The Efficacious Language of Heaven and Earth (Part 4)

by Venerable Hsuan Hua

Some people who learn how efficacious The Shurangama Mantra is, decide to exclusively recite it and ignore all other aspects of cultivation. That’s going overboard. In cultivation, no matter what Dharma it is, you have to keep to the Middle Way. Don’t do too much and don’t fail to do enough. Although the Mantra is definitely efficacious, still, you have to develop samadhi.

The Shurangama Sutra describes how efficacious this Mantra is, but it also explains the method of returning the hearing to listen to your own nature by cultivating perfect penetration of the ear organ. That’s also extremely important. While you are reciting the Mantra you should be returning your hearing to listen to your own nature. You must reflect within.

Didn’t I explain earlier how the mantra becomes the mind and the mind becomes the mantra? The mind and the mantra cannot be separated; they are non-dual. When you get there, then you can attain whatever you seek; everything will go the way you want it to, and you will have success in whatever you undertake. When the mind and the mantra merge into one, then you have actually attained the samadhi of Chan meditation and have acquired real samadhi-power. That is something you should know.

Every line of The Shurangama Mantra contains infinite meanings as well as infinite functions. You should realise that The Shurangama  Mantra is the most efficacious language in the world — the efficacious within the efficacious, the esoteric within the esoteric! It is an unsurpassed Dharma Treasure — the Gem that can save living beings' lives. It embraces all that exists.

From the Buddhas of the Ten Directions to the Avichi Hell, all the Four Kinds of Sages and Six Sorts of Common Realms pay homage to The Shurangama Mantra. None of the Ten Dharma Realms transcends its scope. All categories of ghosts, spirits, Dharma-protecting deities, Hearers, Condition-enlightened Ones, up to the Buddha Vehicle are contained within The Shurangama Mantra. The Shurangama Mantra contains the names of ghosts and spirit kings. When the names of those leaders are recited, all the ghosts and spirits in their retinues become very obedient and behave themselves. They don’t dare to make trouble.

Reciting The Shurangama Mantra every day can cause demonic beings and weird ghosts throughout the world to settle down and stop harming people. The substance and function of The Shurangama Mantra are all-encompassing. It can be said that within the mantra can be found the entirety of Buddhism’s teachings and meanings. If you can understand The Shurangama Mantra, then you have understood the essence of Buddhism’s esoteric teachings.

All the inconceivable wonders and esoteric phenomena in the universe are contained in The Shurangama Mantra. If you master The Shurangama Mantra, then you don’t need to study the esoteric school’s white teaching, black teaching, yellow teaching, red teaching or any other teaching. This is the ultimate method of samadhi and the most esoteric  Dharma. Unfortunately, no one really understands this esoteric Dharma; no one even recognises it. Most people study it, but cannot absorb it; they can only recite it but don’t know its meanings. Basically, it’s not necessary to know the meanings of mantras, you need only realise that they are an ineffable efficacious language.

Being able to recite The Shurangama Mantra is a benefit to all beings. Not being able to recite it, you cannot offer that benefit to beings. Quickly learn it, memorise it, investigate and understand it! Then you will be doing what Buddhist disciples should do. The very best is for those who want to recite The Shurangama Mantra to do it for the sake of the entire world; transfer all the merit to the whole world. There isn’t anything more important in Buddhism than The Shurangama Mantra. The Shurangama Mantra is a sure sign of the Proper Dharma. The existence of the Shurangama Mantra ensures the existence of the Proper Dharma.

When The Shurangama Mantra is gone, the Proper Dharma is gone. Those who cannot recite this mantra are not worthy of being Buddhist disciples. The Shurangama  Mantra is nicknamed “six months’ stupor” because for most people it takes a half year of diligent recitation to get it memorised.

Those of us who can recite The Shurangama Mantra have been planting and nurturing good roots for countless aeons. Being able to memorise it perfectly and never forget it is evidence of those good roots. Without good roots, not only will you not be able to recite it,  you will never even hear of the existence of The Shurangama Mantra, or if you hear of it you won’t understand it and won’t be able to recite it. Truly, then, those who can recite it by heart do have great good roots!

The Shurangama Mantra is a Dharma-door difficult to encounter in billions of aeons. 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 uphold 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 — when 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 offences. You will bring calamities down upon yourself.

Therefore, the first criterion for people who want to cultivate a Dharma is to uphold the precepts and place emphasis on developing virtuous conduct. You must not fight, be greedy, seek out, 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 behaviour 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 (ineffective).

Therefore, those who study The Shurangama Mantra (Dharma) must be proper in their behaviour, 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 (Dharma) 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 offences, 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 practise defiling Dharmas. At all times, guard your purity. Don’t commit even the slightest infractions of the rules.

Reciting The Shurangama Mantra is more valuable than any amount of gold. Reciting the mantra once is equivalent to tons of gold! But your recitation shouldn’t be motivated by greed! If you hold the precepts, then you won’t (should not) be jealous or obstructive; you won’t  (should not) be greedy or angry, and your recitation of the Mantra will generate pervasive responses and massive benefits.

But if your behaviour is not in accordance with the rules, the Dharma-protecting good spirits will stay far away from you and when something happens to you they won’t pay any attention. Therefore, those who recite The Shurangama Mantra shouldn’t be cunning or behave in ways that continually create offences. At all times, they should be open and public-spirited; they should strive to benefit others, not themselves; they should cherish the ideals of Bodhisattvas, and cultivate the practices of Bodhisattvas.