the essence of Buddhism's esoteric teachings. All the inconceivable wonders and esoteric phenomena in the universe are contained in the Shurangama Mantra. If you master the Shurangama Mantra, then you don't need to study the esoteric school's white teaching, black teaching, yellow teaching, red teaching or any other teaching. This is the ultimate method of samadhi and the most esoteric Dharma. Unfortunately no one really understands this esoteric Dharma; no one even recognizes it. Most people study it but cannot absorb it; they can only recite it but don't know its meanings. Basically it's not necessary to know the meanings of mantras, you need only realize that they are an ineffable efficacious language.

能念〈楞嚴咒〉就是利益眾生，不能念就不能利益眾生。各位趕快把〈楞嚴咒〉學會，背得出，再研究明白了，才是佛教徒所應有的行為。想學〈楞嚴咒〉，持誦〈楞嚴咒〉的人最好能發大心，為全世界誦持，把所有的功德迴向給全世界。在佛教裡再沒有比〈楞嚴咒〉更重要了，〈楞嚴咒〉是正法的代表，有〈楞嚴咒〉就有正法，沒有〈楞嚴咒〉就沒有正法，不會背〈楞嚴咒〉不配做佛教徒。〈楞嚴咒〉叫愣半年，天天念，要念半年才會背。我們能誦〈楞嚴咒〉的人，都是在無量劫以來培植大善根的人，才能把〈楞嚴咒〉讀得熟，背出來，永遠也不忘，這就是善根的表現。若你沒有善根，不但不能念，就連〈楞嚴咒〉的名字也遇不著；就算遇著了也不懂，不會念。所以我們現在能念能背，都是有大善根。

Being able to recite the Shurangama Mantra is a benefit to all beings. Not being able to recite it, you cannot offer that benefit to beings. Quickly learn it, memorize it, investigate and understand it! Then you will be doing what Buddhist disciples should do. The very best is for those who want to recite the Shurangama Mantra to do it for the sake of the entire world; transfer all the merit to the whole world. There isn't anything more important in Buddhism than the Shurangama Mantra. The Shurangama Mantra is a sure sign of the Proper Dharma. The existence of the Shurangama Mantra ensures the existence of the Proper Dharma. When the Shurangama Mantra is gone, the Proper Dharma is gone. Those who cannot recite this mantra are not worthy of being Buddhist disciples. The Shurangama Mantra is nicknamed "six months' stupor" because for most people it takes a half year of diligent recitation to get it memorized. Those of us who can recite the Shurangama Mantra have been planting and nurturing good roots for countless eons. Being able to memorize it perfectly and never forget it is evidence of those good roots. Without good roots, not only will you not be able to recite it, you will never even hear of the existence of the Shurangama Mantra; or if you hear of it you won't understand it and won't be able to recite it. Truly, then, those who can recite it by heart do have great good roots!

楞嚴法是百千萬劫難遭遇的法門，我們學得一句，明白一句的力量，便要照著去實行。但也不是聽說法有大靈感妙用及力量，就去用它。你用法，但不持戒，好像一般人什麼都不懂，隨便殺生、偷盜、邪淫、妄語、飲酒，而在緊要關頭時念五大心咒，這是污蔑法；沒有功德，卻要支配鬼神及護法，那只有增加自己的罪業，自己會遭受飛災橫禍之事。所以修法的人首先要守持戒律，要注重德行，必須要不爭、不貪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄語。你道德不夠，就像假傳聖旨，冒充國王，這是行不通的。現在人只注重念咒靈驗有功力，但不注重自己的品德，即使念也沒有功力。

The Shurangama Mantra is a Dharma-door difficult to encounter in billions of eons. For every line we learn and understand, we activate one part of its power. But, then, we must actually put it into practice. However it's not that you try to make use of the mantra's vast efficacy and tremendous power. If you use this Dharma but you don't hold the precepts--like most people who aren't clear about anything and casually kill, steal, are lustful, lie, and indulge in intoxicants, and who only recite the Five Great Hearts Mantra when some crisis happens--then you are defiling the Dharma and there is no merit in that. If you insist on trying to control the ghosts and order the Dharma protectors around, then you're just going to be increasing your own karmic offenses. You will bring calamities down upon yourself. Therefore, the first criterion for people who want to cultivate a Dharma is to hold the precepts and place emphasis on developing virtuous conduct. You must not fight, be greedy, seek, be selfish, pursue your own advantages, or lie. If your virtue in the Way is insufficient but you pretend to be a sage who can transmit teachings, or pass yourself off as the leader of a nation, then your behavior is unacceptable. Nowadays everyone is interested in getting the most magic out of mantras, but they are not attentive to their own moral character. And so in fact their recitation will be ineffectual.

