Reading Shurangama straight away would be a bit difficult for a beginner.Originally posted by maggot:Advising that understand what the sutra is trying to say would be better![]()
Yes learning how to put dharma into practice and practice it is most important.Originally posted by TWE:Buddhism teachings is for us to understand fully and to practise it instead of just committing to pure memory work . I am aware that alot of pple are able to recite or even quote tons of teachings , sutras , mantras and etc but few actually really practise it . Its good to know buddhist teachings but its better to understand and practise it . Knowing vast amount of buddhism teaching doesn't make you a better person , but practising it through thorough understanding does .
Don't try to start chanting in the first placeOriginally posted by An Eternal Now:Reading Shurangama straight away would be a bit difficult for a beginner.
If Kumangal is interested, I would suggest she start out by reading some basic, introductory and beginner Dharma books.
Realisation is not knowing so many sutra or wadOriginally posted by kumangal:can anyone advice on this mantra
Let her see the true form of what she keepingOriginally posted by bohiruci:Realisation is not knowing so many sutra or wad
its whether you want to do your external and internal purification or not
If you stilll desire the powers of the captive soul and unorthodox practice
Reciting Shurangama will cause your downfall
as Shurangama is the Mirror of All Demonic State as mentioned in Mahayana Sutra
so Kumangal , give up your "thing" before the strength of your "Poison" destoy you
My stern warning to you![]()
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I will probably be flamed for posting this, nevertheless, just to share with all on this teaching by Ven Master Hsuan Hua on Shurangama Mantra.
The Wonderful Effects of the Shurangama Mantra
A talk given Venerable Master Hsuan Hua's on January 10, 1975 in Taiwan
The Shurangama Mantra is in the Shurangama Sutra. The word 'Shurangama' has the meaning 'absolutely firm and solid.' In China, this Sutra is considered one of the most important Sutras. It is said: "to become a Buddha requires the Dharma Flower Sutra; to develop one's wisdom requires the Shurangama Sutra." I'm very willing to lecture on the the Shurangama Sutra and the Dharma Flower Sutra, because these two Sutras can develop people's wisdom and lead them to Buddhahood. Not only do I want to talk about them, but I also hope everyone here will study and understand them, especially the Shurangama Sutra.
Speaking of the Shurangama Sutra, I remember in China there was a Great Master named Zhi Zhe ("Wise One") who, upon hearing the name of the Shurangama Sutra, wanted to read it. For that reason he bowed in the direction of India every day, hoping to someday to study it. Although he made full prostrations for eighteen years, he never saw this Sutra. Though the wisdom and intelligence of Great Master Zhi Zhe surpassed that of ordinary people and his eloquence had no limits, he still revered and bowed to the Shurangama Sutra. This shows how important this Sutra is.
As long as the Shurangama Sutra exists in this world, the demons from the heavens and the externalists will be afraid to show themselves. Unfortunately, the Shurangama Sutra will be the first to disappear in the Dharma-ending Age. After this Sutra disappears, the demons from the heavens and the externalists will take advantage of the situation. That is why now there are some who pretend to be experts on Buddhism, who say they are scholars of Buddhist studies or professors of Buddhism in such-and-such universities, and they publicly suggest that the Shurangama Sutra is a spurious Sutra created by the Chinese. All of you just think for a moment: Although China has produced many sages, I doubt that we could find one among them who could have written the Shurangama Sutra. I firmly believe that the Shurangama Sutra is genuine and correct, and that it offers the means to subdue demons from the heavens and control externalists. That is because the phrases in the Shurangama Mantra serve to subdue demons from the heavens and control externalists. From the beginning to the end, each line of the mantra has its mystical effect and inconceivable power. It was because of the Shurangama Mantra that the Shurangama Sutra was spoken.
