No. 270-A首楞嚴經要解序
Preface to the Essential Explanation of the Shurangama Sutra (Part A, No. 270)
前住福州上生禪院嗣祖沙門及南撰
Preface by the Patriarchal Monk Ji'nan, Former Abbot of Fuzhou Shangsheng Chan Cloister
像季已還，道術既裂，明心之士妄認緣塵為物所轉，義學之徒虗驕多聞不全道力，奇才茂器皆流為蒸砂迷客、說食飢夫。首楞嚴王懸知其然，誕敷祕典，力救倒妄，淘汰啟迪，諄諄之慈靡所不至，而末世初機罕能究盡。溫陵環師一生掩關，與世異好，獨陪黃卷聖賢冥搜博訪，藉其筌筏以探如來藏，游徧知海而造乎一切畢竟之地，思與同志共因為是解。昔月蓋比丘甞問藥王如來法供養義，藥王告言：諸佛所說難信深經，清淨無染，能令眾生成最正覺，離眾魔事。若於是經方便解說，依義不依語，依智不依識，依了義不依不了義，依法不依人，直使無明生死畢竟滅盡而無滅盡相，是名最上法之供養。月蓋蒙教，通達妙道，得無礙辯，即於藥王所轉法輪隨順分布，化百萬億人於無上覺立不退轉。環師既達妙道，仰睎月蓋於釋迦如來所轉法輪，最初華嚴、最後法華及此楞嚴無上寶印，皆以方便徤相分別，逈脫語言，離心意識，唯義所在，曾不依人，覺眚見病，廓無纖翳，於清淨經能不染污。我願以此流布無窮，其所化人何啻億萬，直如一燈然百千燈，使冥者皆明而明終不盡。故述序引，翼贊流通，於塵墨劫作法供養。
As time passed and the Way declined, those who sought to understand the mind mistakenly clung to perceived objects and were swayed by external things. Doctrinal scholars, proud of their superficial knowledge, failed to embody true spiritual power. Even the most talented and brilliant individuals ended up like those who cook sand in hopes of making rice or who speak of food while remaining hungry. The Śūraṅgama King, foreseeing this, compassionately revealed its secret teachings, striving to rescue beings from their inverted delusions. It refined, awakened, and guided them with unwavering kindness, yet few beginners in the final age could fully comprehend it.
Master Wenling Huanshi, who spent his life in retreat, had no worldly pursuits. Instead, he devoted himself to studying the sacred scriptures, researching widely on his own. Using these teachings as a raft, he explored the Tathāgata's treasury, traveled through the ocean of omniscience, and reached the ultimate ground of all realities. He wished to share these insights with like-minded seekers, thus composing this commentary.
In the past, the bhikṣu Candramukha once asked the Tathāgata Bhaiṣajya about the meaning of Dharma offerings. The Medicine King told him: "The profound scriptures proclaimed by the Buddhas are difficult to believe. They are pure and undefiled, capable of leading beings to perfect enlightenment and freeing them from all demonic influences. If you explain these scriptures skillfully, relying on meaning rather than words, on wisdom rather than conceptual knowledge, on definitive teachings rather than provisional ones, and on the Dharma rather than the person—so that ignorance and samsara utterly cease without leaving a trace of cessation—this is called the supreme Dharma offering."
Inspired by these teachings, Candramukha penetrated the wondrous path and attained unobstructed eloquence. Following the Medicine King's Dharma wheel, he disseminated it freely, guiding millions of beings toward supreme enlightenment, never retreating from it.
Master Huanshi, having realized this wondrous path, looked up to Candramukha. Concerning the Dharma wheel turned by Śākyamuni Buddha—the Avataṃsaka Sūtra in the beginning, the Lotus Sūtra in the end, and this supreme seal of the Śūraṅgama Sūtra—he explained them skillfully and distinctly. His explanations transcended mere words, went beyond mind and consciousness, and adhered only to true meaning. He never relied on personalities but discerned the distortions of illusions—clearing them away without a trace. Toward the pure scriptures, he remained undefiled.
My wish is to circulate this widely, without end. Those transformed by it will be countless—even billions. It is like one lamp lighting a hundred thousand lamps, enabling the blind to see clearly while the light itself never diminishes. Therefore, I write this preface, hoping to support and spread the Dharma, making this offering through countless eons of dust and ink.
建炎改元中秋日吉善集堂序No. 270
*No specific content in the original.*
大佛頂如來密因修證了義諸菩薩萬行首楞嚴經要解卷第一
Shurangama Sutra, Essential Explanation, Volume 1
唐天竺沙門般剌密帝譯
Translated by the Indian monk Pramiti during the Tang Dynasty.
