The Knack of Memorizing Sutras

佛法有八万四千法门那么多，可是《楞严经》皆已具足，

不多不少，恰到好处。

In the Buddhadharma, there are eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors,

and the Shurangama Sutra contains them all, no more and no less.

一寸光阴一寸金，

寸金难买寸光阴；

寸金失去容易得，

光阴过去难再寻。

An inch of time is worth an ounce of gold;

Yet gold can't buy an inch of time.

It's easy to recover lost gold,

But time gone by can't be recovered.

世人一天到晚在竞争奋斗，不外都是为了吃饭、穿衣、财物、住处与名利，为这五件事颠颠倒倒，从朝至暮也没有一个真正休息的时间，虽然偶尔不上班做工，可是在家中就上电视班、计算机班、股票班、电影班、旅行班，做这种种事，也都是在忙忙碌碌中。

Worldly people struggle and fight just for food, clothing, wealth, shelter and fame. They are deluded by these five things. From morning to night there is no time to really rest. Some people don't go to work, but at home they still “work” with the television, the computer, stocks, movies, or traveling, busy with all kinds of things.

万佛圣城的人也是忙忙碌碌，但所忙的事完全不同，在这里不为食、衣、住而忙，因为我们对于这些并不讲究，过得去就可以了，至于名利更是看得很淡。虽然我们也是很忙，但忙什么呢？为学佛、法、僧而忙，为修戒、定、慧而忙，完全是不同性质。

People at the City of Ten Thousand Buddhas are also busy, but for different reasons. Here we aren't busy for food and clothing, since we don't particularly care for them; as long as they're passable, that's enough. And we care even less for fame. So we are also busy, but what are we busy for? We are busy studying about the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and cultivating precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. The nature of the things that we busy ourselves with is totally different from worldly people's business.

我们天天在这里研究经典，要特别专心注意，不要身在而心跑得不知去向。不要因为这个人讲法讲得不错我就去注意；那个人讲得不好我就心不在焉，总是在人我是非上用功夫。这样是爱憎心太重，是非好坏心太大，完全没有把它降伏。

Here we study Sutras every day, and we should be especially focused, and not have our bodies sitting here while our minds are wandering somewhere else. Don't be mindful only when people are speaking the Dharma well, and absent-minded when they don't speak well. If we constantly analyze other people's shortcomings, it means we have not subdued our strong inclination to discriminate between what we like and dislike, between right and wrong, good and bad.

听经要专心、至诚恳切，若是有人讲得不错，我要学习他哪个地方讲得好；有人讲得不好的，我更要听，用妙观察智来观察他讲得对不对？合法不合法？而不是用识心来分别计度。对于任何人的一言一行，一举一动，我都要特别注意留心而不空过，这样才能有所得，才能开智慧。开智慧不是一日一夜就成就的，而是朝于斯，夕于斯，早晚都不间断地来学习，这样才会有所成就。

We should listen to the Sutra lectures with a sincere and focused mind. We learn from people who speak well, and when people don't speak well, we listen even more intently. We use our wonderful observing wisdom to contemplate if what they say is correct and in accord with Dharma; we don't use our conscious minds to discriminate and speculate. We should carefully consider other people's words and behavior in every moment. Only in this way can we gain some benefit and develop our wisdom. Our wisdom cannot be developed overnight; it takes incessant, mindful study day and night for us to accomplish something.

现在你们每个人都在读诵《楞严经》与〈楞严咒〉，要知道《楞严经》就是佛的真身，就是佛、就是法、就是僧，也就是戒、定、慧。你想恭敬佛、恭敬法、恭敬僧，先要恭敬《楞严经》。你想学戒、修定、发慧，先要学《楞严经》。佛法有八万四千法门那么多，可是《楞严经》皆已具足，不多不少，恰到好处。

All of you are now studying the Shurangama Sutra and the Shurangama Mantra. You should know that the Shurangama Sutra is the Buddha's true body. It is the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and it's also precepts, samadhi, and wisdom. If you want to respect the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, you first have to respect the Shurangama Sutra. If you want to learn precepts, cultivate samadhi, and develop wisdom, you must study the Shurangama Sutra first. In the Buddhadharma, there are eighty-four thousand Dharma-doors, and the Shurangama Sutra contains them all, no more and no less.

所以我们应该学这部经，并且要背得出。学习的方法就是天天把你已能背得出的经文，重新温习一次。不要贪多或贪快，要天天温习一遍，才会熟能生巧，巧能生灵。千万不要舍近求远，向外驰求，这样只是在皮毛上打转转，而不能深入经藏，不会开智慧的。

We should study this Sutra and memorize it. The method of study is to daily review the Sutra text that you have memorized. Don't be greedy for quantity and speed. Review on a daily basis. After you are familiar with the Sutra text you'll become proficient in it. After you are proficient in it, you'll be able to do efficacious things with it. Don't abandon what is near to seek for something distant, and don't seek outside. Otherwise you'll only be skimming on the surface of things, unable to deeply enter the Sutra treasury and develop wisdom.

那要利用什么时候来背经呢？一早起身穿衣服或漱洗时，都可以默诵经文。晚间上床睡觉，躺在枕上还可以默诵温习。白天在路上走路，或工作时也都可以默背，能这样连绵不断地用功，很快就会背熟了。