In the past, someone in Hong Kong translated the Shurangama Sutra into English, but he deleted the section on the rites of setting up the Shurangama Platform and also left out the entire Shurangama Mantra. He said that no Westerners would believe in the Shurangama Mantra, that they wouldn't recite it since they consider mantras to be superstitious and don't believe in the functions of mantras. Therefore, he left out the instructions for setting up the platforms and for practicing and upholding the Great Shurangama Dharma. After coming to this Western country--the United States, I personally realized that there are many Westerners who love to chant the Shurangama Mantra. Not only do they like to chant the Shurangama Mantra, they are even able to recite it from memory! At Gold Mountain Monastery, I had a disciple who joined us in reciting the Shurangama Mantra during morning recitation and again during evening recitation. After twenty-six days of reciting it in the morning and evening, he was able to recite it from memory. The first test I gave to my students in America was on the Shurangama Mantra. I stipulated in the summer session (196 that whoever could memorize the Shurangama Mantra would pass, and whoever could not would fail. There was one who memorized the Shurangama Mantra in twenty-six days, and another who memorized it in twenty-eight days. And now, many Western Buddhists are familiar with the Shurangama Mantra.
All of us should stop for a moment and think, "Why do these fake Buddhist experts, self-proclaimed scholars, and college professors say that the Shurangama Sutra is false?" It's because the doctrines of the Shurangama Sutra counteract the faults of these people; it clearly exposes their faults. For example, it explains very clearly that the Four Clear Instructions on Purity must not be transgressed. Since these people have no intention of eliminating their faults, they insinuate that the Shurangama Sutra was created by the Chinese. Who were the first ones to say this? The Japanese. Who told the Japanese? It is said that a Chinese Dharma Master informed them that the Shurangama Sutra was counterfeit. I don't know whether that Dharma Master understood the Shurangama Sutra. We don't have to mention his name, because it was a long time ago. Since then, people have been spreading the rumor that the Shurangama Sutra is not genuine. This shows that the Buddhadharma is declining: people within Buddhism made up such a rumor, gradually causing doubts in others. Over a period of time, people became doubtful and disbelieving, and in their disbelief they put this Sutra away in the attic. That's equivalent to destroying it, for no one will study this Sutra or have any interest in it. Over the course of time, the Sutra will disappear, not because of something like the words fading away or the pages falling out, but because, little by little, people will forget about it.
Why have people made up this false theory? Simply because they do not want to follow the rules. The Sutra also states that the various spiritual powers associated with the fifty skandha-demon states are not significant. So those people think, "Even if I had some spiritual powers, they would be considered false." I've heard that a certain cultivator in Japan has spiritual penetrations--it's said that he can point his finger at a candle and cause it to light up. Is this the case? I haven't witnessed it yet. I'm going to Japan on the fourteenth, so maybe I'll look him up. A long time ago he also wanted to see me, so when I visit him we can exchange ideas.
The importance of the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra is beyond words. Even if I were to speak to the end of time, it would be impossible to completely describe its wonderful effects. It is inconceivable. Today I'm using a very honest mind to candidly tell all of you about the wonderful effects of the Shurangama Mantra. When I was in Manchuria, whenever I met people who were sick, I was determined to cure their illness. What power did I use to cure sick people? The power of the Shurangama Mantra.
The Shurangama Mantra contains five divisions: In the East is the Vajra Division, hosted by Akshobhya Buddha; in the south, the Jewel-creating Division, hosted by Creation of Jewels (Ratnasambhava) Buddha; in the center, the Buddha Division, hosted by Vairochana Buddha; in the West, the Lotus Division, hosted by Amitabha Buddha; in the North, the Karma Division, hosted by Accomplishment (Amoghasiddhi) Buddha. These five divisions control the vast demon armies of the five directions. When you recite the Shurangama Mantra, the soldiers of the five demon armies will lower their heads in obedience. They will behave themselves and will not dare to oppose the awesome power of the Shurangama Mantra.
In the Shurangama Mantra, there is a Dharma for Quelling
Calamities. When you recite the mantra, all disasters and
misfortunes will disappear. There is also a Dharma for Subduing. No
matter what kind of demons from the heavens or heretics you
encounter, when you recite the Shurangama Mantra, you will destroy
the power of the demons and subdue them. There is a Dharma that
Increases Benefits. When you are cultivating the Way, this dharma
will help you increase your wisdom, your resolve for Bodhi, and the
power of your vows; it can increase everything. This is called the
Dharma that Increases Benefits. There is an Accomplishment Dharma.