所以學〈楞嚴咒〉法，所行必須要正，存心要正，不打不清淨的妄想，不做不清淨的事，要念茲在茲修清淨的行門。如果一方面修〈楞嚴咒〉法門，一方面不好好守規矩，就會有很大的問題發生，這一點大家必須明白。若是你不存正念，不行正行，便會令金剛藏菩薩不佩服你，不保護你，佛菩薩是慈悲的，他不會損害眾生，不會瞋害人；可是所有的侍從，一切的護法、天龍、鬼神，都是有很大的脾氣。這種惡鬼、惡神，他見到你這修道持咒的人有過錯了，他就給你一點災害，或者令你不自在，令你有很大的麻煩，你便會發生種種災難，受種種的果報，這是絲毫不可以開玩笑的。所以必須要齋戒沐浴，要心裏也清淨，不打染污的念頭；身上也清淨，不行染污的法門，時時刻刻要保持清淨，不可以有絲毫不守規矩的行為。

Therefore those who study the Shurangama Mantra Dharma must be proper in their behavior, proper in their intent; must not have defiled thoughts, and must not do impure deeds. They should be very attentive to cultivating purity. If on the one hand they cultivate the Shurangama Mantra and on the other hand they don't follow the rules, then they will get themselves into deep trouble. Everyone should pay close attention to this point. If your intent is not proper and your conduct is not proper, then the Vajra Treasury Bodhisattvas will lose their respect for you and won't protect you. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are compassionate and would not hurt any living being or harm beings out of anger. But their attendants--the Dharma-protectors, gods, dragons, ghosts, and spirits will become enraged. Those evil ghosts and evil spirits, upon seeing you cultivating the mantra while committing offenses, will bring disaster and harm down upon you; will make you feel very uncomfortable; will cause you to get in grave trouble; or make you have to undergo a series of misfortunes or a series of retributions. This is really no joking matter! Therefore you must eat vegetarian food and purify yourself. Most of all your mind must be pure. Don't have defiled false thoughts. Maintain physical purity and don't practice defiling dharmas. At all times guard your purity. Don't commit even the slightest infractions of the rules.

誦持〈楞嚴咒〉比買賣黃金更賺得多，誦〈楞嚴咒〉一遍，就等於幾萬萬盎斯的黃金那麼有價值，不過不能用貪心來誦持。若能持戒律，無嫉妒障礙，無貪瞋癡，那麼誦持〈楞嚴咒〉就有大感應、大利益；若你有不守規矩的行為，修這個法便沒有大的感應力量。並不是咒沒有靈驗，而是因為你不守規矩，護法善神離得你遠遠的，有什麼事情他也不管。所以凡是讀誦〈楞嚴咒〉的人，不要有一種詭譎的心，不要有一種盡造罪業的行為。任何時候都要正大光明，只知利他，不知利己，存菩薩心腸，行菩薩行門。

Reciting the Shurangama Mantra is more valuable than any amount of gold. Reciting the mantra once is equivalent to tons of gold! But your recitation shouldn't be motivated by greed! If you hold the precepts, then you won't be jealous or obstructive; you won't be greedy or angry and your recitation of the mantra will generate pervasive responses and massive benefits. But if your behavior doesn't accord with the rules, the Dharma protecting good spirits will stay far away from you and when something happens to you they won't pay any attention. Therefore, those who recite the Shurangama Mantra shouldn't be cunning or behave in ways that continually create offenses. At all times they should be open and public-spirited; they should strive to benefit others, not themselves; they should cherish the ideals of Bodhisattvas; and cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas.

