Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary

by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua

87. LẶC ĐÁC NA KÊ ĐÔ RA XÀ DA

剌怛那雞都囉闍耶

 

 

Bảo quang bảo tràng Bảo Tích Phật

Bảo Thắng Như Lai thiện hàng ma

Nhất thiết vương chúng giai năng chiến

Bàng môn tả đạo tận chiết nhiếp.

 

寶光寶幢寶積佛

寶勝如來善降魔

一切王眾皆能戰

 旁門左道盡折攝

LA DAN NA JI DU LA SHE YE

LẶC ĐÁC NA KÊ ĐÔ RA XÀ DA

 

Jeweled Light, Jeweled Banner, Jewel Accumulation Buddha,

Jeweled Victory Thus Come One skillfully subdues the demons.

All the King's hosts can do battle;

The side-doors and left-handed ways are chastened and gathered in.

 

 

COMMENTARY:

 

LẶC ĐÁC NA means jewel. KÊ ĐÔ means"banner". RA XÀ DA is"royal family". The verse says, Jeweled Light, Jeweled Banner, Jewel Accumulation Buddha,/ Jewel Accumulation Buddha is also sometimes called Jeweled Light Buddha, and Jeweled Banner Buddha. The Buddha cultivated on his own. The Jade Emperor didn't appoint him as Buddha. The Jade Emperor is only a Dharma protector. What business does he have appointing people as Buddhas. That's silly! Being a Buddha is not like being president or king who appoints officials. The Buddhas receive commands from the Buddhas of the past. The Jade Emperor has no right to make anyone a Buddha. That is childish. Even children would understand that this isn't the case.

 

Jeweled Victory Thus Come One sikllfully subdues the demons./ Jeweled Victory Buddha is adept at conquering heavenly demons and outside ways. All the king's hosts can do battle./ The Buddha is the Dharma King. All of his royal legions are adept at fighting. They battle with the demon hordes. The side-doors and left-handed ways are chastened and gathered in./ The left-handed ways and side-doors are unpresentable religions. They have secret dharmas. When I was in China, I met many of them. They said, "Don't you know that in the future our religion is going to rule the Emperor's Court? We are going to be gods, kings, and the like. If you believe in our religion, you will all have a turn at being the Emperor. We will take turns!" This incites people's greed and confusion. How many such side-doors are there? In India there are ninety-six external ways. In China there are three thousand side-doors. When Shakyamuni became a Buddha, all those of side-door religions were subdued and gathered in. Those of side-doors were subdued by both harsh and gentle methods, and eventually they returned to the proper Path.

 

The most pitiful thing in the world, above all else, is for people to go off to side-doors and give rise to deviant knowledge and deviant views, and in the future they will fall. All of you should take care not to read non-Buddhist sutras. If the Buddha didn't speak a certain doctrine, don't believe it.