When you recite the Shurangama Mantra, no matter what Dharma-door
you practice, you will accomplish it. There is another dharma
called the Hooking and Summoning Dharma. This dharma is to be
employed when you encounter demons from the heavens and heretics
and you want to seize them, just as the policemen in our society
catch criminals. When you want to catch the demons from the heavens
or the heretics, all the kind-hearted Dharma-protecting spirits,
the gods and dragons, and the remainder of the eightfold division,
and the 84,000 Vajra Store Bodhisattvas will immediately seize
them. This is the Hooking and Summoning Dharma.
The Shurangama Mantra consists of five sections and can be divided
into over thirty types of dharmas. It was because of the power of
the Shurangama Mantra that I was able to treat people's illnesses
when I was in Manchuria. However, it is not the case that just
anyone can casually use the Shurangama Mantra. When one uses it,
one doesn't necessarily have to use the whole mantra, because it
contains over thirty types of dharmas. When I mentioned this, some
professors in the United States didn't really understand Buddhism,
and they thought, "Oh! Now I see that the Shurangama Mantra is just
a combination of many little mantras." How ridiculous! They
themselves do not understand, so they use the scientific mind of a
professor to speculate on the inconceivable state of the Shurangama
Mantra. This is what I've heard. What a joke!
Why do we want to talk about the Shurangama Mantra? Because it was
for the sake of the Shurangama Mantra that the Shurangama Sutra was
expounded. Without the Shurangama Mantra, there wouldn't be any
Shurangama Sutra. Therefore, since that person from Hong Kong left
out the Shurangama Mantra and didn't translate the rites of setting
up the platform, you could say that his English translation is like
a person without a head. What can a person do if he has no head?
When we translate Sutras, we shouldn't arbitrarily add or delete
sentences by interpreting passages out of context or using our own
limited understanding and wisdom. If we did, it would be like
viewing the sky through a reed or measuring the ocean with a gourd.
This is not allowed when we are translating Sutras.
Now, we are also working on Sutra translations at Gold Mountain
Monastery, and we absolutely must retain all the text that is in
the Sutras. We will not chop off the head or do away with the feet.
Nor will we be like a certain professor who translated liang zu zun
(which means "Doubly Perfect Honored One") as "Most Venerable of
Two Legged Beings," implying that we should "Take refuge with the
Buddha's two legs." [The Chinese character zu can mean perfect or
foot.] This way of translating (word-for-word) cannot be said to be
completely incorrect, but it is quite far from the intent of the
text and does not agree with the original meaning in the Sutra. For
these reasons, we are extremely attentive and careful in all the
Sutras we translate at Gold Mountain Monastery. We would not
casually delete a paragraph in the Sutras. Since I'm talking about
the Shurangama Sutra today, I have taken an opportunity to bring
this up.
-
Chanting the mantra is still fine, you don't have to learn the whole sutra to chant the mantra.Originally posted by maggot:Don't try to start chanting in the first place
As words of the chant may mean a different thing in different lands
I think chanting the mantra would be helpful and not "cause her downfall" (she is just a normal human being, not a demon or ghost), but it is good to give up keeping spirits.Originally posted by bohiruci:Realisation is not knowing so many sutra or wad
its whether you want to do your external and internal purification or not
If you stilll desire the powers of the captive soul and unorthodox practice
Reciting Shurangama will cause your downfall
as Shurangama is the Mirror of All Demonic State as mentioned in Mahayana Sutra
so Kumangal , give up your "thing" before the strength of your "Poison" destoy you
My stern warning to you![]()
![]()
![]()
![]()
Surangama has helped me understood that there is something in us that will never die unlike our physical body. And there are other truths for you to discover in it if you really going into it.Originally posted by kumangal:can anyone advice on this mantra
You can't say that there is something that never dies while our physical body dies, that is believing in something like a soul or an atman which is not what Buddha taught.Originally posted by grandeur:Surangama has helped me understood that there is something in us that will never die unlike our physical body. And there are other truths for you to discover in it if you really going into it.
digimon better .Originally posted by marcteng:ghost are not pets mind you, dun delve into the unknown or supernatural world, dun trouble trouble until trouble trouble you.
