首楞嚴經者，諸佛之慧命，眾生之達道，教網之宏綱，禪門之要關也。世尊成道以來，五時設化，無非為一大事因緣，求其總攝化機，直指心體，發宣真勝義性，簡定真實圓通，使人轉物同，如來彈指，超無學者，無尚楞嚴矣。釋其名，則一切事究竟堅固，即所謂徹法底源，無動無壞，而如來密因，菩薩萬行，靡不資始乎此，而歸極乎此耳。考其所詮，則談圓理以明真性，開圓行以示真修，其性也體用雙彰，其修也果因一契，原始要終，了義之說也。良由諸修行人，背真向妄，不成無上菩提，或愛念小乘，得少為足，或欲漏不除，畜聞成過，故阿難以多聞邪染為緣，浚發大教，而世尊首告之曰，一切眾生，生死相續，皆由不知常住真心，性淨明體，用諸妄想，此想不真，故有輪轉。又曰，有三摩提，名大佛頂，首楞嚴王，具足萬行，十方如來一門，超出妙莊嚴路，斯一經理行之大本也歟。由是破七處攀緣，別二種根本，因見顯心，因心顯見，雖心見互顯，而正顯在心，如以盲人矚暗，喻見非眼，屈指飛光，驗見不動，印觀河之非變，比垂手之無遺，辯於八還，擇於諸物，非舒非縮，無是無非，使悟淨圓真心，妄為色空及聞見耳。既悟妄為，尚疑混濫，故又破自然因緣，示見見之非見，合別業同分，指見妄之所生，且以一人例多人，以一國例諸國，總顯器界根身，同一妄耳。自淺而深，自狹而廣。雖多方顯妄，而所顯惟真。故又舉陰入處界，廣及七大，融會入於如來藏性。使悟物我同根，是非一體。妄無自性，全體即真。凡十界依正之相，皆循業發現而已。既悟即真，尚迷循發。故又答山河大地之難，深窮生起之由。譬虗空不拒，諸相發揮。顯真妙覺，明圓照法界。一多互應，小大相容。即體即用，非俗非真。至於離即離非，是即非即。則藏心妙性，不涉名言矣。復引照鏡狂走，喻妄無因。結責多聞，勸修無漏。通而言之，皆圓理也。理解雖圓，非行莫證。故又明二決定義。初審因地發心，伏斷無明，為修行之要。次審煩惱根本，意擇圓根，為發行之由。於是定六根優劣，令一門深入。擊鐘驗常，綰巾示結。陳二十五聖所證法門，敕選耳根為初心方便。而又教以攝心軌則，安立道場。遂聞四重律儀，頂光神呪。通而言之，皆圓行也。乃至由三增進，成就五十五位真菩提路。雖談證位，未盡行因。下而戒業習於七趣情想，防禪定於五陰魔邪，無非行門之事。必期於圓滿菩提，歸無所得，始得名為究竟堅固之證也。然則依究竟堅固之理，立究竟堅固之行。修究竟堅固之行，證究竟堅固之理。楞嚴教旨，大抵如是。是知教行理三，悉號楞嚴。了義之說，莫此加矣。科經者，合理行為正宗，離正宗為五分：一、見道；二、修道；三、證果；四、結經；五、助道。謂見道而後修道，修道而後證果，此常途之序固爾。究論上根修證，如發明藏性之後，謂不歷僧祇，獲法身；請入華屋之前，謂疑惑銷除，心悟實相之類，又豈局於常哉？大哉教乎！夫欲發真歸元，明心見性者，於此宜盡心焉。然是經無教不收，無機不攝，或言偏意圓，或名同體異，昧劣之士，有所不達。弘經者，思所以達之，從而為之解。自唐而宋，解者凡十餘家。始余見長水璿師、孤山圓師、泐潭月師、溫陵環師之說，又閱吳興岳師之集，併得興福慤、資中沇、真際節、擕李敏諸師之意，無不大同。惟所見或各從一長，乃不能不小異，遂使行者泣岐，莫辯良導，則不達之患，不在彼而在乎此矣。今余會諸家要解，以通大途。異不公乎眾者，節之；異而互通者，互存之；互為激揚者，審其的據而取之。間有隱略乖隔處，則又附己意，目為補註。若合殊流，同歸於海，故謂之會解。噫！道本無言，非言不顯，佛不得已而言矣。言有不達，道無以明，則諸師之言，亦不容其已也。言既多而不同，去道轉遠，則會解者，又豈容其自己哉？解既會矣，庶幾覽者，因會解以知人之言，因人言以知佛之言。佛言知矣，究竟堅固者得矣。曰行、曰理、曰教、曰禪、曰達道、曰慧命，皆剩語矣，況所謂解與會哉？

