The Benefits of Reciting the Shurangama Mantra

The Śūraṅgama Mantra has blessing power. The mantra consists entirely of the names of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, Arhats, and Dharma-protecting deities; it is equivalent to recollecting the Buddha (buddhānusmṛti), or perhaps even more effective than simply reciting the Buddha's name, because the Dharma-protecting deities specifically protect and carry out [its functions]. This is concretely manifested in blessing the mantra-reciter's cultivation of precepts, meditation (samādhi), and wisdom (prajñā), in blocking a portion of karmic obstructions, and in eliminating a portion of karmic obstructions, so that great, irresistible karmic obstructions do not easily come upon one, making one's cultivation go smoothly. Without one's even being aware of it, the precepts become pure, meditative concentration improves, wisdom grows, and the mind becomes pure. The more focused one is when reciting the mantra, the greater its effectiveness; the more sincere the mind, the greater its effectiveness. If one cannot focus, and recites the mantra while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, or doing things, with the mind somewhat distracted and unable to unify the mind, then as long as the mind is sincere, the blessing power is still very great. Even reciting the mantra with a scattered mind still has blessing power; as long as one recites the mantra in the mind or with the mouth, one can receive protection. 

If one's cultivation is not going smoothly and the mind is scattered and unable to concentrate, one should, according to a plan, recite the Śūraṅgama Mantra from memory every day while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down. At the very beginning of everyone's study of Buddhism, one should recite a certain number of Śūraṅgama Mantras, and only stop when one's cultivation becomes as smooth as pushing a boat along with the current. This relies on the blessing power of all the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, the Four Noble Ones, and the Dharma-protecting deities, and only then will one's own mental power arise; only when self-power and other-power are combined can cultivation get on the right track. Blessing power can bring about a change in one's own mental nature; when the mental nature changes, afflictive obstruction (kleśāvaraṇa) is eliminated. As for the obstruction from the seeds of past karmic actions, the great karmic obstructions are blocked by the Dharma-protecting deities, while for small karmic obstructions, it does not matter if one undergoes a bit of karmic retribution—those are things one ought to undergo and cannot avoid. As for the great karmic obstructions, one can undergo them later when one is able to bear them, and then one will feel they do not matter much, or the great karmic obstructions will become not so great in the future. The emptier the mind, the greater one's capacity to bear karmic retribution; one will calmly accept it, take responsibility, and repay karmic debts as a matter of course.