〈楞嚴咒〉的妙用
The Wonderful Effects of the Shurangama Mantra
◎一九七五年一月十日開示于臺灣
A talk given on January 10, 1975 inTaiwan
《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》，因爲這兩部經，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，是中國人僞造的。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、製諸外道的一部經。因爲〈楞嚴咒〉裏邊所說的，都是降伏天魔、製諸外道的，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》，就是爲〈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，他們對于咒認爲是迷信，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 Shurangam…
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