The Shurangama Sutra is the lifeblood of the Buddhas, the path to enlightenment for all beings, the great net of the Dharma's teachings, and the vital gateway of the Chan school. Since the World-Honored One attained enlightenment, he taught according to five different periods, all for the sake of a single, great matter—to guide beings to directly realize their true mind. Among all teachings, none surpass the Shurangama Sutra in its comprehensive ability to reveal the ultimate truth and point directly to the mind's essence, enabling beings to transcend the cycle of birth and death and attain Buddhahood in an instant.

This sutra's name means "the ultimate, unshakable firmness of all things," which refers to penetrating reality to its very source—something that neither moves nor decays. The secret cause of the Tathagatas and the myriad practices of Bodhisattvas all begin and end within this truth. Its teaching expounds the perfect principle to illuminate true nature, reveals the perfect practice to guide genuine cultivation. True nature encompasses both essence and function; cultivation unifies cause and effect. From beginning to end, it is a teaching of ultimate meaning.

Because practitioners turn away from the true and cling to the false, failing to achieve supreme enlightenment—some are attached to the Lesser Vehicle, content with a little; others do not eliminate their desires and are hindered by their learning—Ananda, through his condition of being tainted by hearing in vain, aroused the great teaching. The World-Honored One first told him: "All beings are bound in the cycle of birth and death because they do not recognize their eternal true mind, which is naturally pure and bright. They use various false thoughts, and because these thoughts are not true, they undergo endless rebirth." He further said: "There is a samadhi called the Great Buddha's Crown, the King of the Shurangama, which encompasses all practices. All Tathagatas of the ten directions use this single gateway to transcend the wonderful, sacred path." This is the foundational principle and practice of the entire sutra.

Thus, it refutes the seven locations of the mind, distinguishes the two fundamental roots, reveals the mind through seeing, and reveals seeing through the mind. Although mind and seeing illuminate each other, the focus is on mind—comparing a blind person who sees darkness to illustrate that seeing is not the eyes; using the bending fingers and flying light to demonstrate that seeing is unmoving; affirming that the river of seeing does not change; comparing the hand hanging so the excess does not go beyond. It distinguishes through eight returns, selects among various phenomena—neither extending nor contracting, neither existent nor nonexistent—enabling one to realize that the pure, perfect, true mind is falsely considered forms, emptiness, sights, and sounds.

Though we realize it is false, we still suspect confusion. Thus, it refutes ideas of spontaneity and causation, showing that seeing itself is not something seen. Combining individual and shared karma, it points out where false seeing arises—using one person as an example for many, one country as an example for all countries, ultimately revealing that the material world and the physical body are both equally false. From shallow to deep, from narrow to broad, although it uses many methods to reveal falseness, what is revealed is only the true. Therefore, it extends to the skandhas, sense bases, and realms, and broadly covers the seven great elements, all fused into the Tathagata's treasury nature. This teaches that all phenomena and the self share one root, that right and wrong are one substance. The false has no nature of its own; in its entirety, it is true. All the appearances of beings in the ten realms arise merely through the manifestation of karma.

Having realized that all is true, practitioners may still be confused about how this manifestation works. Thus, it further answers the doubt about the existence of mountains and rivers and the great earth, deeply exploring the source of arising. It uses the analogy of empty space not resisting the manifestation of forms, revealing the true, wondrous enlightenment that perfectly illuminates the Dharma-realm. The one and the many interrespond, the small and the large interpenetrate. It is both essence and function, neither conventional nor ultimate. When we transcend both identity and difference, then the treasury-mind's wondrous nature goes beyond words.

