Intro to Shurangama Sutra

Intro to Shurangama Sutra

Of all the Buddhist texts, Shurangama Sutra is the last to be translated into English, and the least known sutra in the West; yet the mostly praise the highest amongst Buddhist monks. Although few scholars, both Chinese and Japanese, deem it as forged text from the eighth century, it is highly regarded and guarded by many venerable masters, such as His Holiness, Venerable Master Xuan Hua, who devote most part of his life preaching, teaching, and translating this sutra in US.

It is said that this sutra arrived in China in the most devious manner: Shurangama Sutra was considered so sacred that it was actually banned by the Indian official to be sent aboard and neither to be translated, as result Shramana Polamiti sliced his forearm open, implanted a piece of waxed silk scroll written with sutra, sutured it up, and traveled to China after his forearm had healed. Of course, taking it out is just as ghastly as putting it in and one will hope USB memory stick was invented by then. Shramana Polamiti, after finishing the translation, went back to India and took full responsibility for smuggling. We owe him gratitude.

The story did not end there: after having the scroll taken out, it is impossible to discern the writing on the scroll from the bloodstain. Fang Rong, the governor responsible to translate the sutra at the time, was distressed until his daughter suggested to wash off the bloodstain with milk. The washing, of course, was evidently a success.

It was also the most anticipated and seek-after sutra: before the arrival of Shurangama Sutra, upon on hearing it’s existence, Venerable Master Zhi Zhe had to pray to Buddha daily for it’s soon arrival, consecutively for eighteen years, hoping to see the sutra arrived China in his lifetime. He didn't. It was not in vain; now that everyone can access Shurangama Sutra with ease, and freely, even in English.

Shurangama sutra is also the most logically and scientifically coherent piece of writing in Buddhism. Despite the controversy of it’s historic origin, it provides careful scrutiny and analysis of the mind, to such a degree that one will think it is not a Buddhist-only text; it is a discourse for any one who are willing to read, contemplate, explore and meditate; it unlocks the secret nature of mind-material relationship- the very essence that allow you to move your body, to watch, to feel, and to think- which evidently needs to be verified by anyone but you- the reader, through reading and training.

Prophecy from Doom of Dharma Sutra (also known as The Buddha Speaks the Ultimate Extinction of the Dharma Sutra) tell us the Shurangama Sutra will also be the first sutra disappeared on earth, in a period when dharma will start to vanish, and in a period without reasons and common sense, a period of barbarity, chaos and gullibility.

Today, Master Xuan Hua and his team successfully translate the text and explanation of Shurangama Sutra in a total of gigantic eight volumes. Yet, I have found that it is tough to get the flavor of the sutra across the Chinese-English-cultural barrier; it is like transforming “Transformer” from a Japanese cartoon into a sophisticated Hollywood blockbuster without losing its content and originality.

So here I sit, embark on a journey, and endeavor to translate Shuranagama Sutra again with the help of my predecessor, into English with meaning neither lost nor changed and its translation being as tantalizing as its original text.