修楞嚴法是很靈感的，但也不是那麼容易，首先要沒有自私心，其次要沒有自利心，要存大公無私的心，要存至中不偏的心，要存捨己為人的心，要存普度一切眾生的心。有以上所說這樣的心，便能很快成就。各位要很注意，你一定要守五戒，奉行十善，這是最低限度要遵守的規則。修這個法不守規矩是不行的，你不守戒律，或心裏盡打染污的妄想，不單修法沒有感應，不能成就，而且會有奇禍。所以修楞嚴法的時候，要特別注意，要身、口、意三業清淨，才可以相應。不可以隨隨便便講是講非，挑撥離間，或令大家在道場住得不安樂。你一定要舉動行為管自己，行住坐臥不離家，不可以盡給旁人洗衣服，要自己好好把自己照顧一下，迴光返照。

The Shurangama Mantra is extremely efficacious, but it is not that easy to master. First of all you cannot be selfish; next you cannot be out to get your own private gains. You have to be magnanimous and devoid of selfish thoughts. You have to be impartial and not prejudiced. You have to be willing to sacrifice yourself for the sake of others. You have to have the resolve to universally save all living beings. If you can embody the above-listed qualities, then you will have swift success. Pay close attention: you must hold the five precepts and practice the ten good deeds. That's the very least you should do.

It won't work to practice this Dharma if you are not following the rules. If you cultivate this Dharma but you don't behave yourself; if you don't guard the precepts or if you are always having defiled thoughts, then not only will there be no response, not only will you have no success, you will in fact bring disaster down upon yourself. And so when you are cultivating the Shurangama Mantra you must be very attentive to maintain purity with your body, your mouth, and your mind. That's the only way you're going to get a response. You cannot say things that cause schisms or make people in the Way-place uneasy. You must pay attention to all aspects of your behavior, whether walking, standing, sitting, or lying down. It's not all right to always be "washing other peoples' clothes" as it were. Take care of yourself. Look into yourself.

〈楞嚴咒〉是靈文，每一句有每一句的效力，你不必想：「我持〈楞嚴咒〉怎麼沒有什麼效驗？」不管有沒有功效，你就去念，好像打功夫，天天去打拳，不管功夫如何，鍛鍊就有功夫，不可說不鍛鍊就有功夫。同理，受持法要天天不間斷，在任何情形下，在百忙中都要修法。不要時間久了就生懈怠，對〈楞嚴咒〉不再有興趣。這不是說你一念，就見到什麼功效，就見、不見什麼功效，你也要天天受持讀誦。這必須要日久功深，不是一朝一夕就能成就，就有感應的。好像讀書要讀十年、二十年、三十年，才能真正有學問，修行亦復如是。持誦這個咒，你要念茲在茲的，時時刻刻都誦持這個咒，不要間斷，也就像穿衣、吃飯、睡覺那樣要緊，一天都不可以少的。不管它有沒有功效，你天天受持讀誦，時間久了就有基礎，自然就有它的功用。

The Shurangama Mantra is an efficacious language. Every line has its own particular efficacy. But you don't need to think: Why don't I get any responses from holding the Shurangama Mantra. Don't pay any attention to whether there are responses or not, just keep reciting it. It's like practicing martial arts, every day you have to practice your punches, regardless of what your skill is like. Skill comes through training. It's impossible to have skill without training. By the same principle, you should cultivate your Dharmas every day, no matter what happens, no matter how busy you are. Don't slack off after you've been at it for a while, losing interest in the Shurangama Mantra. It's certainly not the case that you will have some efficacious response as soon as you begin reciting it. Regardless of whether you perceive any response, you should continue reciting it every day. You must deepen your skill day by day. Success doesn't happen overnight. For instance you have to study for ten, twenty, or even thirty years before you gain real scholarship. It's the same with cultivation. You must keep your mind on your recitation of the mantra, continuing your recitation without ever letting it get cut off. It should be just as important as putting on clothes, eating food, and going to sleep; you shouldn't be able to be without it for a single day. It doesn't matter whether there's any response, because by reciting every day you will gradually have a foundation and quite naturally the mantra will function.

