Shurangama Mantra

Magical Words that Avert Doomsday

If just one person knows how to recite the Shurangama Mantra, this world will not become extinct nor will be Dharma.

I am now explaining the Shurangama Mantra. In a hundred thousand, myriad cons, no one has explained the Shurangama Mantra even once. It is not easy to lecture it even once. I am lecturing it for you now, but it is not for sure anyone understands it. Some may feel that they understand it, but they do not really understand it. Some may feel they already understand it, so they do not pay attention, but that is just the same as not understanding it. The Shurangama Mantra is a force that sustains heaven and earth. It delays their extinction. It is the very spiritual force which prevents the world from coming to an end. I have said that as long as one person can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the world will not be destroyed and the Dharma will not come to an end. When not a single person can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the Buddhadharma will become extinct.

Demons in the heavens and proponents of externalist ways are now spreading rumors that the Shurangama Sutra and Mantra are false. To destroy people's faith in the Shurangama Mantra, heavenly demons send their demon sons and grandsons to spread rumors. If no one believes in the Mantra, no one will recite it. When no one recites it, the world will quickly come to an end. If we do not want the world to come to an end, we must read and recite the Shurangama Mantra and Shurangama Sutra. By reciting the Shurangama Mantra every day, we are protected from harm. Even dangerous atom bombs and hydrogen bombs cannot touch us. So concentrate on reciting the Shurangama Mantra. I am lecturing the Shurangama Mantra for you and no one necessarily understands it right now. But ten, a hundred, or a thousand years from now someone may come across this very shallow commentary on the Shurangama Mantra and develop a deep understanding of it. Those of you who hear these Shurangama Mantra lectures should not think it is so easy. Although these four-line verses seem very simple, they flow forth from my heart. They are definitely not plagiarized from any other book or commentary. Since you are studying with me, 1 am offering verses, whether good or not, written from my views on and understanding of the Shurangama Mantra. If you really want to understand the Shurangama Mantra, then you should pay close attention while you study it. Do not let this time go by in vain.

Insincerity Means Ineffectiveness

What is sincerity? No doubts. The power from really believing in the mantra is inconceivable. That powerful faith in the mantra will bring success.

In cultivating all Dharma doors, be it reciting sutras or upholding mantras, one must be sincere. Fast, maintain morality, and cleanse the body. Be clear and pure in body and mind. Eradicate all false thinking as you cultivate a Dharma door. That way you will mesh with the Tao like an echo of a sound. If you are not sincere, no matter how efficacious the Mantra is, it will not work for you. So we say: When the mind is sincere, the mantra is effective. If you are not sincere, it will not be magical.

What is sincerity? It means having no doubts and having true faith in the inconceivable power of the Mantra—faith that is power will never fail. If you can truly be sincere, then your cultivation will succeed. Sometimes people may cultivate for a long time and get no response. Then they may start to think, "Is the Buddhadharma ineffective? What is going on? I am not getting any results." It is not that the Mantra is not efficacious. You are not succeeding because you are not sincere. You are merely bumbling your way through it, going through the motions. You have not brought forth true sincerity. So it is most important that those who recite the Shurangama Mantra be sincere.

There are many ghosts, spirits, dragons and gods of the Eightfold Division in the Shurangama Mantra. As soon as you recite a ghost king's name, all his retinue must listen to the teachings; they would not dare to disobey the rules. Therefore monastics recite the Shurangama Mantra every day to help free the world from untimely disasters and calamities, bringing peace to the world. By holding morning and evening ceremonies, monastics imperceptibly enable all beings to be safe, peaceful and happy.

When we recite the Shurangama Mantra, the polluted air in the world is cleansed. Our recitation of the Shurangama Mantra eradicates the contagious diseases in the area. If there is poison in the area, it will be eliminated as soon as the Shurangama Mantra is recited. That is how great the benefit is! Therefore you should not take the Shurangama Mantra lightly. It is best to recite the whole mantra. If you cannot, then just reciting a certain part of it is still very powerful. Do not mistake gold for copper. All of you who study Buddhism must memorize and uphold the Shurangama Mantra.

