Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary

by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua

90. TAM-MIỆU TAM-BỒ-ĐÀ DA

三藐三菩陀耶

 

 

Quy mạng Chánh giác Phật Đà Da

Quy mạng Chánh giác Đạt Ma Da

Quy mạng Chánh giác Tăng Già Da

Quy mạng Chánh giác Tam Bảo Da.

 

皈命正覺佛陀耶

皈命正覺達摩耶

皈命正覺僧伽耶

皈命正覺三寶耶

SAN MYAU SAN PU TWO YE

TAM-MIỆU TAM-BỒ-ĐÀ DA

 

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Buddha;

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Dharma;

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Sangha;

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Triple Jewel.

 

 

COMMENTARY:

 

There's a saying that goes, "One who can recite the Great Compassion Mantra, dares to fight with King Yama. Ghosts and spirits don't dare fight with one who can recite the Great Compassion Mantra." If you can recite the Great Compassion Mantra, you can fight with King Yama, and he won't be able to defend himself. And why do the ghosts and spirits leave you alone? It's not because you have a nasty temper, but because you have real power and real authority. A person with virtuous practice and Way virtue will be treated with courtesy by King Yama and the ghosts and spirits. It won't be that they 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, you can dare to fight with God."

 

"Is the Shurangama Mantra some kind of offensive weapon?" you ask.

 

No, but if you can recite the Shurangama Mantra, you will be wealthy in your next seven lives.

 

"If I had known this, I would have started learning it long ago, so I could fight with God and be rich for seven lives!"

 

If you are going to have such a petty motive, you would be better off not studying the mantra. Seven lifetimes pass in the blink of an eye, and even if you fight with God and win, you are still on the turning wheel of rebirth. We should say, "One who can recite the Shurangama Mantra will not fight with God. If you can recite the Shurangama Mantra, God won't fight with you." That makes more sense.

 

You shouldn't just hope that you will be rich for seven lives. You might be rich, but after seven lives you will still have to undergo suffering. What should you do? Ultimately, you should aim for Buddhahood, the supreme proper enlightenment of Bodhi. Don't have such a petty mind and petty purpose. Be greater. This is to tell you of the advantages of the Shurangama Mantra. Actually, the Shurangama Mantra is just the Buddha's transformation body. Not only is it a transformation of the Buddha, it is the transformation from the Buddha's crown. It is a 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.

 

TAM-MIỆU TAM-BỒ-ĐÀ DA means to take refuge with proper enlightenment and all worthy sages. Today's verse says, 

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Buddha;

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Dharma;

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Sangha;

Take refuge with Proper Enlightenment—the Triple Jewel.

/ Since I just mentioned the Triple Jewel individually, why do I repeat it and say, "The Triple Jewel" at the end? I repeat it so you will take special note of it.