楞严法是百千万劫难遭遇的法门，我们学得一句，明白一句的力量，便要照着去实行。但也不是听说法有大灵感妙用及力量，就去用它。你用法，但不持戒，好像一般人什么都不懂，随便杀生、偷盗、邪淫、妄语、饮酒，而在紧要关头时念五大心咒，这是污蔑法；没有功德，却要支配鬼神及护法，那只有增加自己的罪业，自己会遭受飞灾横祸之事。所以修法的人首先要守持戒律，要注重德行，必须要不争、不贪、不求、不自私、不自利、不打妄语。你道德不够，就像假传圣旨，冒充国王，这是行不通的。现在人只注重念咒灵验有功力，但不注重自己的品德，即使念也没有功力。

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.

所以学〈楞严咒〉法，所行必须要正，存心要正，不打不清净的妄想，不做不清净的事，要念兹在兹修清净的行门。如果一方面修〈楞严咒〉法门，一方面不好好守规矩，就会有很大的问题发生，这一点大家必须明白。若是你不存正念，不行正行，便会令金刚藏菩萨不佩服你，不保护你，佛菩萨是慈悲的，他不会损害众生，不会瞋害人；可是所有的侍从，一切的护法、天龙、鬼神，都是有很大的脾气。这种恶鬼、恶神，他见到你这修道持咒的人有过错了，他就给你一点灾害，或者令你不自在，令你有很大的麻烦，你便会发生种种灾难，受种种的果报，这是丝毫不可以开玩笑的。所以必须要斋戒沐浴，要心里也清净，不打染污的念头；身上也清净，不行染污的法门，时时刻刻要保持清净，不可以有丝毫不守规矩的行为。

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.（待续 To be continued）