If you want a pet, try tomagotchi
Originally posted by path_seeker:i dun think theres anything wrong with master hsuan hua
I will probably be flamed for posting this, nevertheless, just to share with all on this teaching by Ven Master Hsuan Hua on Shurangama Mantra.
[b]The Wonderful Effects of the Shurangama Mantra
A talk given Venerable Master Hsuan Hua's on January 10, 1975 in Taiwan
The Shurangama Mantra is in the Shurangama Sutra. The word 'Shurangama' has the meaning 'absolutely firm and solid.' In China, this Sutra is considered one of the most important Sutras. It is said: "to become a Buddha requires the Dharma Flower Sutra; to develop one's wisdom requires the Shurangama Sutra." I'm very willing to lecture on the the Shurangama Sutra and the Dharma Flower Sutra, because these two Sutras can develop people's wisdom and lead them to Buddhahood. Not only do I want to talk about them, but I also hope everyone here will study and understand them, especially the Shurangama Sutra.
Speaking of the Shurangama Sutra, I remember in China there was a Great Master named Zhi Zhe ("Wise One") who, upon hearing the name of the Shurangama Sutra, wanted to read it. For that reason he bowed in the direction of India every day, hoping to someday to study it. Although he made full prostrations for eighteen years, he never saw this Sutra. Though the wisdom and intelligence of Great Master Zhi Zhe surpassed that of ordinary people and his eloquence had no limits, he still revered and bowed to the Shurangama Sutra. This shows how important this Sutra is.
As long as the Shurangama Sutra exists in this world, the demons from the heavens and the externalists will be afraid to show themselves. Unfortunately, the Shurangama Sutra will be the first to disappear in the Dharma-ending Age. After this Sutra disappears, the demons from the heavens and the externalists will take advantage of the situation. That is why now there are some who pretend to be experts on Buddhism, who say they are scholars of Buddhist studies or professors of Buddhism in such-and-such universities, and they publicly suggest that the Shurangama Sutra is a spurious Sutra created by the Chinese. All of you just think for a moment: Although China has produced many sages, I doubt that we could find one among them who could have written the Shurangama Sutra. I firmly believe that the Shurangama Sutra is genuine and correct, and that it offers the means to subdue demons from the heavens and control externalists. That is because the phrases in the Shurangama Mantra serve to subdue demons from the heavens and control externalists. From the beginning to the end, each line of the mantra has its mystical effect and inconceivable power. It was because of the Shurangama Mantra that the Shurangama Sutra was spoken.
In the past, someone in Hong Kong translated the Shurangama Sutra into English, but he deleted the section on the rites of setting up the Shurangama Platform and also left out the entire Shurangama Mantra. He said that no Westerners would believe in the Shurangama Mantra, that they wouldn't recite it since they consider mantras to be superstitious and don't believe in the functions of mantras. Therefore, he left out the instructions for setting up the platforms and for practicing and upholding the Great Shurangama Dharma. After coming to this Western country--the United States, I personally realized that there are many Westerners who love to chant the Shurangama Mantra. Not only do they like to chant the Shurangama Mantra, they are even able to recite it from memory! At Gold Mountain Monastery, I had a disciple who joined us in reciting the Shurangama Mantra during morning recitation and again during evening recitation. After twenty-six days of reciting it in the morning and evening, he was able to recite it from memory. The first test I gave to my students in America was on the Shurangama Mantra. I stipulated in the summer session (196that whoever could memorize the Shurangama Mantra would pass, and whoever could not would fail. There was one who memorized the Shurangama Mantra in twenty-six days, and another who memorized it in twenty-eight days. And now, many Western Buddhists are familiar with the Shurangama Mantra.