Set a Goal to Recite the Shurangama Mantra for the World

Someone who studies the Shurangama Mantra is a transformation of the Buddha, not simply a transformation of the Buddha from the top of the Buddha, a transformational Buddha among transformative Buddhas.

Every line of the Shurangama Mantra contains boundless meanings and functions. People who recite and uphold it should bring forth your enormous resolve will reap enormous reward because you are not selfish and working for yourself. A passage from the Essay on Great Reform and Repentence illustrates this point: "I now resolve not to seek for myself the rewards of humans and gods, of Sound Hearers and Those Enlightened by Conditions, up to and including those of the positions of Bodhisattvas in the provisional vehicle. I only rely on the most supreme vehicle as I bring forth the Bodhi resolve. I vow to join all beings as we simultaneously attain Anuttarasamyaksambodhi," leaving suffering and attaining bliss.

We must become proficient in our studies of Buddhism. Avoid learning about Buddhism on the one hand and creating offense karma on the other, mixing good and bad together. If you study the Buddhadharma not for the sake of benefiting others, but for the bad. When you first started studying Buddhism, you might have intended to benefit others, but as time passes, your old habit of selfishness crops up.

If you study the Buddhadharma and gamble at the same time, you are mixing good and bad. If you study the Buddhadharma and still try to cheat or harm others and benefit yourself, you are also mixing good and bad. If you rely on your connections in Buddhist circles to deal in disreputable business, to the point of cheating and stealing, you are getting good and bad karma all jumbled up. You have to stop such activities, otherwise you will be stuck in that mixture of good and evil karma and you will never be able to transcend the Triple Realm.

Cultivators should avoid, on the one hand, cultivating in the monastery, and on the other, having false thoughts. That kind of behavior is neither completely good nor completely evil. Within the good there is bad and within the bad there is some good. But in the future when you undergo retribution, it will be extremely complicated. Take a look at the monks in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and the lamas in Tibet. Why are they subject to abuse by their government? It is because in the past they planted evil causes during their previous periods of cultivation. Perhaps they confiscated people's wealth or usurped property, or they took people's lives. This is why, in their present lives, they have to undergo like retribution. There is no guarantee of their safety or belongings. Even though they are monastics, they may not escape alive, let alone with their property.

Basically, after one enters monastic life, one should not have any property to speak of. The reason that those monks and lamas wander about in a desperate plight is because they planted improper causes in the past. To pay back for what they have done, they are born in war-infested countries and have to undergo tremendous suffering and abuse. I bring their situation up to give us a living example of the workings of the Dharma. We should return the light and look inside. Now, while cultivating, be careful not to make those kinds of mistakes, and in the future you can avoid such disasters. To avoid them, make sure that you are clear about the causes that you are planting. Do not be caught in a flurry of confusion when you face the retributions. It is said, “If what is done while planting causes is not true, the results will be twisted, too.” For residents and visitors of the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas, be very careful. Be cautious while you cultivate so as to avoid regrets in the future.

Sincerely Practice the Shurangama Mantra

If you are focused intensely upon cultivation of the Shurangama Mantra, you will certainly realize the Shurangama Samadhi.

Be true and sincere as you cultivate the practice of the Shurangama Dharma. What is sincerity? You must cultivate the Shurangama Mantra to the point that you forget time and space. Is it day or night? You do not know. Have you eaten or nor? You are unaware. Have you slept or not? You forget. Everything is gone. One thought is as long as limitless eons; limitless eons are encompassed in one thought. If you have that kind of energy and spirit, to the point of forgetting whether you have eaten or slept because you are focused intensely upon cultivation of the Shurangama Mantra, you will certainly realize the Shurangama Samadhi. If you cannot be that way, then you are not genuinely cultivating the Shurangama Dharma-door.

Not only should you cultivate the Shurangama Mantra like that, you should cultivate any Dharma-door that way—to the point that while standing you do not realize you are standing; while sitting you do not realize you are sitting; when thirsty you do not realize you are hungry. And you comment, "That sounds like that being totally out-of-it." You need to be just that stupid, and then,

When you can become like an old fool,
you have actually become really clever.
When you cultivate to the point of stupidity,
your ability is seen.

If you can become stupid like that, then no matter what Dharma-door you cultivate, you will attain Samadhi or some level of achievement.

