The Supreme Virtues And Merits Of Shurangama Mantra

By Mr.Tee Chwee Kiat and translated By Zhang Leng

Ananda, this cluster of light atop the crown of the Buddha's head,, the Secret Gatha, Sitatapatram; with its subtle, wonderful divisions and phrases, gives birth to all the Buddhas of the ten directions.

Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions use this Mantra-Heart. They realize unsurpassed, proper, -and all-pervading khowledge and enlightenment. Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions take up this Mantra-Heart, they subdue all demons and control all adherents of outside ways. Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions avail themselves of this Mantra-Heart, they sit upon jeweled lotus-flowers and respond throughout countries as numerous as motes of dust.

Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions embody this Mantra-Heart, they turn the great Dharma Wheel in the lands as numerous as fine motes of dust. Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions hold this Mantra-Heart, they are able to go throughout the ten directions to rub beings on the crowns of their heads and bestow predictions upon them. Also, anyone in the ten directions who has not yet realized the fruition, can receive Buddha's prediction.

Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions are based in this Mantra-Heart, they can go throughout the ten directions to rescue beings from such sufferings as being in the hells, being hungry ghosts, being animals, or being blind, deaf, or mute, as well as the suffering of being together with the hated ones, from the suffering of being apart from the loved ones, from the suffering of not obtaining what one seeks, and from the raging blaze of the five skandhas. They liberate being from both large and small accidents. In response to their recitation, difficulties with thieves, difficulties with armies, difficulties with the law, difficulties with imprisonment, difficulties with wind, fire,and water, and difficulties with hunger, thirst, and impoverishment are all eradicated.

Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions are in accordance with this Mantra-Heart, they can serve Good and Wise Advisors throughout the ten directions. In the four aspects of awesome deportment, they make wish-fulfilling offerings. In the assemblies of many Thus Come Ones as there are sands in the Ganges, they are considered to be great Dharma Princes. Because the Thus Come ones of the ten directions practise this Mantra-Heart, they can gather together and teach their relatives in the ten directions, causing those of the Small Vehicle not to be frightened when they hear the Secret Treasury.

Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions recite this Mantra-Heart, they realize unsurpassed enlightenment while sitting beneath the Boddhi tree, and they enter Parinirvana. Because the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions transmit this Mantra-Heart, those to whom they bequeathed the Buddhadharma can, after their Nirvana, dwell in it completely and uphold it. Being strict and pure about the precepts and rules, they can all obtain purity.

If I were to explain this Mantra, Patram, of the cluster of light atop the crown of the Buddha's head from morning till night in an unceasing sound, without ever repeating any syllable or phrase, I could go for as many kalpas as there are sands in the Ganges and still never finish. I will also tell you that this Mantra is called "The Crown of The Thus Come One".

All of you with something left to study who have not yet put an end to the cycle of rebirth and yet have brought forth sincere resolution to become Arhats, will find it impossible to sit in a Boddhimanda and be far removed in body and mind from all demonic deeds if you do not hold this Mantra.

Ananda, let any living of any country in any world copy out this Mantra in writing on material native to his region, such as birth bark, spattra, plain paper, or white cotton cloth, and store it in a pouch containing incense. If thet person wears the pouch on his body, or if he keeps a copy in his home, then you should know that even if he understands so little that he cannot recite it from memory, he will not be harmed by any poison during his entire life.

Ananda, I will now tell you more about how this Mantra can rescue and protect the world, help people obtain great fearlessness, and bring to accomplishment living beings' transcendental wisdom. You should know that, after my extinction, if there are beings in the Dharma-Ending Age who can recite the Mantra themselves or teach others to recite it, such people who recite and uphold it cannot be burned by fire, cannot be drowned by water, and cannot be harmed by mild or potent poisons.

And so it is in every other cases, such that they cannot be posessed by any evil mantra or any heavenly dragon, ghost, or spirit, or by any essence, weird creature, or demonic ghost. These people's minds will attain proper reception, so that any spell, any paralyzing sorcery, any poisons or poisonous gold, any poisonous silver, any plant, tree, insect, or snake, and any of a myriad kind of poisonous vapours will turn into sweet dew when it enters their mouths. No evil stars, and no ghost or spirit that harbours malice in its heart and that poisons people can work its evil on these people. Vinayaka as well as all the evil ghost kings and their retinues will be led by deep kindness to always guard and protect them.