All of us should stop for a moment and think, "Why do these fake Buddhist experts, self-proclaimed scholars, and college professors say that the Shurangama Sutra is false?" It's because the doctrines of the Shurangama Sutra counteract the faults of these people; it clearly exposes their faults. For example, it explains very clearly that the Four Clear Instructions on Purity must not be transgressed. Since these people have no intention of eliminating their faults, they insinuate that the Shurangama Sutra was created by the Chinese. Who were the first ones to say this? The Japanese. Who told the Japanese? It is said that a Chinese Dharma Master informed them that the Shurangama Sutra was counterfeit. I don't know whether that Dharma Master understood the Shurangama Sutra. We don't have to mention his name, because it was a long time ago. Since then, people have been spreading the rumor that the Shurangama Sutra is not genuine. This shows that the Buddhadharma is declining: people within Buddhism made up such a rumor, gradually causing doubts in others. Over a period of time, people became doubtful and disbelieving, and in their disbelief they put this Sutra away in the attic. That's equivalent to destroying it, for no one will study this Sutra or have any interest in it. Over the course of time, the Sutra will disappear, not because of something like the words fading away or the pages falling out, but because, little by little, people will forget about it.
Why have people made up this false theory? Simply because they do not want to follow the rules. The Sutra also states that the various spiritual powers associated with the fifty skandha-demon states are not significant. So those people think, "Even if I had some spiritual powers, they would be considered false." I've heard that a certain cultivator in Japan has spiritual penetrations--it's said that he can point his finger at a candle and cause it to light up. Is this the case? I haven't witnessed it yet. I'm going to Japan on the fourteenth, so maybe I'll look him up. A long time ago he also wanted to see me, so when I visit him we can exchange ideas.
The importance of the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra is beyond words. Even if I were to speak to the end of time, it would be impossible to completely describe its wonderful effects. It is inconceivable. Today I'm using a very honest mind to candidly tell all of you about the wonderful effects of the Shurangama Mantra. When I was in Manchuria, whenever I met people who were sick, I was determined to cure their illness. What power did I use to cure sick people? The power of the Shurangama Mantra.
The Shurangama Mantra contains five divisions: In the East is the Vajra Division, hosted by Akshobhya Buddha; in the south, the Jewel-creating Division, hosted by Creation of Jewels (Ratnasambhava) Buddha; in the center, the Buddha Division, hosted by Vairochana Buddha; in the West, the Lotus Division, hosted by Amitabha Buddha; in the North, the Karma Division, hosted by Accomplishment (Amoghasiddhi) Buddha. These five divisions control the vast demon armies of the five directions. When you recite the Shurangama Mantra, the soldiers of the five demon armies will lower their heads in obedience. They will behave themselves and will not dare to oppose the awesome power of the Shurangama Mantra. [/b]
May I suggest you take a look at Poh Ern Shih (Temple of Thanksgiving) at Pasir Panjang.Originally posted by kumangal:can anyone advice on this mantra
Understanding will kill you.Understanding cannot help you.
In the sutra,it said that,Everything creat by mind alone.All problems come from the mind.When the mind moves,it creat everything.Return to your mind and everything will in peace.
Return to the source.Go to the root of the problem.
Hi TS, if let's say you are a beginner and you like to chant mantras, try to choose those that are short and easy to commit to memory and hence easy to attain concentration on. But of course, if you still think Shurangama Sutra is the right one for you, then by all means do your best to recite it wholeheartedly.
Other than that, I think it's best not to neglect reading more books that give you a general but clear introduction about Buddhism and Buddhist practices. Attend more talks for beginner buddhists if you can.
Buddhism is something that one needs to understand and practice at the same time. It's like a chicken and egg thing; without understanding, your practice becomes mere routine and you will find yourself wanting to give up at some point in time. Without practice, you can't understand the concepts further with your mind and heart. So Buddhism requires both understanding and practice at the same time.
All the best for your cultivation. :)
Originally posted by Spnw07:Hi TS, if let's say you are a beginner and you like to chant mantras, try to choose those that are short and easy to commit to memory and hence easy to attain concentration on. But of course, if you still think Shurangama Sutra is the right one for you, then by all means do your best to recite it wholeheartedly.
Other than that, I think it's best not to neglect reading more books that give you a general but clear introduction about Buddhism and Buddhist practices. Attend more talks for beginner buddhists if you can.
Buddhism is something that one needs to understand and practice at the same time. It's like a chicken and egg thing; without understanding, your practice becomes mere routine and you will find yourself wanting to give up at some point in time. Without practice, you can't understand the concepts further with your mind and heart. So Buddhism requires both understanding and practice at the same time.
All the best for your cultivation. :)
Yes this is important.