你想成就妙行，得到不可思議的力量，你不要心裏總打妄想，想入非非，總是妙想天開。你誦咒若間斷了，你三昧就不會成就的。修習楞嚴法門要拿出真心、誠心來修習。什麼叫真心？就是為修持〈楞嚴咒〉，把時間也忘了，空間也沒有了。是日、是夜都不知道，吃飯、沒吃飯也不知道，睡覺、沒睡覺不知道。什麼都忘了，什麼都沒有了，一念像無量劫那麼長，無量劫又為一念。要有這種精神，吃飯、睡覺什麼都忘了，只一心來修行〈楞嚴咒〉，一定成就楞嚴三昧的。不能這樣，就談不到真正修楞嚴法門。不只修楞嚴法是如此，修其他的法門都要如此，行不知行，坐不知坐，渴不知渴，餓不知餓。說：「那不是變成最愚癡的人了嗎？」就是要如此，這才叫

If you hope for its wonderful functions and inconceivable power, then you must not keep having false thoughts, always day-dreaming and fantasizing. If you cut off your recitation of the mantra, then you will not be able to attain samadhi. You must use your true mind and practice the Shurangama Mantra with sincerity. What's a true mind? It means that for the sake of reciting the Shurangama Mantra you can forget all about time and even space disappears. You don't know if it's day or night; you don't know if you've eaten or not; you don't know if you've slept or not. You forget everything else. Everything disappears and one thought extends for infinite eons, while infinite eons is one thought. That's the kind of spirit you should have--forgetting to eat and sleep for the sake of cultivating the Shurangama Mantra. In that way you certainly can attain the Shurangama Samadhi. If you cannot be that way, then you aren't really cultivating the Shurangama Dharma-door. You should be that way not only in cultivating the Shurangama Mantra, but in the cultivation of any Dharma door--walking without realizing you are walking; sitting with being aware you are sitting; being unaware that you are thirsty or hungry. "Well," you say, "isn't that just turning into a stupid person?" That's right. It's said,

養成大拙方為巧
學到如愚始見奇

When you learn to be a big idiot, then you start to have some skill;
Studying until you are as if stupid is the beginning of real insight.

你若能學愚癡到這個樣子，無論你修那個法門，都能得到三昧，都會有所成就的。就因為你沒能愚癡，沒能真正深入三昧的境界，所以修來修去也不相應。

If you can learn to be as if stupid, then no matter what Dharma door you cultivate you will attain samadhi and gain some realization. It's just because you are unable to be stupid that you cannot properly enter into samadhi and don't get any response from your cultivation.

你用功持誦〈楞嚴咒〉的時候，或者會夢見拜佛，或者夢見佛放光，或者夢見佛來摩頂，或者夢見佛和你講經說法，或者夢見菩薩、緣覺、聲聞、聖僧，或天上的天將，或者夢見自己騰身虛空，或者夢見會飛了，這都是好境界；或者騎馬，或者渡江，種種祥瑞的光，或者有種種非常出奇的異相。假設得到這樣的應驗，你更應該很小心的，你要發菩提心，身、口、意三業要清淨，更加緊你的功夫來持誦這個咒。可是你不可以對人去宣說，你有什麼感應了，有什麼靈驗，叫人相信你，對你有好感。你有什麼感應，自己知道就得了，你盡炫示自己的功德，各處賣廣告，滿街賣修行，這是不對的。你如果這樣，便有了漏洞，魔就得其便。就好像你有了財寶，不把它放在保險箱裏，你把它放在門口，一定會被人偷去。所以修佛法要很小心，不要讓天魔外道得便。可是和你同道的，就是一同修行，你不是為了名利，或者為了令人恭敬我、讚歎我，你可以說的。

When you are developing your skill in reciting the Shurangama Mantra, you may dream of yourself bowing to the Buddhas; or in a dream see the Buddhas emitting light; or dream that you see the Buddha come as rub the crown of your head; or dream that the Buddhas speak Dharma for you; or dream that you see the Bodhisattvas, or Condition-enlightened Ones, or Hearers, or Sagely Sanghans or gods and heavenly generals; or in a dream see yourself ascending into space; or dream that you can fly. All of these are good experiences. Or you may be riding a horse or crossing a river and encounter all sorts of auspicious lights; or there may be other extremely rare appearances that manifest. If you do attain responses such as these, then you should be very careful. You should bring forth the resolve for Bodhi; guard the purity of the karma created by your body, mouth, and mind; and increase your efforts and tighten your skill in reciting the mantra. You should not tell others what kinds of responses you've had in order to get others to believe in you or to think highly of you. It's enough for you yourself to know what responses you've had. If you keep advertising your own merits and selling your cultivation out on the streets, then you are wrong. If you act like that, you leave yourself open and the demons will attack. That's like failing to put your jewels in a safebox. If you leave them at the doorway, then someone is certainly going to steal them. Therefore, we must be very careful in our cultivation of the Buddhadharma. Don't let the heavenly demons and externalists have their way with you. But you can report your experiences to your fellow-cultivators if you are not doing it in order to get famous or rich or to make people respect and praise you.

