Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary

by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua

45. THI MA XÁ NA NÊ

尸摩舍那泥

 

Bảo kế hỏa đảnh đại thiên thần

Phụng hành thập thiện tích công huân

Quỷ tiên linh vật lai chiêm lễ

Cung hành thật tiễn nhân quả chân.

 

寶髻火頂大天神

奉行十善積功勳

鬼仙靈物來瞻禮

躬行實踐因果真

SHR MWO SHE NWO NI

 

Jeweled Headdress and Flaming Tuft, great heavenly spirit,

Offers up the conduct of the ten good acts, amassing virtue.

Ghosts, immortals and magical beings gaze up and worship.

When one actually does one's practice, cause and effect are true.

 

 

COMMENTARY:

 

Jeweled Headdress and Flaming Tuft, great heavenly spirit.

 

SHR MWO SHE NWO NI translates as "Jeweled Headdress" and also as "Flaming Tuft" and refers to a heavenly spirit. How did he obtain the appearance of a jeweled crown or a flaming tuft? It is because he reverently practiced the ten wholesome deeds. He didn't kill, he didn't steal, he didn't commit sexual misconduct, he didn't lie, use harsh speech, use double-tongued speech or use loose speech. He also wasn't greedy, hateful and stupid. He did not create bad karma with his body, mouth, and mind. He offers up the conduct of the ten good acts, amassing virtue. So every day he built up merit and virtue. Every day he gained more until he had a lot.

 

Ghosts, immortals, and magical beings gaze up and worship. The ghosts, immortals, and creatures with efficacy all bow to "Jeweled Headdress," "Flaming Crown" heavenly spirit. When one actually does one's practice, cause and effect are true. This is because whenever he did anything, he was true and honest about it. He took cause and effect very seriously and was not the least bit sloppy. As a result, he has this kind of awesome deportment and has the special characteristic of a jeweled headdress.

 

The Shurangama Mantra contains all the assemblies of heavenly spirits, all the assembly of heavenly generals, all the assembly of officials, all the assembly of heavenly kings, all the saints and sages, Arhats of the fourth fruition. When you recite this Mantra, all the ghosts and the spirits must be respectful and follow the rules. This is because these lines are the names of the kings of ghosts and spirits. When they hear their king's name being called, they all accord with the rules and are law-abiding.

 

They don't dare cause trouble. That is why those who continually maintain and recite the Shurangama Mantra are able to attain a great response and cause disasters to disappear throughout the whole world. Therefore, the Shurangama Mantra has a most inconceivable power. Now I am using very simple verses to display one part of the ten thousand-fold meaning. Even so, you can't afford not to be attentive to that one part, because from a little you can come to understand a whole lot.

 

So this method of explaining the Shurangama Mantra is unprecedented. I hope that more people will become familiar with the wonderful aspects of the Shurangama Mantra so in the future the world will become peaceful. This explanation of the Shurangama Mantra is a way of transforming the calamities of the world.