The Benefits of Reciting the Shurangama Mantra

The Shurangama Mantra possesses empowering strength. Within the mantra are the names of Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, Pratyekabuddhas, Arhats, and Dharma protectors. Reciting it is equivalent to reciting the Buddha's name, or perhaps even more potent than merely reciting the Buddha's name alone, because there are specific Dharma protectors providing support and carrying out its functions. Its specific manifestations include empowering the practitioner's cultivation of precepts, meditative concentration, and wisdom; shielding against a portion of karmic obstacles; eliminating a portion of karmic obstacles; making it difficult for large, unavoidable karmic obstacles to manifest; thereby facilitating smooth practice. Unknowingly, precepts become purified, meditative concentration deepens, wisdom increases, and the mind becomes purified. The more focused the recitation, the greater its efficacy; the more sincere the mind, the greater its power. If one cannot maintain perfect focus, and recites while walking, standing, sitting, lying down, or doing tasks, with the mind somewhat distracted and unable to concentrate fully, as long as the mind is sincere, the empowering strength remains very great. Even reciting the mantra with a scattered mind still carries empowering strength; as long as the mantra is recited mentally or verbally, one receives protection and support.

If practice is not going smoothly and the mind is scattered and unable to concentrate, one should make a plan to recite the Shurangama Mantra while walking, standing, sitting, and lying down every day. At the beginning of everyone's Buddhist practice, they should recite a certain quantity of the Shurangama Mantra until their practice becomes as smooth as sailing downstream, and only then can they stop. This relies on the empowering strength of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas, the Four Holy Ones, and the Dharma protectors. Only then will one's own mental strength arise. When self-power and other-power combine, practice can proceed correctly. Empowering strength can prompt a change in one's inherent nature. When the inherent nature changes, the obscurations of that nature are eliminated. There are also obstacles from the seeds of past karmic actions. Major karmic obstacles are shielded by the Dharma protectors. Minor karmic obstacles are inconsequential to experience oneself; it is also something one should undergo and cannot avoid. When major karmic obstacles come due in the future and one is able to bear them, they will also seem inconsequential, or perhaps the major karmic obstacles will have diminished in severity by then. The emptier the mind, the greater its capacity to endure karmic retribution. One will calmly accept it, take responsibility, and repay karmic debts – that is only natural.