Ananda,you should know that eighty-four thousand nayutas of Ganges sands of kotis of Vajra-King Boddhisattvas and their descendants, each with vajra multitudes as retinue, are ever in attendance, day and night, upon this Mantra. If living beings whose minds are scattered and who have no samadhi remember and recite the Mantra, The Vajra Kings will always surround them. Therefore, good men, this is even more true for those who are decisively resolved upon Boddhi. All the Vajra Treasury-King Boddhisattvas will regard them with attention and secretly hasten the opening of their spiritual consciuosness. When that response occurs, these people will be able to remember the events of as many kalpas as there are grains of sand in eighty-four thousand Ganges Rivers, knowing them all beyond any dooubt.

From that kalpa onwards, through every life until the time they take last body, they will not be born where are yakshas, rakshasas, putanas, kataputanas, kumbhandas, pishachas and so forth; where there is any kind of hungry ghost, whether with form or lacking form, or with thought or lacking thought, or in any evil place.

If these good men read, recite, copy, or write out the Mantra, if they carry it or treassure it, if they make offerings to it, then through kalpa after kalpa they will not be poor or lowly, nor will they be born in unpleasant places. If these living beings have never accumulated any blessings, the Thus Come Ones of the ten directions will bestow their own merits and virtues upon these people. Because of that, throuoghout asamkhyeyas of ineffable, inspeakable numbers of kalpas, as many as the Ganges' sands, they are always together with the Buddhas.

They are born in the same place, due to their unlimitted merits and virtues, and the aksa fruit-cluster, they stay in the same place, become permeated with cultivation, and are never parted. Therefore, it enables those who have broken the precepts to regain the purity of the precepts-source. It enables those who have not received the precepts to receive them. It causes those who are not vigorous to become vigorous. It enables those who lack wisdom to gain wisdom. It causes those who are not quickly become pure. It causes those who do not hold to vegetarianism to become vegetarians naturally.

Ananda, if good men who uphold this Mantra violated the pure precepts before they received the Mantra, their multitude of offenses incurred by violating the precepts, whether major or minor, can simultaneously be eradicated after they begin to uphold the Mantra. Even if they drank intoxicants or ate five pungent plants and various other impure things in the past, the Buddhas, Boddhisattvas, Vajras, gods, immortals, ghosts, and spirits will not hold it against them.

If they are unclean and wear tattered, old clothes to carry out the single practice and single dwelling, they can be equally pure. Even if they do not set up the platform, do not enter the Boddhimanda, and do not practice the Way, but recite and uphold this Mantra, their merits and virtues will be identical to that derived from entering the platform and practising the Way.

If they have committed the Five Rebellious Acts, grave offenses warranting unintermittent retribution, or if they are bhikshus or bhikshunis who have violated the Four Parajikas or the Eight Para jikas, such heavy karma as this will disperse after they recite this Mantra, like a sand dune that is scattered in a gate, so that not a particle remains.

Ananda, if living beings who have never repented and reformed any of the obstructive offenses, either heavy or light, that they have committed throughout countless kalpas past, up to and including those of this very life, can nevertheless read, recite, copy, or write out this Mantra or wear it on their bodies, or place it in their homes or in their garden houses, then all that accumulated karma will melt away like snow in hot water. Before long they will obtain awakening to patience with the non-production of Dharma.

Moreoveer, Ananda, if women who do not have children and want to conceive can sincerely memorize and recite this Mantra or carry the Mantra, Sitatapatram, on their bodies, they can give birth to sons or daughters endowed with blessings, virtue and wisdom. Those who seek long life will obtain long life. Those who seek to quickly perfect their reward will be quickly gain perfection. The same is true for those who seek something regarding their bodies, their lives, their appearance, or their strength. At the end of their lives, they will gain the rebirth they hope for in whichever of the countries of the ten directions they wish. They certainly will not be born in poorly endowed places, or as inferior people; even less will they be reborn in some odd form.

Ananda, if famine or plague in a country, province, or village, or if perhaps there are armed troops, brigands, invasions, wars, or any other kinds of local threats or dangers, one can write out this spiritual Mantra and place it on the four city gates, or on a chaitya or on a dhvaja, and instruct all the people of the country to gaze upon the Mantra, to make obeisance to it, to revere it, and to single-mindedly make offerings to it; one can instruct all the citizens to wear it on their bodies or to place it on their home; and then all such disasters and calamities will completely disappear.