在《楞嚴經》上說：你要是誦持〈楞嚴咒〉，有了功夫，有了受用，那麼八萬四千金剛藏菩薩和他的徒眾眷屬，就都常常隨從保護著你，令你遂心滿願。縱然魔王想找一個漏洞，想來找你的麻煩也沒法子。在過去五祖弘忍大師在湖北東山那個地方修行，他戒行精嚴，修行也特別認真。

The Shurangama Sutra says, "If you recite and uphold the Shurangama Mantra until you gain skill and can make it function, then eighty-four thousand Vajra Treasury Bodhisattvas and their retinue of followers will always stay near you and protect you, so that everything you hope for will come true." But the demon kings never give up searching for a hole so they can give you more trouble than you can handle.

有一次土匪把湖北這個城給圍上，弘忍大師忍不住了，就想要救這個城裏頭的老百姓，於是乎他就下山了，從東山那個地方到湖北城裏去。土匪一見弘忍大師來了，就嚇得丟盔卸甲望影而逃，為什麼這樣子呢？因為弘忍大師雖然是一個人下山來的，可是土匪就看到完全是穿金盔金甲的天兵天將，好像從天上下來的天神一樣，都穿著金盔金甲，手拿著寶劍威武奇揚的。土匪一見到這樣的情形就嚇得望影而逃，不用一刀、一鎗、一箭，他們就撤退了。這是因為弘忍大師他誦持〈楞嚴咒〉，所以土匪一見著弘忍大師就嚇得跑了。這也可以說是金剛藏菩薩顯聖，也可以說是弘忍大師修行的威德把他們都懾服了。那麼一個修道的人能不用一兵一卒，把這個土匪給嚇跑了，這就是有真正的功夫才能這樣子，若沒有真正的功夫，怎麼會有這樣的感應道交。

In the past, Great Master Hongren, the Fifth Patriarch, was cultivating in Hubei at East Mountain. He upheld the precepts strictly and cultivated with unusual intensity. Once when a group of bandits surrounded the city of Hubei, Great Mater Hongren could bear it no longer and decided to try to save the people in that city. He came down the mountain and walked into that city. As soon as the bandits saw Great Master Hongren coming, they were terrified, dropped their armor and weapons, and fled. Why? Because although Great Master Hongren came alone into the city, the bandits saw an army of heavenly generals and heavenly troops clad in golden armour. It was as if the gods themselves had come down to earth--all donning golden armour and carrying jeweled swords and other awesome weapons. That's what caused the bandits to retreat in such haste. And so, without the use of a single knife, spear, or arrow, he routed the bandits. It was because Great Master Hongren recited the Shurangama Mantra that the bandits found him to be so terrifying. You could say that was a manifestation created by the Vajra Treasury Bodhisattvas or you could say it was the awesome virtue of Great Master Hongren that frightened them. That a cultivator was able to frighten the bandits into retreat without the use of a single soldier or weapon is verification of his genuine skill. How else could there have been such a response in the Way?

因為釋迦牟尼佛為了保護我們現在所有一切初發心的學道人，所以宣示〈楞嚴咒〉，來幫助我們得到定力，令我們身心泰然，沒有什麼麻煩。所以我們時時刻刻不要忘了這個法，我們若能誠心專一誦持〈楞嚴咒〉，就是紹隆佛法，就是正法住世。

Shakyamuni Buddha proclaimed the Shurangama Mantra in order to protect of all of us who have brought forth the initial resolve to study the Way; to aid us in attaining samadhi; to help us be at peace in body and mind; and to keep us out of trouble. Therefore we should never forget this Dharma. We should recite and uphold the Shurangama Mantra with single-minded sincerity. By doing so we are helping to perpetuate the Buddhadharma, to keep the Proper Dharma long in the world.

