无上神咒，什么叫“无”呢？这个无，就是高明无极，也光明到极点了，没有再超过这种高和光明的，这叫无。“上”呢？是没有再比这更尊贵、更高尚了，这叫上。神就是不可思议，也就是威灵叵测，这叫神。咒就是感应道交，有一种力量，你念这咒就有感应。“佛顶光明摩诃萨怛多般怛啰无上神咒”，这是说佛顶的光明，犹如大白伞盖来荫罩我们一切持咒的人。

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.

这个咒是没有人明白的，也不能一句一句、一个字一个字去讲，不过你如果想要明白它，我可以勉强讲给你听。单这〈楞严咒〉，一年也讲不完，三年也讲不完，甚至于十年也讲不完。现在我把这个咒的大意讲一讲，它有五会，这五会就表示五方，五方就是东、西、南、北、中。东方就是金刚部，阿閦佛为教主；南方就是宝生部，宝生佛做教主；中央就是佛部，释迦牟尼佛做教主；西方就是莲华部，阿弥陀佛做教主；北方叫羯磨部，成就佛做教主，共有这五部。这五部就是管理这世界五方的五大魔军，因为有这五魔，所以佛也分开五方，镇压这个魔。如果没有佛，那魔就会出现于世了。所以你一诵〈楞严咒〉，这五方的五大魔军就都俯首低头，老老实实，不敢违犯〈楞严咒〉的这种威力。〈楞严咒〉具足这五部，所以这个〈楞严咒〉是最妙不过了；可是你要没有执着，若有所执着，就不会太妙了。

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.（待续 To be continued）