It is just because you cannot be stupid that you cannot genuinely and deeply enter the state of samadhi. So you have been cultivating all this time but you do not mesh with your practice. You should cultivate to the point that you do not even know if you are alive or dead. You should reach the point in your practice where you do not even know if you are breathing or not. Some people think such depth of practice is too scary. If you are afraid, then hurry up and turn away, stop learning. In this world, you never get something for nothing. Nothing is that easy to get. So it is said,

If it did not endure bitter cold that chills the bone,
The plum blossom would not be so fragrant.

We who cultivate the spiritual path should be like that, too. Outside observers often say that the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is a place where the practice is bitterly difficult. I absolutely disagree with that kind of rumor. Here at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas we do not engage in bitter cultivation; we practice blissful cultivation. Whoever cultivates, whoever undergoes bitterness, does so because he or she wants to. We are not forced into it. We are more than willing to put down the false in order to get back to the truth. So it is said:

If you cannot forsake the false, you cannot achieve the true.
If you cannot give up death, you cannot exchange it for birth.

Cultivation is not like some worldly methods where you can use some trick to get what you are after. No. It does not work that way. You cannot do that when you cultivate. You cannot pull any tricks. The only way to achieve success is to honestly and genuinely cultivate. If you have a hair’s worth of phoniness, then you will not succeed. So at every turn you have to work hard at being real. Bear what others cannot bear; Yield where others cannot yield. If you can be perpetually vigorous, during 24 hours of the day, you will receive some good news. The Buddhas of the ten directions will send you a telegram, saying “Good, indeed! Good, indeed!” You are a part of Buddhism.” But this telegram from the Buddhas of the ten directions is not like the telegrams people send each other, which are composed of words. This is a message of one mind leaving an imprint on another’s mind. When it happens, the lights of both reflect each other and the minds of both tally with each other. At that point, you will uncover great wisdom, obtain great eloquence, and attain great peace. Then, “the work of the great person is accomplished.” You will have done what had to be done.

Someone who Studies the Shurangama Mantra is a Transformation of the Buddha

If you master the Shurangama Mantra, the gods will not dare to counter you. If you mastered the Shurangama Mantra, you would dare to counter the gods.

There is a saying that goes “One who can recite the Great Compassion Mantra dares to fight with King Yama. Ghosts and spirits do not dare to fight someone who can recite the Great Compassion Mantra.” If you can recite the Great Compassion Mantra, you can fight King Yama, and he will not be able to defend himself. And why would the ghosts and spirits leave you alone? It would not be because you have a nasty temper, but because you have real power and real authority. A person with virtue and morality will be treated with courtesy by King Yama and the ghosts and spirits. They would not fear you and stay away because you have a nasty temper. The Great Compassion Mantra has this power, and the Shurangama Mantra also has this power. It has even more power! We say, “If you master the Shurangama Mantra, the gods will not dare to counter you. If you mastered the Shurangama Mantra, you would dare to counter the gods.” Is the Shurangama Mantra unreasonable or specious distortion?” you ask. No. In fact, if you can recite the Shurangama Mantra, you will be wealthy in your next seven lives, possibly among the top wealthy people or becoming American oil magnates. "If I had known this, I would have started learning it long ago, so I could do compete with God and be rich for seven lives!"

If your motives are so petty, you would be better off not studying the mantra. Seven lifetimes pass in a blink of an eye, and even if you win in your battle with God, you are still on the turning wheel of rebirth. Ultimately, you should aim for Buddhahood, the supreme, proper enlightenment of Bodhi. Neither your mind nor your intent should be so petty. Actually, the Shurangama Mantra is equivalent to the Buddha's transformation body. Not only is it a transformation of the Buddha, it is the transformation Buddha above the crown of the Buddha, the transformation Buddha within transformation Buddhas. If one can genuinely hold the Shurangama Mantra, then for forty yojanas around there will be no calamities, and all inauspiciousness will be changed to auspiciousness.

You acquire it only because of Great Virtue & Great Goodness

The Shurangama Mantra is the wonderful Dharma that is difficult to encounter in billions of eons. You should pay strict attention to each and every line. Do not treat it as if it were something ordinary.

