--- title: "首楞嚴壇場修證儀 · 壇場方規第一" description: "首楞嚴壇場修證儀由北宋高僧淨源編敘，是一部系統闡述《楞嚴經》壇場修證法門的儀軌典籍。該書誕生於宋代佛教復興、華嚴與禪淨思想融合的背景下，主要內容是依據《楞嚴經》建立嚴密的壇場規範，詳述禮懺、持咒、觀想等修行次第與儀式，旨在指導行者通過身口意三業清淨的儀軌實踐，證入首楞嚴大定。此儀軌在中國佛教史上具有重要地位，是研究宋代密教儀軌、華嚴修行實踐以及《楞嚴經》信仰與儀式化的重要文獻，為後世禪淨律各宗所重視。" url: "https://rushiwowen.co/en/r/cmcwdgzda0023jx042q2dq17o" --- ### 壇場方規第一 > Altar Layout Standards, Chapter 1 昔者吾佛大聖。以中人之過易生。惟其靜也。可以制諸本。於是梵剎壇儀。多附于深邃巖谷。幽僻林泉。既與居民相遠。揚揚之塵不驚。轔轔之車不來。情偽無以動其心。是非不得交其意。心意既靜。庶幾進道耳。今經之建壇也。此於既無雪山白牛。準經。但於平原。穿去地皮。五尺已下。取其黃土。和以旃檀。沈水。蘇合。薰陸。鬱金。白膠。青木。零陵。甘松。雞舌香名出處。具如續漢書。并異物志。以十香。細羅為粉。合土成泥。以塗場地國語云。壇之所除地。曰塲。方圓丈六。為八角壇鄭玄注禮云。封土曰壇。封者。起土界也。謂先除地為場。後取黃土。和香為泥。於場上。以泥塗起。令成壇相高低之量。隨供具之多少。可以意取。古人以一角二尺。二八十六。為一丈六。集解謂其太窄。當取徑有丈六。如方等行法。亦令作壇。縱廣一丈六尺耳。壇心。置一金銀銅木所造蓮華或以木刻蓮華用金銀薄貼之。亦從所宜。仍裝飾函子。盛首楞嚴經。置於蓮華之前。華中安鉢或紺色。白色瓷鉢亦通。鉢中先盛八月露水餘時但盛淨水。水中隨安所有華葉。取八圓鏡。各安其方。圍繞華鉢。鏡外建立十六蓮華。十六香鑪。間華鋪設。莊嚴香鑪。純燒沈水。無令見火。取白牛乳。置十六器。乳為煎餅。并諸砂糖。油餅。乳糜。蘇合。蜜薑。純酥。純蜜。於蓮華外。各各十六。圍繞華外。以奉諸佛。及大菩薩。每以食時。若在中夜。取蜜半升。用酥三合。壇前別安一小火鑪。以兜樓婆香舊云白茅香。煎取香水。沐浴其炭。然令猛熾。投是酥蜜。於炎鑪內。燒令煙盡。享佛菩薩享獻也或作饗。令其四外。徧懸幡華供聖之物隨方有無。有須盡求。當須日日盡力供養。以希冥助。如力不及。聽從初日至終。率己長財。以伸竭誠。於壇室中四壁。敷設十方如來。及諸菩薩所有形像。應於當陽。張盧舍那。釋迦彌勒阿閦彌陀。諸大變化。觀音形像。兼金剛藏。安其左右。帝釋梵王烏芻瑟摩。并藍地迦。諸軍荼利。與毗俱知。四天王等。頻那夜迦翻梵從華。義見諸文。張於門側。左右安置。又取八鏡。覆懸虗空。與壇場中所安之鏡。方面相對。使其形影重重相涉。於初七日。至誠頂禮十方如來。諸大菩薩。阿羅漢號。恒於六時。誦呪圍壇。至心行道。一時常行一百八徧誦呪數儀。見下文。第二。七中。一向專心。發菩薩願。心無間斷。我毗柰耶。先有願教具如金衡鈔文。第三七中。於十二時。一向持佛般怛羅呪。至第七日。十方如來。一時出現鏡交光處。承佛摩頂。乃至。從三七日後。端坐安居。經一百日。有利根者。不起于座。得須陀洹。縱其身心。聖果未成。決定自知成佛不謬建壇。并修方便正修。並宜六齋日建首。禮誦儀謂。若盡依教文。立壇致敬等。實為難事。但隨方所辨。量力而行。理應無咎。然則去聖踰遠。遵教彌寡。苟待緣具。方成禮誦。則使未習。望涯自絕。斯言有徵。吾嘗取之。特注于茲。將告來者。 > Long ago, our great sage, the Buddha, knew that ordinary people easily give rise to faults. Only through stillness can one master all inner tendencies. For this reason, monasteries and ritual platforms were often built deep in secluded mountain valleys, beside quiet springs and secluded forests. Far removed from ordinary settlements, the clamor of dust and commotion did not disturb them, and the rumbling of carriages did not reach them. Pretense and falsehood could not move their minds, and disputes could not entangle their thoughts. Once mind and thoughts are still, one may truly advance on the path. Now, regarding the construction of the platform for this sutra: since there is no snow-mountain white ox here, according to the sutra one may simply use level ground. Dig away the topsoil to a depth of five feet, and take the yellow earth beneath. Mix it with ten fragrant substances: sandalwood, agarwood, liquid storax, frankincense, turmeric, white glue, blue wood, zerling, spikenard, and ji-she The sources of these incense names are fully given in the Continued Book of Han and the Records of Strange Things.. Grind these ten incenses finely into powder, blend them with the earth to make mud, and spread it to coat the ritual ground The Guoyu says: the cleared ground of an altar is called a "field.", making it sixteen feet in circumference or diameter, in the form of an eight-sided platform Zheng Xuan's commentary on the Book of Rites says: heaped earth is called an altar; "heaping" means raising up an earthen boundary. This means first clearing the ground as a field, then taking yellow earth and mixing it with incense to make mud, and spreading this mud on the field to build up the altar's height according to the amount of offerings—this may be determined as one sees fit. The ancients took one corner as two feet, two times eight as sixteen, making one zhang and six feet. Collected Explanations says this is too narrow, and that one should take a diameter of sixteen feet. As in the Fangdeng practice method, one is also instructed to make an altar sixteen feet square.. At the center of the platform, place a lotus flower made of gold, silver, copper, or wood One may also carve a lotus from wood and cover it with gold or silver leaf, as is suitable. Then adorn a box to hold the Surangama Sutra and place it in front of the lotus.. Within the lotus, set a bowl A dark blue or white porcelain bowl is also acceptable.. In the bowl, first place water collected from the dew of the eighth month At other times, simply use clean water.. In the water, place whatever flowers and leaves are available. Take eight round mirrors and place one in each direction, surrounding the flower