唵‧嘛‧呢‧叭‧彌‧吽

OM MANI PADME HUM

◎三藏法師宣化上人‧講述於一九七一年
LECTURE GIVEN BY TRIPITAKA MASTER HSUAN HUA, 1971

你能常誦持這〈六字大明咒〉，就有六道光明能把六道輪迴的黑暗變成光明。
If you are able to constantly recite the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra, there will be six paths of light changing the darkness of the six destinies into brightness.

這六個字，叫〈六字大明咒〉，每一個字都會大放光明。

These six characters together make up the Six Character Great Bright Mantra; each one individually is able to emit brilliant light.

密宗是專門研究咒語和它的意思。佛教分成五宗：禪，教，律，密，淨。禪宗就是參禪打坐；教宗就是講經說法；律宗就是嚴淨毘尼，弘範三界，就是專持戒律的；密宗，密就是秘密的，彼此互不相知；淨土宗，就是專持名號，念這個「南無阿彌陀佛」
這六字洪名，這叫淨土宗。

Mantras and their meanings are studied in the Secret School, one of the five schools into which the principles of the Buddha's teachings are divided:

    1) the Dhyana School;
    2) the Teaching School;
    3) the Vinaya School;
    4) the Secret School;
    5) the Pure Land School.

The Dhyana School teaches constant investigation of dhyana meditation; the Teaching School, lecturing sutras and speaking dharma; the Vinaya School, exclusive maintenance of moral prohibitions: "awesome, majestic, and pure in vinaya, great models for the three realms". Then there is the Secret School. Secret means "no mutual knowing". The Pure Land School teaches the exclusive mindfulness and recitation of "Na Mo A Mi T'o Fo", the "Vast Six Character Name".

這五宗裡邊，有的人就說禪宗最高，有的人就說教宗最高，有的人又說律宗最高，修密宗的，就說我密宗最高，修淨土法門的，就說淨土法門這是最第一了、最高了。實際上，這個法是平等的，沒有高下──是法平等，無有高下。所謂高，就是個人私見，自己歡喜哪一種，就說哪一種是高。

Some people say the Dhyana School is highest of the five. Others claim that the Teaching School, or the Vinaya School, is highest. Cultivators of the Secret School say, "The Secret School is supreme". Practicers of the Pure Land Dharma-door say, "The Pure Land Dharma-door is first, it is superior". Actually, Dharma is equal; there is no high or low. "Highest" is everyone's own personal opinion; whatever school you like you claim it to be the highest.

現在我們講這個密宗。一般人所知道的密宗，就是喇嘛教。其實密宗不是秘密的，在這個顯教裡頭，顯密圓通──顯教裡頭也有密宗，好像〈大悲咒〉、〈六字大明咒〉都是密，〈楞嚴咒〉那更是密。所謂「密」，就是彼此不知道。

Now I will explain the Secret School. What most people understand to be the Secret School is actually Lamaism. In fact, the Secret School is not secret. Within the "explicit" teaching, the manifest and secret perfectly penetrate. The "explicit" teaching also includes the Secret School; for example, the Great Compassion Mantra, and the Six-Character Great Bright Mantra both belong to the Secret School. The Shurangama Mantra is even more secret. "Secret" is just "no mutual knowing".

那麼，不明