為什麼〈楞嚴咒〉有那樣的好處？就因為念這個咒，可以入楞嚴定。楞嚴大定是無定無不定，無有不定時，所謂：

Why does the Shurangama Mantra have so many advantages? Because by reciting it, one can enter the Shurangama Samadhi. The Great Shurangama Samadhi is neither samadhi nor non-samadhi; thus there is no time when one is not in samadhi. As it is said,

那伽常在定，
無有不定時。

The naga is constantly in samadhi;
There is no time when he is not in samadhi.

楞嚴定是堅固定，是天魔外道所不能破壞的，而無量的智慧就從這裏生出來。入定幹什麼？入定就好像到狄斯耐樂園似的，又有歡喜的事情，又有恐懼的事情，都是見所未見，聞所未聞。定中能如如不動，了了常明，不被境界所轉，而能轉一切境界，這是入楞嚴定的妙處。沒有楞嚴定，就隨境界轉，來一個什麼，就跟著它跑，被境界所牽。有這個楞嚴定，便不被境界所轉，所謂：

The Shurangama Samadhi is a solid samadhi that heavenly demons and externalists cannot destroy, and it gives rise to limitless wisdom. Why does one want to enter samadhi? Entering samadhi is like visiting Disneyland; there are both delightful and scary events, and you see and hear things you never saw or heard before. In samadhi, one is

Thus, thus, unmoving;
Clear and constantly bright.

One is not influenced by mental states; instead, one can influence all states. These are the advantages of entering the Shurangama Samadhi. Without the Shurangama Samadhi, one will be influenced by mental states. One will follow whatever comes up and be pulled away by it. That won't happen if one is in the Shurangama Samadhi.

眼觀形色內無有；
耳聽塵事心不知。

The eyes see forms,
but inside there is nothing.
The ears hear sounds,
 but the mind does not know.

見事省事出世間；
見事迷事墮沉淪。

If one recognizes what one sees,
 one can transcend the world.
If one is confused by what one sees,
 one will sink and drown.

在定中能生出無量的智慧，所謂定能生慧；你若不入定，就不能開智慧。好像你不到迪斯耐樂園，就不知道那裏頭是什麼？你到了裏面，就知道有海盜，有鬼城。好像某居士勸我到迪斯耐樂園好幾次，要我去看看，他以為我沒有看見。實際上，種種形形色色玩的東西，都沒有什麼特別的，我們從無量劫以來，看見的東西不知有多少？不過看過便忘了，若是記得起來，就不需要再看了。

While in samadhi, one can gain boundless wisdom, for samadhi is said to produce wisdom. If you do not enter samadhi, you cannot activate your wisdom. By analogy, if you don't go to Disneyland, you won't know what's there. If you do go, you'll discover that there are pirates and ghost towns. A certain layperson has asked me several times to go to Disneyland and take a look, thinking I haven't seen what's in there. Actually, all those different forms of amusement aren't that special. It is not known how many things we have seen during all these limitless eons! But after seeing them, we have forgotten about them. If we could remember these things, we wouldn't need to go see them again.