and bowl. Outside the mirrors, set up sixteen lotus flowers and sixteen incense burners, arranged alternately among the flowers. Adorn the incense burners and burn only agarwood, without letting the flames be seen. Take white ox milk and place it in sixteen vessels. From the milk make fried cakes, along with various sugars, oil cakes, milk gruel, liquid storax, honeyed ginger, pure butter, and pure honey. Outside the lotuses, arrange sixteen of each, surrounding the outside of the flowers, as offerings to the Buddhas and great bodhisattvas. At each mealtime, or in the middle of the night, take half a sheng of honey and three ge of butter. Before the platform, separately set a small fire brazier. Using turushka incense Formerly called white couch grass incense., boil it to make scented water, bathe the charcoal with it, then light it until it blazes fiercely. Cast the butter and honey into the blazing brazier and burn them until the smoke is exhausted, as an offering to the Buddhas and bodhisattvas "Offering" means presenting; sometimes written as "feasting.". All around the outside, hang banners and flowers everywhere As for the offerings to the sacred, provide according to what is available in each place. If something is needed, seek it fully. One should exert oneself daily to make offerings, hoping for unseen aid. If one's means are insufficient, one may, from the first day to the last, use whatever one can afford to express sincere devotion.. Within the altar room, on the four walls, display images of the Tathagatas of the ten directions and all the bodhisattvas. Facing the main direction, hang images of Vairocana, Shakyamuni, Maitreya, Akshobhya, and Amitabha, along with the great transformation bodies and the image of Guanyin. Also place Vajragarbha to their left and right. Place Indra, Brahma, Ucchusma, and Nila-danda, along with the various Kundali, Bhrikuti, the Four Heavenly Kings, and others, and Vinayaka Translating the Sanskrit into Chinese; the meanings are seen in the various texts., hung at the sides of the door, arranged to left and right. Then take eight mirrors and suspend them in the air, facing directly opposite the mirrors placed in the ritual site, so that their reflections interpenetrate layer upon layer. During the first seven days, sincerely bow in reverence to the Tathagatas of the ten directions, the great bodhisattvas, and the arhats. Constantly, at the six periods of the day, recite the mantra while circling the platform, earnestly walking the path. In one session, always walk one hundred and eight circumambulations For the method of counting mantra recitations, see below.. During the second seven days, single-mindedly make bodhisattva vows without interruption of mind. Our Vinaya already contains the teachings on vows Fully given in the Jinheng Commentary.. During the third seven days, at the twelve periods, single-mindedly uphold the Buddha's Pratyutpanna mantra. By the seventh day, the Tathagatas of the ten directions will appear at once where the mirrors meet and exchange light, and one will receive the Buddhas' blessing upon one's crown. Moreover, after the twenty-one days, sit upright in meditation and dwell in stillness for one hundred days. Those of sharp faculties may, without rising from their seat, attain stream-entry. Even if their body and mind do not yet realize the noble fruit, they will certainly know for themselves that they will become Buddhas without doubt For constructing the altar and for both the preparatory and main practices, it is best to begin on a six-day purification day. Ritual manuals say that to follow the scriptural text completely in establishing the altar and paying respects is truly difficult. Simply do according to what is available in your region and act within your means; in principle there should be no fault. Yet the further we are from the sage, the fewer follow the teachings. If one waits for all conditions to be complete before performing rites and recitations, then those not yet trained will look at the shore and give up on their own. These words are well attested; I have long accepted them. I note them here especially to tell those who come later..