不要種地獄的種子

Don't Plant a Seed for the Hells

◎一九七六年十二月廿二日 開示於金山聖寺

A talk given on December 22, 1976, at Gold Mountain Monastery

關於《楞嚴經》的問題，我告訴你們一個實實在在的話，《楞嚴經》這是佛的一個舍利，這是佛的真身。有人批評《楞嚴經》，無論是哪一個，他要是菩薩，批評《楞嚴經》是假的，這個菩薩即刻就墮地獄；他是阿羅漢，批評《楞嚴經》是假的，這個阿羅漢他也即刻會墮地獄。不要說是一些凡夫俗子，什麼scholar，什麼學者，這些個都是垃圾簍裡頭的東西，他根本就沒有資格明白這個《楞嚴經》，也沒有資格來批評《楞嚴經》。所以任何人批評《楞嚴經》的，我不管他是誰，他都是地獄的種子。
   　    
Let me tell you the honest truth about the Shurangama Sutra. The Shurangama Sutra is the Buddha's sharira, the Buddha's real body. It doesn't matter who criticizes the Shurangama Sutra. If it is a Bodhisattva criticizing the Shurangama Sutra as being false, this Bodhisattva will fall into the hells instantly; if it is an Arhat criticizing the Shurangama Sutra as being false, this Arhat will also fall into the hells right away. Needless to say, those ordinary people, those scholars, are nothing but trash; basically they are not qualified to understand the Shurangama Sutra at all, nor are they qualified to criticize the Shurangama Sutra. Therefore, anyone who criticizes the Shurangama Sutra--I don't care who he is--is planting a seed for the hells.
       
《楞嚴經》這一部經，是整個佛教一部代表的經，若沒有《楞嚴經》就沒有佛教。所以佛才預先就說，法滅的時候，《楞嚴經》先滅；《楞嚴經》滅完了以後，其他的經典才繼續地滅。所以我們佛教徒，要是想護持佛教，先要護持《楞嚴經》，到處來講《楞嚴經》，說《楞嚴經》，翻譯《楞嚴經》，念《楞嚴經》，並且主要地要誦〈楞嚴咒〉。這〈楞嚴咒〉就是佛的法身，有〈楞嚴咒〉的地方，就是有佛的舍利。
   　    
The Shurangama Sutra is a Sutra that represents the whole of Buddhism. If the Shurangama Sutra didn't exist, there wouldn't be any Buddhism. Therefore, the Buddha predicted that when the Dharma is in the process of becoming extinct, the Shurangama Sutra will be the first to disappear. After it disappears, the other Sutras will disappear in succession. As Buddhists, if we want to protect and support Buddhism, we first have to protect and support the Shurangama Sutra. We have to lecture on and explain the Shurangama Sutra in every place, translate the Shurangama Sutra, recite the Shurangama Sutra, and most of all, memorize the Shurangama Mantra. The Shurangama Mantra is the Buddha's Dharma-body. Wherever the Shurangama Mantra is found, that's where the Buddha's sharira is.
       
所以在前邊我才說，我們佛教徒，無論哪一個，你也不能批評《楞嚴經》是假的，你不能這樣說。你若這樣說，就是地獄的種子，就是想要下地獄去了，在這個人世間不願意做人了，想要去墮地獄、做餓鬼，將來做畜生去。你就動一個念，來說《楞嚴經》是假的，這都是將來入阿鼻地獄永無出期的一個因。知不知道怎麼那麼多的人下地獄？就因為他不相信《楞嚴經》。乃至於就現在的博士、學者，他們自己根本就無知識，沒有資格來批評哪一部經典是真的，哪一部經典是假的，因為他沒有擇法眼呢！他也不認識佛法是怎麼回事，就那麼人云亦云。
   　    
I mentioned previously that none of us who are Buddhists should criticize the Shurangama Sutra and say that it is false. You musn't say that! If you say that, you are planting a seed for the hells; you are just trying to fall into the hells. You don't want to be a human being in this world; instead you want to fall into the hells, to be a hungry ghost, and to be an animal in the future. Just by having that one thought of saying that the Shurangama Sutra is false, you are sowing the cause for falling into the Avici Hell forever and never coming out. Do you know why so many people fall into the hells? It's because they do not believe in the Shurangama Sutra. Those Ph.D.'s and scholars who disclaim the Sutra nowadays are completely ignorant. They are not qualified to judge which Sutra is true and which one is false because they do not have the Dharma-selecting Eye! They do not know what the Buddhadharma is all about; all they do is echo the words of others.