Preface to the Combined Commentary on the Śūraṅgama Sūtra

I was orphaned young and grew up in poverty. Though I took refuge in the Chan Temple and held a deep reverence for the Buddha's teachings, my heart felt directionless. At that time, there was an elder monk named Ran in the mountains, skilled in medicine, poetry, and the study of Buddhist scriptures. I enjoyed speaking with him, and our conversations often revolved around the essential teachings of the *Shurangama Sutra*, which he would highlight to inspire me. I could silently grasp his meaning. From then on, I devoted myself to the *Shurangama Sutra* and privately revered the *Comprehensive Commentary* by Tianru. Even through bitter cold and sweltering heat, I never ceased my studies. Whenever I caught a glimpse of understanding, I would feel smug, believing that the profound meaning of this sutra lay entirely within my grasp—that I could follow it for life without need for anything else. So I secluded myself in the western hills of Lake Tai.

In the year Bingxu (1646), I heard that the Huazang Monastery in Wuxi was hosting a lecture series on the *Shurangama Sutra*. The presiding master was the great teacher Xuelang, and the head monk was the elder Yuan from the mountains. Yuan was a fellow practitioner of Ran, also learned in teachings and poetry, and a friend of mine. He sent me a letter saying: "Xuelang of Jinling is truly a great Dharma master of our time. His insight is profound and far-reaching, and his eloquence pours forth like a river flooding its banks—truly a ferry for the end times, the eyes of humans and devas. He is now residing at Huazang, expounding the *Shurangama Sutra* in depth. You hide away in a remote corner, gazing at the clouds. Why not come out to attend the lectures and taste the Dharma?"

After much thought, I replied: "The profound meaning of the *Shurangama Sutra* has been fully revealed by ten masters, and Tianru has condensed its essence into the *Comprehensive Commentary*. It's like a collection of jewels. Even if the lecturer speaks like a flowing river, he's just using wit and knowledge to gloss over things for the masses. How could he establish any new meaning beyond this?" So I did not go.

Yuan wrote again: "The wondrous teachings of the Tathagata are vast and deep—how can one sight, one understanding, one passage, one meaning exhaust them? It's like the great ocean: mosquitoes drink from it and are satisfied, mice drink from it and are satisfied, asuras drink from it and are satisfied. Each takes according to their capacity. Who can drink up the entire ocean in one mouthful? Please come; I will not let you down. Do not be arrogant."

So I gladly bought a boat and went straight to the Dharma assembly. There, my teacher, the master, held a *chowrie* (fly-whisk), gesturing left and right. Every cough, every movement, revealed the ultimate truth, sweeping away all dependence on mere words and fragmented explanations. The audience was astounded—some bit their fingers in amazement, some danced with joy, some praised, all saying: "How rare! This is a great master and a great teacher!" I too was shocked into realization, losing my former certainty and gaining true understanding. I joined my palms and thanked the head monk: "You did not waste your efforts in urging me to come, and I have not wasted my journey."

From then on, I attended the lectures daily. Whenever I encountered difficult or obscure passages, I would ask the teacher. He said: "The Buddha's teachings have one source, yet their streams branch into a thousand differences. The *Shurangama Sutra*, however, embraces all Dharmas as its children and gathers all sutras as its family. Though it has ten fascicles, it is truly the general introduction to the entire canon. Those who aspire to the Dharma must first read it, and read it thoroughly. When you are familiar with it, the path will open naturally in your mind, eyes, mouth, and ears—you won't need to borrow others' words or pick up their spit. If you first understand the sutra's meaning, you'll see clearly the differences between the various commentaries. Otherwise, the commentaries will seize your mind, and the sutra's meaning will remain obscured."

This is how I learned the method of reading scripture. From then on, I sat alone in a quiet place, with only the *Shurangama Sutra* on my desk. In my mind, at the corners of my eyes, on the edge of my lips—only the *Shurangama Sutra*. I read and reflected. Whenever I encountered a point that didn't satisfy me, I wrote it down and pasted it on the wall. I constantly pondered, determined to understand. So I often had moments of insight. Over the years, the unified meaning of the *Shurangama Sutra* became perfectly clear—every word matched the Buddha's mind, with no discord. Looking back at my earlier efforts, they were like trying to measure the sky with a tube or the sea with a ladle.

When I again read the various commentaries, I saw clearly their strengths and weaknesses, with no confusion in my mind. I then compiled my scattered insights—gained from teachers and friends, as well as my own realizations—into private notes, storing them in a box to prevent forgetting.

Later, I happened upon a copy of the *True Lineage of the Shurangama Sutra* on a friend's desk. As I read it, I found that its criticisms of errors largely matched my private notes—about seventy percent. The remaining thirty percent differed. Yet compared to earlier commentaries, it stood out, often surpassing them. Overjoyed, I thought: "Where is such a Dharma master to be found? Living in seclusion, I hadn't even heard his name. How fortunate to obtain this priceless treasure—what is called 'coming without seeking'?"

I wanted to raise funds from donors to print and spread it, only to learn that the woodblocks had been circulating in Jiahu for a long time. However, the master's compassionate intent was so deep that he wished everyone to understand completely. So he explained the sutra's meaning in detail, whether easy or difficult. Because it was detailed, the text was long. Lengthy texts are not convenient for beginners—they retreat like looking at the ocean and turning back. Therefore, I took my private notes, which aligned perfectly with the nature of the Buddha's teachings, and compiled them into a volume for publication. My intention was to guide fellow practitioners—whether they prefer detail or brevity—into the perfect and comprehensive Dharma-door of Universal Penetration. As for the essential meaning of the sutra, it has already been clarified in the judgment of the text, so I will not repeat it. I merely recount here the origins of my own understanding of the Dharma.

Preface to the Dragon-ascending Year of Xin-You by Ven. Shih Tongrun of Erlei Hermitage