为什么〈楞严咒〉有那样的好处？就因为念这个咒，可以入楞严定。楞严大定是无定无不定，无有不定时，所谓：

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，
无有不定时。

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

楞严定是坚固定，是天魔外道所不能破坏的，而无量的智慧就从这里生出来。入定干什么？入定就好像到狄斯耐乐园似的，又有欢喜的事情，又有恐惧的事情，都是见所未见，闻所未闻。定中能如如不动，了了常明，不被境界所转，而能转一切境界，这是入楞严定的妙处。没有楞严定，就随境界转，来一个什么，就跟着它跑，被境界所牵。有这个楞严定，便不被境界所转，所谓：

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.

眼观形色内无有；
耳听尘事心不知。

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

见事省事出世间；
见事迷事堕沉沦。

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

在定中能生出无量的智慧，所谓定能生慧；你若不入定，就不能开智慧。好像你不到迪斯耐乐园，就不知道那里头是什么？你到了里面，就知道有海盗，有鬼城。好像某居士劝我到迪斯耐乐园好几次，要我去看看，他以为我没有看见。实际上，种种形形色色玩的东西，都没有什么特别的，我们从无量劫以来，看见的东西不知有多少？不过看过便忘了，若是记得起来，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.