You should pay particular attention to every line of the Shurangama Mantra. Do not treat it as if it were something ordinary. This wonderful Dharma is difficult to encounter in billions of eons. Perhaps you think many people lecture on the Shurangama Mantra, but in fact no one lectures it.

The pervasive illumination of three lights
permeates three forces.
You may never come upon this mantra in Jambudvipa
or the world beyond.
Possessing great virtue and great goodness
will allow us to encounter it.
Deficient virtue and goodness will keep us
from ever understanding it.

— verse by Master Hua

As I explain the Shurangama Mantra now, you should pay strict attention to each and every line. Do not treat it as if it were something ordinary.

This wonderful Dharma is difficult to encounter in billions of eons. Perhaps you believe lots of people lecture on the Shurangama Mantra; actually no one is lecturing it. People dare not even believe in the Shurangama Mantra when they hear it! Some people are afraid that they do not understand what the Shurangama Mantra really means. Well, ask me and see if I understand. I do not understand completely either. I only understand a little bit and I have put this little bit into verses as an attempt to explain the mantra. Do not miss this opportunity to study the mantra if you wish to learn Buddhadharma.

I have more than 20 disciples in Hong Kong who constantly asked me to explain the Shurangama Mantra but I never agreed to it. When I got to the United States though, I started lecturing on the Shurangama Sutra during the first summer retreat. I lectured that Sutra for 96 days, resting only on Saturdays. Later I also lectured on the Sixth Patriarch Platform Sutra, Vajra Sutra, Dharma Flower Sutra, Earth Store Sutra and then Flower Adornment Sutra. All these took nine and a half years—though I had planned ten years for these. Since this is rocket age, I finished half a year earlier. I did not want to lecture on anything else after I finished the Flower Adornment Sutra.

But then you asked me to lecture on the Shurangama Mantra and I thought I might as well tell you what I know. Thus we begin these lectures on the Shurangama Mantra, which is itself inconceivable. Do not let any word or any line slip by. I do not know how people in the audience feel, but I never take days off when it comes to lecturing. You do not need to ask "Venerable Master, will you be lecturing today?" Yes, except for when I am not here. If I am here I will definitely lecture. If I do not lecture, I will not eat. Even after lecturing, I only eat 80% full. If I become too fat, people will criticize, "Those monks only eat all day. They get big and fat because they do not do anything." Is it not better to eat less? I believe I am not the only one who eats little. The residents at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas all eat very little. They may look emaciated but they are hard to the core. I, a hard-core teacher, have created a bunch of little hard cores. It is alright that we do not eat; it is okay to not dress well; it is not a problem to go without sleep. We do not consider any of these things an issue!

Cultivation is like climbing a hundred foot pole: it is easy to slide down but hard to climb up, as hard as trying to step onto sky. We can easily become attached to demonic obstructions whenever we cannot get beyond a state. It can happen in the space of a thought. One wrong thought, one thought of evil, lets the demons into your heart. With proper thoughts, the Buddhas become one with you. That is why the Sixth Patriarch Sutra says, "The Buddha is in the room when our thoughts are proper; demons are in the hall when our thoughts are deviant." This is the underlying principle.

As long as we have a bit of contention, greed, wishful thinking, thoughts of selfishness or self-benefit, the demons are sitting in the hall. If we are free of contention, greed, wishful thinking, selfishness and self-interest, then no demons or ghosts have a way to slip in and disturb us. If we do not fight with anyone, demons cannot get to us. If we are not greedy for bargains, supernatural powers or other advantages, then we cannot be enticed by any false seductions.

Furthermore, wishing for nothing inside and out, we forget everything, including this self and others. Forgetting ourselves and regard to everything, stop wanting more benefit for yourself and denying others' benefit. Being this way, demon kings cannot touch us, the spells of demons and ghosts do not work. This is the best mantra to use against demons and cults. Do these five things well and there are no demons. How come they can wedge themselves into a crack? It is because you still have wishful thinking, you still have greed, contention, selfishness, or self-interest. They take advantage of such opportunities and dig their way into your heart, making your head unclear and your wisdom die out.

The Proper Dharma Exists in the Presence of the Shurangama Mantra

The Shurangama Mantra is the King of Mantras. It is also the longest mantra among mantras. This mantra has a profound effect on the flourishing or decaying of the Buddhadiharmas as a whole.