It further uses the analogy of a madman looking in a mirror to show that delusion has no cause. It concludes by criticizing mere learning and encourages the cultivation of the outflows. Broadly speaking, these all represent the perfect principle. But, though understanding is perfect, practice is necessary for realization. Therefore, it clarifies the two decisive meanings: first, examining the mind of initiation and subduing fundamental ignorance as the key to cultivation; second, examining the root of afflictions to choose the suitable sense faculty as the basis for practice.

Thus, it determines the six faculties' strengths and weaknesses, urging one practice to enter deeply. It tests constancy by striking a bell, shows tying knots in a cloth. It then presents the enlightenment of twenty-five sages and selects the ear faculty as the best foundation for beginners. It also teaches rules to focus the mind and establish a cultivation seat. It then introduces the four grave precepts and the spiritual mantra from the crown of the Tathagata. In short, these all represent the perfect practice.

Following this, through three progressive stages, one attains the fifty-five levels of true Bodhi. Although these discuss realization stages, they are still part of the practice cause. Finally, it warns against karmic habits within the seven destinies and prevents meditative pitfalls within the five skandha demonic states—all are matters of practice. The goal must be to perfect enlightenment and ultimately return to nothing obtained—only then is it called the realization of ultimate, unshakable firmness.

Thus, based on the principle of ultimate firmness, one establishes the practice that is ultimate firmness. By cultivating that practice, one realizes that principle. The Shurangama's teaching purpose is broadly like this. Know that the teaching, practice, and principle are all called "Shurangama." No teaching of ultimate meaning surpasses this.

Those who structure the sutra divide the main teaching into two parts and the whole into five sections: (1) seeing the path, (2) cultivating the path, (3) realizing the fruit, (4) concluding the sutra, and (5) supportive teaching. The sequence is: after seeing the path, cultivate; after cultivation, realize the fruit. This is the usual order. However, for practitioners of sharp faculties—such as realizing the treasury nature or attaining the Dharma-body without passing through countless eons, or entering the jeweled mansion after doubt is eliminated and the mind realizes true reality—they are not limited by the usual order.

Profound is this teaching! Those who wish to return to the source, clarify their mind, and see their nature should thoroughly study it. This sutra embraces all teachings and accepts all capacities. Sometimes words are partial but the meaning is complete; sometimes names are the same but the essence differs. Those of dull capacity cannot fathom it. Dharma-propagators sought to make it accessible by producing commentaries.

From the Tang to the Song dynasties, over ten masters wrote commentaries. I first encountered the works of Master Changshui Xuan, Master Gushan Yuan, Master Letan Yue, and Master Wenling Huan. Then I read the collected works of Master Wuxing Yue and absorbed the insights of Masters Xingfu Que, Zizhong Xian, Zhenji Jie, and Zuoli Min. In the main, they all agree. Only occasionally does each emphasize a single aspect, causing slight differences. This leads practitioners to become lost at crossroads, unable to discern a good guide. The fault then lies not in them but in these works.

Now I have brought together the essential interpretations of all these schools to illuminate the main path. Where differences lack broad support, I omit them. Where differences are complementary, I include them. Where views mutually refine, I examine the evidence and adopt what is sound. Where there is obscurity or inconsistency, I add my own view, noted as a supplementary comment.

It is like merging different streams into a single ocean—thus I call it "The Collected Commentary." Ah! The Way is originally wordless, yet without words it cannot be revealed. Thus, the Buddha spoke out of necessity. If words are not understood, the Way is not clarified. So, the words of the masters were also necessary. As words multiplied and diverged, the Way grew ever more distant. Therefore, the collected commentary was also inevitable.

Now that the commentary is assembled, perhaps readers, through this collection, will come to know the words of others; through the words of others, they will come to know the words of the Buddha. Once the Buddha's words are known, the ultimate, unshakable firmness will be attained. Then even terms like "practice," "principle," "teaching," "Chan," "path," and "lifeblood" become mere superfluous talk—let alone commentary and collection!

Surangama Sutra Comprehensive Commentary (楞嚴經圓通疏)

Surangama Sutra Comprehensive Commentary (楞嚴經圓通疏)