法苑珠林 60.7

60.7

述曰。夫呪是三世諸佛所說。若能至心受持。無不靈驗。比見道俗。雖有誦持無多功効。自無志誠謗言無徵。或有文字譌㬱。或有音韻不典。或飲噉酒肉。或雜食葷辛。或室宇污穢。或浪談俗語。或衣服不淨。或處所不嚴。致令鬼神得便。翻受其殃。若欲懺悔先立道場。懸繒幡蓋燒眾名香。四門護淨禁止雜人。隨其出入每須澡浴。多覓和香口內常含。至誠殷重自責己躬。愧謝十方一切賢聖。然後普為四生六趣。心心相續剎那匪懈。如是懇已定驗不疑。故菩薩善戒經云。菩薩為破眾生種種惡故受持神呪。故有五法不得為。一不食肉。二不飲酒。三不食五辛。四不婬。五不淨之家不在中食。菩薩具足如是五法。能大利益無量眾生。諸惡鬼神諸惡毒病無不能治。

The commentary says: Mantras are taught by all Buddhas of the three periods of time. If one can receive and uphold them with utmost sincerity, there is none that does not prove efficacious. Of late, I have seen both clerics and laypeople who, although they recite and uphold them, have little efficacy. Having no genuine sincerity themselves, they slanderously say there is no verification. In some cases, the characters are corrupted and omitted; or the phonetic rhythms are not standard; or they drink wine and eat meat; or they intermix alliums and pungent roots in their food; or their rooms are filthy and impure; or they indulge in idle talk and worldly speech; or their garments are defiled; or the place is not solemn. Consequently, ghosts and spirits take advantage of this, and [the practitioners] instead suffer calamities. If one wishes to perform deśanā, one should first establish a place of practice, hang silk banners and canopies, and burn various renowned incenses. The four gates should guard cleanliness, prohibiting unpurified persons. As they enter and leave, they must bathe each time; seek out abundant blended incense and constantly hold it in their mouths; with utmost sincerity and profound gravity rebuke their own persons; and with shame apologise to all the worthy and noble ones of the ten directions. Thereafter, [pray] universally on behalf of the four modes of birth (catur-yoni) and the six destinies (ṣaḍgati), with mind continuing upon mind without flagging for a single moment. Once one is earnest in this way, verification will be certain and beyond doubt. Therefore, the Bodhisattva-śīla-sūtra states: 'Bodhisattvas receive and uphold divine mantras in order to destroy the various evils of sentient beings. For this reason, there are five practices they must not perform: first, they must not eat meat; second, they must not drink wine; third, they must not eat the five pungent roots; fourth, they must not engage in sexual misconduct; fifth, they must not dine in households of impurity. A bodhisattva endowed with these five rules can greatly benefit immeasurable sentient beings; there are no evil ghosts or spirits, and no evil poisonous diseases, that they cannot cure.'