The Shurangama Mantra is called the “Unsurpassed Mahasitapatra Spiritual Mantra”. Maha is Sanskrit and means big. Its substance, form and functions are all quite immense. Its substance covers the ten directions. Its immense functions reach all of space and the Dharma Realm. As for form, it has none. What form is there to a mantra? It has no form and it is not devoid of form. It could also be said to be useless and yet it is not devoid of any usage. It functions anywhere in space and the Dharma Realm, which makes its functions immense. The mantra’s form is immense and its substance is immense too. This is what is meant by “maha”.

Sitata is also Sanskrit, which means the color white. It also means purity, being free of defilement. Therefore it is said, "Form apart from all defilements is said to be white." The Shurangama Mantra is a white and pure Dharma. Patra is also Sanskrit and means canopy. This is a metaphor of how a canopy can shade all things and all virtuous individuals. Anyone with virtue will encounter this Dharma. Those without virtue will not encounter it. “The pervasive illumination of three lights permeates three forces.” Most people think the “three lights” are the sun, moon and stars. But the sun, the moon and the stars are the three kinds of lights outside. By reciting the Shurangama Mantra, we can make our internal lights shine. There are lights in our body, lights in our mouth and lights in our mind. The three karmas of body, mouth and mind all emit light. Have you heard this before? I believe this is something you have never heard or seen.

The light our body emits is yellow. When we have cultivated successfully, the light becomes golden, beaming numerous rays of golden lights. When we first start to practice the Shurangama Mantra, the light is a pale yellow. After some time, it turns into a golden light. That is why it is said that when the Shurangama Mantra is cultivated successfully, infinite rays of pure golden lights touched with a purple tinge fill up the Dharma Realm.

The light that we release from our mouth is red in color. The light that we emit from our mind is white. Though sometimes our mouth emits a yellow light too; sometimes green, sometimes black, and sometimes white. But this is only when one has cultivated this successfully.

Patra means nurturing myriad virtues. The great white canopy protects all those virtuous beings who uphold the Shurangama Mantra as a practice, hence, “The pervasive illumination of three lights permeates three forces." The three forces are heaven, earth and people. "You may never come upon these in Jambudvipa or the world beyond." We cannot find these lights anywhere in Jambudvipa except by doing the Shurangama Mantra as a practice. "Possessing great virtue and great goodness will allow us to encounter it." Only those with tremendous virtue and goodness learn about this practice. "Deficient virtue and goodness will keep us from ever understanding it." If we had no virtue and no merit from good deeds, we would miss it even if it were right in front of us. We may think gold is merely metal and diamond is merely glass, hence think the Shurangama Mantra quite average, no big deal. We do not know that it is a gem! We do not know that it is amazing! We do not know that the merit derived and the virtues deriving from the Shurangama Mantra are incredible.

Lights from the mind are lights from thoughts, which come from the Sixth Consciousness. Of course if we do not cultivate it, those lights will not function. If we cultivate, lights are emitted. Furthermore, lights described earlier not only come from the purified three karmas of body, mouth and mind, but red lights swirl about and linger too. Reciting the Shurangama Mantra, we naturally will have red lights surrounding us. That is why it says, "A thousand red lotuses protect the practitioner." These red lotuses emit red lights. "Who sits firmly mounted on a black unicorn." People who belong to this age of science are laughing their heads off when they hear this. But that is just as well. If they stop laughing, they will continue talking about science all the time. "Seeing this, the hordes of demons flee and hide." Any demons and ghosts who see the mighty and virtuous aspects of the Dharma body that is guarded by a thousand red lotuses will hide in a far-off place. "Dharma Master Ji, the Venerable, expressed this wonder." Beautiful purple lights and white lights coil about when we recite the Shurangama Mantra. Why do demons and ghosts not dare to come out when we recite the Shurangama Mantra? It has such tremendous power, so much so that no place throughout space and the Dharma Realm is exempt from being permeated with auspicious lights and energy. Anyone who recites the Shurangama Mantra is bolstering the amount of healthy energy in the universe. Commensurate strength comes from one person reciting the Shurangama Mantra or one hundred people, but either one puts demons and ghosts in their place.

