今天开始讲〈楞严咒〉，〈楞严咒〉的“楞严”两个字，就翻译成“究竟坚固”。

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

这〈楞严咒〉的名字叫“摩诃萨怛多般怛啰陀罗尼”，又叫“佛顶光明摩诃萨怛多般怛啰无上神咒”。佛顶就是佛的顶上化佛，所以这〈楞严咒〉是微妙不可思议的。〈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，每一句都是诸佛的心地法门，每一句有每一句的用途，每一个字有每一个字的奥妙，都具足不可思议的力量。即使只念一字、一句、一会，或念全咒，都是惊天动地，所谓惊天地，泣鬼神，妖魔远避，魑魅遁形。所以佛顶光明，这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〈楞严咒〉，将来一定是成佛的，一定得到无上正等正觉的。你若常常诵念〈楞严咒〉，就能消除你宿世的业障，往昔的罪业都可以消除。这是〈楞严咒〉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!

摩诃是梵语，翻译中文叫“大”，英文叫Big。那么什么叫大？就是体、相、用都是大的。体遍十方，所以叫大；这个用是尽虚空遍法界的；相，它是没有相的，可是无相无不相。这个用也可以说它没什么用，尽虚空遍法界无所不用。这用是大用，这个相是大相，这个体也是大体，周遍十方，尽虚空、遍法界，这是摩诃的意思。萨怛多也是梵语，翻译过来叫“白”，就是清净的意思，也就是没有污染的意思。所谓白净法，清净没有染污的法，这〈楞严咒〉是白净法。

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.（待续 To be continued）