研究佛法要了解经中的义理。佛所说的经典，每一部经都有其真正的义理；并且所有的经典，互相都有连带关系，其中的义理也都是有连贯性的。佛说小乘，说大乘，最后归纳到佛乘上。不论大乘、小乘、佛乘，首先都是教人去除习气毛病，去无明烦恼，去贪瞋痴。你若能把毛病都去除，与经义自然会相合；如果毛病不除，总是不能明白经义的。

As we study the Buddhadharma, we must understand the meanings and principles spoken in the Sutras. There are true meanings and principles in every one of the Sutras spoken by the Buddha. All Sutras are related, and so are the principles contained in them. The Buddha expounded the Small Vehicle and the Great Vehicle, and finally, the Buddha Vehicle which encompasses everything else. The first thing all these vehicles teach is to eradicate bad habits and faults, to get rid of ignorance, afflictions, greed, anger, and delusion. If you can eliminate all of your bad habits and faults, you will naturally be in accord with the Sutra doctrines. But if you don't get rid of your faults, you won't be able to understand the principles spoken in the Sutras.

现在我们研究《楞严经》，已经把〈五十阴魔〉和〈四种清净明诲〉都研究完了，究竟经的真正义理是什么？为什么佛要说这部经呢？你若找到真义，才是真正明白经法；若找不到真义，还算不上真正明白经法。就好像有一个人，你知道他的姓名，还要进一步认识这个人的相貌、思想、行为，才算对他有所认识；你若单单知道他的姓名，而不知道他的相貌、思想等等，这还不算认识。我们研究佛经，亦复如是。

We have finished investigating the Fifty Skandha-Demon States and the Four Rules of Purity of the Shurangama Sutra. What is the true principle of this Sutra? Why did the Buddha speak it? If you find the true principle, you will be able to really understand this Sutra. Otherwise, you can't be considered to have understood this Sutra. This is just like getting to know a person. In addition to the person's name, you must find out what he looks like, what he thinks, and how he behaves before you can say you know him. If you only know someone's name, but don't know his appearance, his thoughts, and so forth, you can't say you know him. Studying Sutras is the same.

《楞严经》的相貌，是大而无外，小而无内的。《楞严经》的义理就好像人身上的骨头，人若是没有骨头，只有皮肉筋血，就不像一个人，也无法站立了，所以《楞严经》是诸经之骨髓。《楞严经》的用途是破邪显正，破一切邪，显真正三昧。若没有《楞严经》，就没有佛法了；有《楞严经》，就有佛法。我们为了护持佛法，首先要弘扬《楞严经》，要能背能讲《楞严经》，并且要依照《楞严经》来修行。万佛圣城就是楞严坛场，我们一定要放楞严大光，修楞严大定，成就楞严大智，圆满楞严大慈！

The Shurangama Sutra's scope is so vast that there's nothing beyond it, yet so small that there's nothing within it. The principles of the Shurangama Sutra are like the bones in our bodies. If we had flesh, blood, and skin, but no bones, we wouldn't look like human beings, and we wouldn't even be able to stand up. The Shurangama Sutra is the essence of all Sutras. Its function is to destroy what's perverse and disclose what's proper—to abolish all evil and reveal the true samadhi. If the Shurangama Sutra disappeared from this world, there would be no Buddhadharma. As long as the Shurangama Sutra exists, the Buddhadharma exists. In order to protect the Buddhadharma, we first need to propagate the Shurangama Sutra. We should be able to recite it from memory, lecture on it, then cultivate according to it. The City of Ten Thousand Buddhas is the platform of the Shurangama. We should emit the great Shurangama light, cultivate the great Shurangama samadhi, accomplish the great Shurangama wisdom, and perfect the great Shurangama kindness!

一九八三年五月一日晚间开示
于万佛圣城