夫大佛頂首楞嚴之為法也，去來惟一，生滅恒如。性七大而互周，妙三科而等入。真空真色，因緣自然之四計圓；離性色性空，俗有真無之二偏絕。寄方乎寶鑑，類彼摩尼。三諦之濟濟像歸，十界之穰穰珍雨。為眾妙之靈府，為萬善之玄基。寥𠔃廓𠔃，不可名而強名如來藏；希𠔃夷𠔃，無得稱而寓稱常住心。嘅眾生之性倒也，昧斯一理融通，局彼知見殊異。或塗空而割有，錯亂乎修習之門；或賤邊而貴中，肯綮於僧祇之劫。在凡夫則計內計外，在外道則執斷執常。類皆以真知為妄知，如迷頭而逐影；以妄見為真見，似棄海而認漚。如來說為可憐愍者，此大佛頂首楞嚴經之所以說也。此經唯宣勝義，獨被圓機。剖常心於生滅之中，指駛流為謐水；會藏性於色空之內，鏡額瘡為髻珠。酬諸佛菩提達道，陰入處界，本如來藏，而體之即神；詰娑婆圓通本根，理智根塵，諸生滅法，而亡之俱寂。舉要言之，聞思修而皆妙，戒定慧以俱圓。正與助而並駈，顯與密而雙運。歷因果始終之階級，泰風送逝川之舟。摧生死見愛之波旬，烈𦦨銷鄰虗之雪。信所謂方等實相之真詮，大事因緣之先容也。聲聞在昔，教衍於今。後五百年，均一佛日。爾時祇桓精舍，既有妙悟阿難。此國摩訶支那，寧無宿根上士。第為經文語活，佛旨意玄。解者唯緝網而祕於綱，學者舉棄綱而投諸網矣。故有窮年教苑，研幾而莫得融通。矧彼畢世禪關，索隱而能之解脫者乎。(燈)獲瞻祕誥，聽學有年。譬入海而算砂，徒顛眩而自困。既而掩卷思義，置解尋經。兼讀台宗，乃有餘地。非唯悟楞嚴為法華之要綱，抑以見智者愜如來之本心。談藏性則冥符性具之宗，說止觀則暗合大定之旨。乃至懸判地位，預防陰魔。一切名言，靡不殫契。噫，玉泉慈霔，幾千萬言，人無證者。佛隴西望，數十餘載，蓋有以焉。今輙秉斯義海，仰疏經王。以佛心印佛心，不亦培膏助明。即楞嚴釋楞嚴，孰謂以水醨乳。徵文立義，略擬懸談。學慙疎野，而詞愧不文。言肆支離，而義求或當。勒為四卷，質諸同志。匪圖取捷於龍門，聊託逸塵於驥尾云耳。
The Great Buddha's Crown Śūraṅgama Dharma is one in coming and going, constant in birth and extinction. Its nature encompasses the seven elements, interpenetrating; its subtlety pervades the three categories, equally entering. True emptiness and true form perfect the four views of causation and spontaneity; Transcending the nature of form and the nature of emptiness, it cuts off the two extremes of conventional existence and absolute nothingness. It is like a precious mirror, akin to a mani jewel. The three truths converge in its majestic appearance; the ten realms rain down abundant treasures. It is the spiritual treasury of all wonders, the profound foundation of all virtues. Vast and boundless, it cannot be named yet is forcibly called the Tathāgata-garbha; Subtle and formless, it cannot be described yet is provisionally termed the eternal mind.
Alas, sentient beings are inverted in nature, ignorant of this one principle's fusion, confined by their limited views and differences. Some cling to emptiness and deny existence, confusing the path of practice; Others belittle the periphery and exalt the center, entangled in kalpas of time. Ordinary people cling to inner and outer; non-Buddhists grasp at annihilation and permanence. All mistake true knowing for false knowing, like one who loses his head and chases a shadow; They take false seeing as true seeing, like one who abandons the ocean and clings to a bubble. The Tathāgata calls them pitiable—this is why the Great Buddha's Crown Śūraṅgama Sūtra was spoken.
This sūtra expounds only the supreme meaning, intended solely for those of complete capacity. It reveals the eternal mind within birth and extinction, pointing to the swift current as tranquil water; It unites the nature of the storehouse within form and emptiness, reflecting the forehead scar as the jewel in the topknot. In response to the Buddhas' path to enlightenment, the skandhas, sense-bases, and realms are originally the Tathāgata-garbha, and to realize them is divine. Inquiry into this world's perfect penetration reveals that principle and phenomena, faculties and objects, all conditioned dharmas vanish into stillness.
In essence, hearing, reflection, and practice are all wondrous; precepts, meditation, and wisdom are all complete. Principal and auxiliary practices advance together; exoteric and esoteric methods operate in unison. Traversing the stages from cause to fruition is like a favorable wind propelling a boat down a river; Destroying the demon of views and attachments in birth and death is like fierce flames melting snow on a neighboring peak. Truly, it is the genuine exposition of the true reality of the Mahāyāna, the foremost guide to the great matter of causation.
In the past, the voice-hearers received it; today, the teaching spreads. In the latter five hundred years, the Buddha's sun shines equally. At that time, in the Jetavana Grove, there was the profoundly awakened Ānanda; In this land of Mahācīna, how could there be no beings of deep roots and superior capacity? Yet because the sūtra's language is dynamic and the Buddha's intent profound, Interpreters often weave nets while missing the main rope; learners discard the rope and cast themselves into the net. Thus, some spend years in the garden of teachings, probing deeply yet failing to attain fusion; How much more those who spend a lifetime in meditation, seeking the hidden yet unable to achieve liberation?
I, Deng, have been fortunate to behold this secret teaching and study it for years. It is like entering the ocean to count grains of sand—only dizziness and self-entanglement. Then, closing the text to ponder its meaning, setting aside interpretations to seek the sūtra itself, And reading the Tiantai teachings, I found some clarity. Not only did I realize that the Śūraṅgama is the essential framework of the Lotus Sūtra, But I also saw that Zhiyi grasped the Tathāgata's original intent. Discussing the storehouse nature aligns with the doctrine of inherent inclusion; Expounding cessation and contemplation accords with the essence of great samādhi. Even the discernment of stages and the prevention of subtle demons— All terms and principles perfectly correspond.
Alas, the compassionate rain of Yuquan Temple produced tens of thousands of words, yet few have verified them. Gazing west toward Fotuo Ridge for decades, there is reason for this. Now, I humbly take this ocean of meaning and respectfully comment on the king of sūtras. Using the Buddha's mind to seal the Buddha's mind—is this not adding oil to brighten the lamp? Using the Śūraṅgama to explain the Śūraṅgama—who would say it is diluting milk with water? Citing the text to establish meaning, I briefly propose an introductory discussion. My learning is shallow and rustic, my words lacking elegance. My speech may be disjointed, but I seek accuracy in meaning. Compiled into four volumes, I offer it to fellow practitioners. Not aiming to leap through the Dragon Gate, I merely hope to follow in the dust of the swift horse's tail.