The Shurangama Mantra is the King of Mantras. It is also the longest mantra around. This mantra has a profound effect on the flourishing or decaying of the Buddhaharma as a whole. If it ever comes to a point where no one in the world can recite the Shurangama Mantra, then the world will quickly fall to pieces, because the Proper Dharma no longer remains. Within the Proper Dharma, the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra are very important. The Shurangama Mantra was explained because of the Shurangama Sutra; it explains and praises the Shurangama Mantra. One of the passages in the Shurangama Sutra explains in great detail the how's of building a platform. If anyone wants to know more about this in detail, consult this passage of the Surra text.

The Shurangama Mantra is called "The Light above the Crown of the Buddha." And, the crown of the Buddha is referring to the transformation Buddha on top of the crown that spoke the mantra. The Shurangama Mantra is subtle and inconceivably wonderful. Every phrase has a function. Every syllable contains mysterious wonder. It is inconceivable and ineffable. Light at the Buddha's crown also represents the strength of the Mantra, which shatters any kind of darkness and perfects people's merit and virtue. Accepting and maintaining the Shurangama Mantra as a practice, we will certainly become Buddhas in the future; we will certainly obtain the Unsurpassed, Proper, and Equal Right Enlightenment. We may recite it from memory, or, if we cannot remember it, we may read it from the book. If we recite this by heart all the time, we will melt our karmic obstacles from former lives. Our offenses from the past being wiped away is one of the wonderful functions of the Shurangama Mantra.

The next word in the title is “Unsurpassed.” It is so high that nothing can reach it. It is superior, supreme, venerable, and lofty—beyond compare. There is nothing more honored; there is nothing higher. And that is what is meant by “unsurpassed.” “Spiritual” means inconceivable and ineffable. It is an awesome efficaciousness that cannot be fathomed. A “mantra” brings about an intertwining of responses with the Way. When we recite the mantra, power comes forth. Recite the mantra and a response happens.

Earnestly Recite to Acquire Wonderful Samadhi

All Buddhas of the ten directions are born from the Shurangama Mantra, which is why the Shurangama Mantra could be called the mother of Buddhas.

There are so many advantages to the Shurangama Mantra, were I to try and describe all of them, I would not finish even in a few years. All Buddhas are born from the Shurangama Mantra; hence the Shurangama Mantra could be called the mother of Buddhas. It is because of the Shurangama Mantra that the Thus Come Ones throughout the ten directions realized the Unsurpassed, Proper, Pervasively Knowing and Proper Enlightenment. The Thus Come Ones of the ten directions can appear transformationally in as many countries as morsels of dust. There they turn the Dharma wheel and teach living beings. They rub the heads of living beings and bestow predictions of future Buddhahood upon them. They uproot the various sufferings of living beings and liberate them from all potential major and minor accidents at once. All this happens because of the power of the Shurangama Mantra.

If you wish to achieve arhatship, you must recite this mantra to avoid demonic situations. At a time when the Dharma is on the decline, anyone who can memorize and recite the Shurangama Mantra or tells others to read or recite the Shurangama Mantra will be immune from burning, drowning and poisoning. Any poison that enters the mouth of someone who recites the Shurangama Mantra will taste like sweet dew.

Someone who has accepted and upholds the Shurangama Mantra will not be born in a bad place; he cannot go even if he wants to. "Why? The Shurangama Mantra will pull him back, telling him, "Do not go! Do not go!" Even if someone does not develop any blessings and virtue but does recite the Shurangama Mantra, all Thus Come Ones throughout the ten directions will give their merit and virtue to this individual. Is that a bargain? Recite the Shurangama Mantra and we will always become born when a Buddha is in the world, thereby cultivating with that Buddha.

If our thoughts are scattered and we cannot concentrate, we need only think about or silently recite the Shurangama Mantra that the Buddha spoke. That will cause the Vajra Treasury King Bodhisattvas to focus on us, following and quietly helping those of us who try to uphold the Shurangama Mantra despite our scattered thoughts bit by bit. Bit by bit we will acquire Samadhi power. They help us from behind the scenes so that we uncover our wisdom and concentrate our thoughts. We will then understand everything tracing back through cons equal to the number of sand grains in 84,000 Ganges Rivers.