Ananda, in each and every country where the people are accorded with this Mantra, the heavenly dragons are delighted, the winds and rains are seasonal, the crops are abundant, and the people are peaceful and happy. It can also suppress all evil stars which may appear in any of the directions and transform themselves in uncanny ways. Calamities and obstructions will not arise. People will not die accidentally or unexpectedly, nor will they be bound by fetters, cangues, or locks. Day and night they will be at peace, and no evil dreams will disturb their sleep.

Ananda, this Saha World has eighty-four thousand changeable and disastrous stars. Twenty-eight great evil stars are the leaders, and of these, eight great evil stars are the rulers.They take various shapes, and when they appear in the world they bring disasters and strange happenings upon living beings. But they will all be eradicated wherever there is the Mantra. The boundaries will be secured for twelve yojanas around, and no evil calanity or misfortune will enter in.

Therefore, the Thus Come One proclaims this Mantra as one which will protect those of the future who have just begun to study, as well as all cultivators, so that they can enter samadhi, be peaceful in body and mind, and attain great tranquility. Even less will any demon, ghost, or spirit, or any enemy, calamity,or misfortune due from former lives that reach back to beginningless time, or any old karma or past debts come to vex and harm them.

As to you and everyone in the assembly who are still studying and as to cultivators of the future who rely on my platform, hold the precepts in accordancewith the Dharma, receive the precepts from the pure members of the Sangha, and hold this Mantra-Heart without giving rise to doubts: should such good men as these not obtain mind-penetration in that very body born of their parents, then the Thus Come One of the ten directions have lied!

When he finished this explanation, unmeasurable hundred of thousands of Vajra Power-Knights in the assembly came before the Buddha, placed their palms together, bowed and said,"With sincere hearts we will protect those who cultivate Boddhi the way, according to what the Buddha has said."

Then the Bhrama King, the God Shakra, and the Four Great Heavenly Kings all came before the Buddha, made obeisance together, and said to the Buddha, "If indeed there be good men who cultivate and study in this way, we will do all we can to earnestly protect them and cause everything to be as they would wish throughout their entire lives."

Moreover unmeasurable great yaksha generals, rakshasa kings, putana kings, kumbhanda kings, Vinayaka, the great ghost kings, and all the ghost commanders came before the Buddha, put their palms together, and made obeisance. "We also have vowed to protect these people and cause their resolution for Boddhi to be quickly perfected."

Further, unmeasurable numbers of gods of the sun and moons, lords of the rain, lords of the clouds, lords of thunder, lords of lightning who patrol throughout the year, and all the retinues of stars were also in the assembly bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "We also protect all cultivators, so that their Boddhimanda are peaceful and they can attain fearlessness."

Moreover, unmeasurable numbers of mountain-spirits, sea-spirits, and all those of the earth--the myriad creatures and essences of water, land and the air; as well as the King of wind-spirits and the gods of the Formless Heavens, came before the Thus Come One, bowed their heads, and said to the Buddha, "We also will protect these cultivators until they attain Boddhi and will never let any demons have their way with them."

Then Vajra-Treasury-King Boddhisattvasin the Great Assembly, numbering as many as eighty-four thousand nayatas of kotis'worth of sands in the Ganges, arose from their seats, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "World Honored One, the nature of our deeds in cultivation is such that, although we have long since accomplished Boddhi, we do not grasp Nirvana, but always accompany those who uphold this Mantra, rescuing and protecting those in the Final Age who cultivate samadhi properly."

"World Honored One, such people as these, who cultivate their minds and seek proper concentration, whether in Boddhimanda or walking about ,and even such people who with scattered minds roam and play in the villages, will be accompanied and protected by us and our retinue of followers."

"Although the demons kings and the God of Great Comfort will seek to get at them, they will never be able to do so. The smaller ghosts will have to stay ten yojanas' distance from these people, except for those beings who decided they want to cultivate dhyana."

"World Honored One, if such evil demons or their retinues want to harm or disturb these good people, we will smash their heads to smithereens with our Vajra pestles. We will always help these people to accomplish what they want."

Then Ananda arose from his seat, bowed at the Buddha's feet, and said to the Buddha, "Now that we who are stupid and slow ,who are fond of erudition.....but have not sought to cease the outflows of our minds, have received the Buddha's compassionate instructions and have attained the proper means to become infused with cultivation, we experience joy in body and mind and obtain tremendous benefits."