〈楞严咒〉的妙用
The Wonderful Effects of the Shurangama Mantra
◎一九七五年一月十日开示于台湾
A talk given on January 10, 1975 inTaiwan
《大佛顶首楞严经》这一部经其中有〈楞严咒〉，这〈楞严咒〉的「楞严」两个字，就翻译成「究竟坚固」。那么这一部经，在中国来说，是很重要的一部经，所谓「成佛的法华，开慧的楞严。」我也很愿意讲这个《楞严经》和《法华经》，因为这两部经，既能开智慧，又能成佛。所以不单我愿意讲，我希望每一个人都把它研究明白了，尤其是《楞严经》。
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.
讲到这个《楞严经》，在我们中国有一位智者大师，他在一生之中，只听见这部经的名字，他就想要读诵这一部经，就向着印度天天叩头礼拜，希望见到这一部经。叩头礼拜十八年，结果也没有见着这一部经。智者大师他的智慧已经出类拔萃，他的辩才已经是无碍了，那么他还恭敬礼拜这一部《楞严经》，可见这一部《楞严经》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.
有这一部《楞严经》在世的时候，天魔外道就都不敢出现。可是很不幸地，这一部《楞严经》在末法的时候，就先先没有了，先没了。等这一部经一没的时候，这天魔外道就会得便了。所以现在有一些个冒充佛学的专家，也说自己是研究佛法的一个学者，或者是某一个大学里头佛学系的教授，那么他们公然就提倡，说是《楞严经》是假的，是中国人伪造的。啊！你们各位想一想，我们中国虽然是出过很多的圣人，但是我相信能造《楞严经》的这种圣人，还找不出来哪一个。所以我绝对相信这《楞严经》是真的，是正确的，是降伏天魔、制诸外道的一部经。因为〈楞严咒〉里边所说的，都是降伏天魔、制诸外道的，从一开始到终了，每一句都有它的妙处，都有它不可思议的力量。所以这个《楞严经》，就是为〈楞严咒〉而说。
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.
以前在香港有翻译《楞严经》的人，把《楞严经》翻译成英文了。那么翻译成英文，他就把「设楞严坛」这种仪规都删去了，把那一段经文也不要了，咒也不要了。他说西方人哪一个也不相信〈楞严咒〉，他们都不愿意诵持咒的，他们对于咒认为是迷信，不相信咒的这种功用。所以他把怎么样地设坛啊，怎么样修持这个楞严大法啊，他都不要了。那么现在等我到西方国家，到美国，我亲身的经验，在西方人里，很多很多都是欢喜诵持〈楞严咒〉的。不单欢喜诵持〈楞严咒〉，而且还都能背得出来。在金山圣寺，我有一个徒弟，他早晨做早课随着诵〈楞严咒〉，晚间做晚课我们也诵持〈楞严咒〉，那么早晚这么念一念，他念到二十六天，就能背得出来了。我在美国第一个考试，就是考试〈楞严咒〉，谁会背〈楞严咒〉，谁就第一个考试及格；谁若不会〈楞严咒〉，就暂时不及格、不合格。那么我在那个暑假班是这样规定的，所以有一位是二十六天能背得出〈楞严咒〉，有一位是二十八天能背出〈楞严咒〉。所以现在在西方的佛教徒，认识〈楞严咒〉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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