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一九九七年九月間，馬來西亞發生了嚴重的空氣汙染；肇因於印尼發生森林大火，煙霧籠罩了整個天空，隨風擴散到馬來西亞半島所致。又逢久旱不雨，天乾物燥，煙霧愈來愈濃厚，很多人開始感覺喉嚨痛、眼睛不舒服，甚至更嚴重的是胸部痛，所有的醫院和診所都人滿為患。
馬來西亞的總理馬哈迪醫生，趕緊謀求補救之道，希望用「及時雨」來解決日益嚴重的空氣汙染；於是飛機帶著鹽和乾冰到空中，用現代的科技來作「人造兩」，雖然耗費不貲，仍舊無濟於事。因為飛機飛過去的地方，下了一點小雨後，很快雨就停了，而且杯水車薪，根本解決不了這個大問題。
法總分支道場紫雲洞的法師們，眼看情勢危急，悲湣眾生故舉辦「楞嚴咒法會」，希望能藉咒力消災解難，並祈求世界和平。法會為一永日，從下午三點開始，晝夜二十四小時不停地誦念。當次日法會圓滿後三個小時，也就是下午六點鐘，就下了一場傾盆大雨，這「及時雨」來得又快又急，適時地紆解了一場令政府束手無策的災難。
現代科技與自然界相抗衡，猶如螳臂擋車，其力量往往顯得微不足道。那麼古老的佛教，光憑楞嚴咒何以能有如此不可思議之威力？
如果我們仔細回顧上人的教化，就可以明白個中道理。上人曾說：「我們身上每一種病，都有一個鬼在支配著。」同樣的道理，天災、地變、人禍，都是自然界的病態，也是眾生的「共業」所造成的；天魔外道以魔力乘機擾亂，來擴張自己的勢力，令此世間不得安寧，不能安心修道。
因此上人不厭其煩地鼓勵每個人都要背會〈楞嚴咒〉，甚至於整部的《楞嚴經》；因為〈楞嚴咒〉中東方的金剛部、南方的寶生部、西方的蓮花部、北方的羯摩部、中央的佛部，這五部管理著五方的魔軍。只要一唸〈楞嚴咒〉，這五大魔軍都要俯首低頭，退避三舍。上人時常說：「這個世界上只要有一個人會唸〈楞嚴咒〉，就是正法住世，天魔外道就不敢出現。」
而且〈楞嚴咒〉有息災法、降伏法、增益法、成就法和鉤召法等，這種種的法門能夠遇難呈祥，轉邪為正。所以紫雲洞舉辦「楞嚴咒法會」，以至誠懇切的心來誦念，在短短的時間內就感應道交，化戾氣為祥和。
「一切唯心造」，心和外在的環境是一體的；所以解鈴還須繫鈴人，要改變這些外在的災難，就需改變每一個人的心；深信因果，不造惡因，才能感得依正二報莊嚴。恆實法師說：「因果是古來人的科學，所謂如是因，如是果；十法界也是古來人的科學，佛如實地觀察地獄、餓鬼、畜生、人、天、阿修羅、聲聞、緣覺、菩薩、佛等十法界的真理；種聖因，得聖果，這才是真正的科學。」
現代人一味地相信科學，其實是捨本逐末；也因為迷真逐妄，背覺合塵，把真正的科學給忘了。當我們明白什麼是真正的科學時，才能力挽狂瀾，用真正的智慧來解決人類所面臨的災難，和世界所面臨的種種問題。
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In September 1997, Malaysia faced a serious air pollution problem. Due to a forest fire in Indonesia, the atmosphere was filled with smog, which was blown by wind to Peninsular Malaysia. There was a drought since there had been no rain for a long time. The air and everything else were dry. The smog grew thicker and thicker. Many people experienced sore throats, eye irritation, and in severe cases, chest pain. The hospitals and clinics were full.
Malaysia's Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir, was prompt to seek a solution. He hoped to use "cloud seeding" to relieve the air pollution. Salt and dry ice were sent to the upper atmosphere by airplanes. Modern technology was employed to produce artificial rain. A large amount of money was spent, but to no avail. There was a little rain in the places over which the planes flew, but it stopped soon after the planes were gone. It was clearly an inadequate solution to the crisis.
Dharma Masters at Purple Cloud Cave Monastery, one of DRBA's branch temples, out of pity for those suffering in the dire situation, organized a Shurangama Mantra Recitation session. They hoped to use the power of the mantra to end the disaster and pray for world peace. The session began at 3:00 p.m. and continued for twenty-four hours straight. There was a large downpour at 6:00 p.m. the following day, three hours after the session had ended. The rain came quickly and just in time, averting a disaster that had rendered the government helpless.
When modern technology is challenged by Nature, it is like a grasshopper trying to block a cart. Its strength is nominal. How can we explain the inconceivable, awesome power that ancient Buddhism possesses in the form of the Shurangama Mantra?
If we ponder the teachings of the Venerable Master, we will be able to grasp the principle involved. The Venerable Master said, "There is a ghost behind every illness in our bodies." Likewise, natural disasters aid human catastrophes are just the illnesses of nature. They are also due to the collective karma of living beings. Heavenly demons and externalists use demonic power to stir up trouble and expand their power. They cause chaos in the world and prevent people from cultivating the Way.
For this reason, the Venerable Master encouraged everyone to recite the Shurangama Mantra and the
Shurangama Sutra. The Shurangama Mantra involves the Vajra division in the East, the Jewel-Production division in the South, the Lotus division in the West, the Karma division in the North, and the Buddha division in the Center. These five divisions control the demonic armies of the five directions. As soon as you recite the Shurangama Mantra, the members of these five demonic armies have to hang their heads, flee, and hide themselves. The Venerable Master used to say, "As long as there is one person who can recite the Shurangama Mantra, the Proper Dharma will remain in the world and the heavenly demons and externalists will not dare to appear."
In addition, the Shurangama Mantra contains the dharmas of eradicating disasters, subduing, accomplishing, hooking and summoning, and so forth. All these dharmas can turn disasters into auspicious-ness and deviant into proper. Those were the reasons that the Purple Cloud Cave Temple decided to hold a Shurangama Mantra Session. In response to their sincere recitation, a misfortune was soon transformed into an auspicious situation.
"Everything is made from the mind alone." The mind and the external environment are one. In order to solve a problem, we have to deal with its root cause. To affect external disasters, we must change the minds of every person. To obtain a healthy, good-looking body and a pleasant environment, one must deeply believe in cause and effect and avoid creating evil causes. As Dharma Master Sure said, "The principle of cause and effect is the science of the ancients. As is the cause, so will be the effect. The ten Dharma realms are also the science of the ancients. The Buddha contemplated the ten Dharma realms—the hells, hungry ghosts, humans, gods, asuras, Hearers, Condition-enlightened Ones, Bodhisattvas, and Buddhas--as they truly are. If one plants the causes of sagehood, one will reap the fruit of sagehood. That is true science."
Nowadays, people believe only in science, but they are actually renouncing the root to chase after the branches. Confused about truth, they pursue what is false. They turn their backs on enlightenment and join with defilement, forgetting true science in the process. When we understand what true science is all about, we will be able to turn things around and use our genuine wisdom to eradicate the disasters that threaten humankind and to solve the problems of the world.
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