When we become familiar enough with the Shurangama Mantra that we know it by heart and so that when we recite it, it seems to flow forth from our heart, then the Shurangama Mantra becomes our heart and our heart is just the Shurangama Mantra. Once our recitation is as smooth and constant as flowing water, we have reached the samadhi of upholding a mantra. At the minimum, for seven lives we will be as affluent as oil magnates, among the wealthiest people in the world. Someone says, "That is so great! I had better hurry up and study the Shurangama Mantra so that I can be rich for seven lives." Someone whose frame of mind is that narrow need not bother studying the Shurangama Mantra. Seven lives as a rich person pass in a blink of an eye too.

So what should we expect from knowing how to recite the Shurangama Mantra? We should expect to become a Buddha ultimately, realizing the Unsurpassed, Proper and Equal Enlightenment. Take care not to be petty. Actually someone who studies the Shurangama Mantra becomes a transformation of the Buddha. Not only is such a person a transformation of the Buddha, but a transformation Buddha from the crown of the Buddha—a transformation Buddha among transformation Buddhas. This is why the wonderful aspects about the Shurangama Mantra are inconceivable.

A large white canopy will hover above the crowns of those who really do the Shurangama Mantra as a practice. For the more skilled, that canopy will last as long as a thought and free an area of several thousand li (about one third of a mile) from any disasters. For the less skilled, that canopy will be there to protect you. If we were virtuous or preeminent monks, then an entire country would benefit from this one thought. There would be no disasters. If there were supposed to be disasters, then major ones would turn into minor ones and minor disasters would disappear.

Regardless of the type of disasters, be it famine, plague, contagious diseases, war or robbery—they vanish if we do the following: write out the Shurangama Mantra and place one at every entry through each side of the city, or its battery or blockhouse, and make everyone in the country pay homage to, welcome, and make obeisance to the Shurangama Mantra the way they would no a Buddha. Or require everyone to wear or keep a set of the Shurangama Mantra in their homes.

Wherever the Shurangama Mantra abides, the gods and dragons are happy. Such places do not experience storms or strong winds, their harvests are abundant, and everyone is safe and secure. So the merit and virtue of the Shurangama Mantra is inconceivable. It is wonderful precisely because we cannot imagine or conceive of such wonder.

A Symbol of the Proper Dharma — the Shurangama Mantra

Being able to recite the Shurangama Mantra, we are helping sentient beings. Not being able to recite, we cannot help sentient beings.

Each line of the Shurangama Mantra has infinite meanings, and each meaning has infinite functions. Know that the Shurangama Mantra is the universe's magic text, the magical syllables among magical syllables, the mysterious among the mysterious, the best Dharma treasure. It is the treasure that saves all beings. It contains everything from all Buddhas of the ten directions above to all beings in the Avici Hells below. The four types of sages and six types of ordinary beings all use the methods of the Shurangama Mantra. No Dharma realm goes beyond its bounds. All kinds of ghosts, spirits, Dharma protecting devas, Sound Hearers, Conditionally Enlightened Ones, and Buddhas are in the Shurangama Mantra.

The Shurangama Mantra names all the ghosts and spirit kings. Calling these ghosts and spirit kings by their names, their followings become subservient to us and comply. They do not dare to be wanton. Reciting the Shurangama Mantra every day can make the demons and ghosts well-behaved and they dare not come out to do harm. The substance of the Shurangama Mantra is complete and its functions are tremendous; they include all the lessons in Buddhism. If we understand the Shurangama Mantra, we understand the secrets and essence of Buddhism.

The mysteries of the universe, the incredible occurrences in the universe are in the Shurangama Mantra too. We were to study the secret school—be it the white school, black school, yellow school, or red school. We do not need to study any school. This is a practice of samadhi at its most fundamental level. This is a secret Dharma in its ultimate state. Unfortunately, no one understands this kind of secret Dharma. Most people do not apply what they learn. They only know to read it but they do not know what it really means. That is okay, because we actually do not need to know what a mantra means; all we need to know is that it is an inconceivably magical text.

