Shurangama Mantra with Verses and Commentary

by Venerable Tripitaka Master Hsuan Hua

541. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI

槃曇迦嚧彌

 

 

Cấm phược chư ác ma quỷ thần

Mạc nhập giới nội nhiễu hại nhân

Pháp diên đàn khai Thánh hiền hội

Chuyển giáo diệu luân quán cổ kim.

 

禁縛諸惡魔鬼神

莫入界內擾害人

法筵壇開聖賢會

轉教妙輪貫古今

English Translated by the International Translation Institute

Revised by Bhikshu Heng Shun

 

541. Pan Tan Jia Lu Mi

 

Verse:

 

Constraining and binding up all evil, including demons, ghosts and spirits.

None can enter within the boundary to trouble or harm people.

The Dharma banquet is set up for the Sages and Worthy Ones to gather together,

To turn the wondrous wheel of the teachings from ancient times to the present.

 

 

Commentary:

 

We will soon be finished with the explanation of the Shurangama Mantra. We have already finished 540 verses. These verses describe the Mantra’s powers, functions, and capabilities. Thus, the Shurangama Mantra is of great importance. We explain the Mantra once a week and I do not know how many weeks we have spent explaining it thus far.

 

Constraining and binding up all evil, including demons, ghosts and spirits.

 

This line of the Mantra is talking about constraining and binding up. Constraining means to forbid or ban. Binding up means to tie up or fetter. All evil includes all the celestial demons and those on heterodox paths of the Three Realms of Existence. This includes all deviant spirits and evil ghosts. Demons are not allowed to act without restraint. How does one constrain and bind them up? That is not allowing them to come into our sacred boundary. Within the boundary, the infinite numbers of the Three Jewels of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha in the ten directions and three periods of time throughout the reaches of space and pervading the Dharma Realm all come to guard and protect this mandala platform. They all come to clean up this place.

 

None can enter within the boundary to trouble or harm people.

 

Therefore, once the sacred boundary has been established, the Tathagatas of the ten directions all come to the mandala platform. They keep all the strange demons and ghosts, deviant spirits, evil ghosts, celestial demons, and those of heterodox paths from coming into the boundary. Therefore, it’s said, “None can enter within the boundary to trouble or harm people.” They are prohibited from entering. Whoever amongst them wishes to come into the boundary will be captured and tied up.

 

The Dharma banquet is set up for the Sages and Worthy Ones to gather together.

 

Why are all these strange ghosts and demons not allowed to come into the sacred boundary? It is because innumerable Sages and Worthy Ones are meeting together in this mandala platform. What are they doing when they gather together?

 

To turn the wondrous wheel of the teachings from ancient times to the present.

 

 “Turn” means to turn the wheel of the great Dharma. “Teachings” includes the Three Divisions of the Teachings, the Practices, and the Principles. Why does it say to “turn the wheel of the teachings?” It is just for teaching and transforming living beings to enable them to turn away from delusion and return to enlightenment, and to renounce the deviant to return to the proper. Therefore, from ancient times to the present, the Wheel of Dharma is turned. For the sake of teaching and transforming living beings, the Wheel of Dharma is turned day and night unceasingly. Our giving lectures and speaking the Dharma is turning the Wheel of Dharma. Printing sutras is turning the Wheel of Dharma. Reciting and upholding sutras is turning the Wheel of Dharma. And writing out sutras is also turning the Wheel of Dharma. All activities related to Buddhism are considered turning the Dharma Wheel. The Wheel of Dharma turning constantly means to turn the Dharma Wheel day and night unceasingly. But this cannot be seen with our flesh eyes. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are constantly turning the Wheel of Dharma, too. All Buddhas and Bodhisattvas are turning the Dharma Wheel in space without stopping. Therefore, from ancient times to the present, the Dharma Wheel is always turning. Once the sacred boundary is established, whoever can use this Dharma will be considered to be the Dharma Host. He can employ this Dharma and activate it so that the influences and responses can occur. These are all said to be turning the Wheel of Dharma. Those who recite and uphold the Shurangama Mantra are also turning the Dharma Wheel. Therefore, these lines of Mantra, “Pi Tuo Ye, Pan Tan Jia Lu Mi, Di Shu, Pan Tan Jia Lu Mi, Buo La Pi Tuo, Pan Tan Jia Lu Mi” are especially important. These include the Dharma of Subduing, the Dharma of Quelling Disasters, the Dharma of Increasing Benefits as well as the Dharma of Accomplishing. These lines of Mantra contain tremendously expansive meanings on Dharma.

538. TỲ ĐÀ DA

毗陀耶

539. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI

槃曇迦嚧彌

540. ĐẾ THÙ

帝殊

541. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI

槃曇迦嚧彌

 

 542. BÁT RA TỲ ĐÀ

般囉毗陀

543. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI

槃曇迦嚧彌

 

Bàng-Bài Thủ Nhãn Ấn Pháp

Thứ 15

 

Phạt Xà Da Ðế [28] 

Án-- dược các sam nẳng, na dã chiến nại-ra,

               đạt nậu bá rị-dã, bạt xá bạt xá, tát-phạ hạ.

TỲ ĐÀ DA. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI.

ĐẾ THÙ. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI.

BÁT RA TỲ ĐÀ. BÀN ĐÀM CA LÔ DI.

UM! BÚT RUM!  HÙM! 

15.   The Shield Hand and Eye
          Bàng-Bài Thủ Nhãn Ấn Pháp

5. NHỨT TỰ CHUYỂN LUÂN VƯƠNG CHÚ

ÁN BỘ LÂM 

 BỘ LÂM 

(BÚT RUM!)

( Trì tụng UM! BÚT RUM!  HÙM! đến KHI tương tục không gián đoạn, THÌ tấc cả vọng niệm không sanh khởi sẽ thấy LINH NGHIỆM hay QUÁN 1 chữ PHẠN BỘ LÂM hiện ra rõ ràng sẽ thấy LINH NGHIỆM )