烏萇國沙門彌伽釋迦譯語
Udyana Monk Meghashika Translation
菩薩戒弟子前正議大夫同中書
Lay Precepts Disciple, Former Grand Advisor and Co-Writer of the Secretariat
門下平章事清河房融筆受
Recorded by Fang Rong of Qinghe, Grand Councilor in the Secretariat-Chancellery
溫陵開元蓮寺比丘戒環解
Explanation by the Monk Jiehuan of Kaiyuan Lotus Temple in Wenling
△初祇夜
Here is the translation:
**Initial Gāthā**
真性有為空， 緣生故如幻， 無為無起滅。
不實如空華。 言妄顯諸真。 妄真同二妄。
猶非真非真， 云何見所見？ 中間無實性，
是故若交蘆
真性之中，有為之法皆空，則根塵本空。此頌根塵同源也。緣生之法皆幻，則縛脫亦幻。此頌縛脫無二也。起滅之法皆無，則妄識元無。此頌識性虗妄，猶如空華也。妄法既無，真亦不立。若言妄顯真，真還同妄。真與非真，尚猶雙非。見與所見，云何復存。當知俱無實體，若交蘆耳。此頌相見無性，同於交蘆也。
結解同所因， 聖凡無二路。 汝觀交中性。
空有二俱非， 迷晦即無明， 發明便解脫
結解同所因，聖凡無二路。頌同是六根更非他物也。汝觀下。牒根塵無體徒因妄結。迷晦下。頌知見立。知即無明本，知見無見斯即涅槃也。
△二伽陀
解結因次第 六解。一亦亡 根，選擇圓通。
入流成正覺
躡前結解之義，起後圓通之文也。六解則根拔，一亡則湛圓。選得圓根，則入聖流，證聖果矣。
陀那微細識， 習氣成暴流， 真非真恐迷。
我常不開演
頌根結初起之由也。阿陀那，此云執持，謂執持種子，發起現行，即第八梨耶初起之相，故曰微細。含藏種子為習氣，積生識浪為暴流，湛由是分，結由是起也。此識依真如，合生滅，雜乎真妄之間，故曰真非真也。若以為真，恐迷妄習而自誤，以為非真，恐迷自性而外求，故權小教中，皆不開演也。深密經曰：阿陀那識甚微細，一切種子成暴流，我於凡愚不開演，恐彼分別執為我。外道所執神我，即此識也。
自心取自心， 非幻成幻法， 不取無非幻。
非幻尚不生， 幻法云何立
頌解結入圓之要也。一切諸法，唯心所現。而於中取著，妄成根結。是自心取自心，非幻成幻法也。由妄取故，有幻非幻。若不妄取，非幻亦無。非幻尚無，幻法何有。幻法不立，則根塵頓淨，圓通現前矣。
是名妙蓮華 金剛王寶覺 如幻三摩提。
彈指超無學。 此阿毗達磨， 十方薄伽梵，
一路涅槃門
結頌真要也。此之法門，於淨不著，於染不汙，名妙蓮華。根境結惑，擬之則銷，名金剛王覺。即為無為，亡情絕解，名如幻正受。依此修進，一彈指間，可超無學而入圓位也。阿毗達磨云：無比法，十方如來逈出生死，速證寂常，莫不由斯。故曰：十方薄伽梵，一路涅槃門。薄伽尊號具六義，謂自在、熾盛、端嚴、名稱、吉祥、尊貴。
△二、詳明二。一、重請。
於是阿難及諸大眾，聞佛如來無上慈誨，祇夜伽陀雜糅精瑩，妙理清徹心目開明，歎未曾有。
二偈並頌而雙美，故曰雜糅精瑩。
阿難合掌頂禮白佛：我今聞佛無遮大悲性淨妙常真實法句，心猶未達六解一亡舒結倫次，惟垂大慈再愍斯會及與將來，施以法音洗滌沉垢。
無遮大悲，言其博濟也。性淨妙常，真實法句，則真妄兩忘，稱性之談也。沉垢微細，結惑也。
△二、巧示二：一、示結之由。
即時如來，於師子座，整涅槃僧，斂僧伽梨，擥七寶几，引手於几，取劫波羅天所奉華巾，於大眾前，綰成一結，示阿難言：此名何等？阿難大眾，俱白佛言：此名為結。於是如來，綰疊華巾，又成一結，重問阿難：此名何等？阿難大眾，又白佛言：此亦名結。如是倫次，綰疊華巾，總成六結，一一結成，皆取手中所成之結，持問阿難：此名何等？阿難大眾，亦復如是，次第酬佛：此名為結。
涅槃，僧裏衣也。僧伽梨，大衣也。劫波羅云時分，即夜摩天所獻巾也。綰，縈結也。巾喻一性，綰喻妄動，結喻六妄。一一詳問者，使悟凡所妄動，皆為結業