Being able to recite the Shurangama Mantra, we are helping sentient beings. Not being able to recite, we cannot help sentient beings. Hurry up and learn the Shurangama Mantra well. Memorize it, study it well. Buddhists ought to do this. Those who wish to study and recite the Shurangama Mantra should set big goals to recite for the entire world so that all of their merit and virtue are dedicated to the world. In Buddhism, there is nothing more important than the Shurangama Mantra, for it is the symbol of the Proper Dharma. Wherever the Shurangama Mantra is, the proper Dharma is there; wherever there is no Shurangama Mantra, there is no proper Dharma. Those who cannot memorize the Shurangama Mantra are not qualified to be Buddhists.

The Shurangama Mantra is called "six month's stupor". It takes half a year to memorize it if a person recites it every day. Those of who can recite the Shurangama Mantra are people who have developed excellent roots of goodness over infinite eons. This is why we are able to read the Shurangama Mantra well, memorize it and never forget it. This is a sign of our roots of goodness. Without good roots, not only can we not read it, but we cannot even come into contact with the Shurangama Mantra. Someone who can come into contact with it, read, and memorize it is someone who has excellent roots of goodness.

The Shurangama Dharma is a practice difficult to encounter in billions of eons. Having studied and understood the power of one line, we must apply it. But we do not use it just because we heard how this Dharma has such tremendous magical responses, wonderful uses, and power. Someone who uses this Dharma without holding the precepts falls below the norm. Lacking any moral awareness, he casually kills, steals, engages in sexual misconduct, lies, takes intoxicants and yet dares to chant the five great mantras of the heart at critical moments. His behavior is defiled and he lacks virtue and yet he tries to order ghosts spirits and Dharma protectors around. He will only create more offenses that way. He puts himself in harm's way—he will have an accident.

People who cultivate the Dharma must first adhere to the precepts and pay attention to virtue. They must not fight, not be greedy, not seek, not be selfish, nor pursue self-benefit and not lie. Without enough moral virtue, one may pretend to be a king who issues imperial mandates, but these commands are useless. Most people nowadays only care about getting their own advantage, then even if they recite incessantly, their recitations will be ineffective.

While learning the Shurangama Dharma, we must be proper. We need to keep our minds proper and devoid of any impure thoughts. We should not do anything impure. We must cultivate the practice of purity in thought after thought. If we cultivate the practice of the Shurangama Mantra on the one hand but do not observe the rules on the other, huge problems will occur. This is one point that everyone must understand.

If our thoughts are improper, our conduct will be improper. As a consequence of that, the Vajra Treasury Bodhisattvas will not respect you or protect you. The Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are compassionate and will not hurt sentient beings out of anger. But their attendants, such as all the Dharma protectors, gods and dragons, ghosts and spirits have huge tempers. Evil ghosts and spirits who observe someone who cultivates the mantra making transgressions will hurt him, make him ill at ease and give him a lot of problems. That individual will face all sorts of disasters and all kinds of retributions. This is no joke at all. Fast and bathe, and keep the mind clean by not entertaining any defiled thoughts. Keep the body clean too. Do not indulge in doing any tainted practices. Always maintain purity and avoid the slightest misbehavior.

Reciting the Shurangama Mantra is more profitable than trading in gold. One recitation of the Shurangama Mantra is as valuable as several billion ounces of gold. But do not recite out of greed. If we can uphold the precepts; if we can be free of jealousy and obstructions; if we can be free of greed, hatred and delusion; then we will reap huge responses and benefit from reciting the Shurangama Mantra. If we misbehave while cultivating this Dharma, then the power of response will not be nearly as great. It is not that this mantra is ineffective but that we misbehave; as a result, the Dharma protecting good spirits stay far away from us. They will not bother with anything that happens to us.

Anyone who reads and recites the Shurangama Mantra must not be treacherous and must not commit offenses repeatedly. Always benefit others and not about benefiting ourselves, practicing the ways of the Bodhisattvas with the heart of Bodhisattvas.

Recite the Mantra with a Proper Mind
Reciting silently or aloud will diminish
our words and thoughts.
Spreading the benefits and joys
of the teaching will change the universe.
All methods that we use should be
carried to ultimate completion.
No increase and no decrease indicate that
we have reached Nirvana.