文／蓮生活佛盧勝彥

有人問：
「持咒據說有多法，以何者最佳？」
我答：
「持咒有多種方法，何者最佳，也是看人因緣而定，每一個人習慣不同，功德皆有巧妙。」
我列出持咒方法如下：
一、高聲持－－這出高聲唸誦，其功德是，令聽到咒的人，罪業亦能滅之。高聲持可以數念珠，也可以不數念珠。
二、微聲持－－只是自己聽到，不緩不急，字字須得分明稱之，這種持法，易於定心。
三、金剛持－－唇齒不動，舌不至齶，只口中微動。這是在人多的地方持唸的，如出外旅行，乘坐舟車，飛機上亦可持誦。
四、出入息持－－這是出入息中，想有真言梵字，息出字出，息入字入，字字朗然，如串明珠，不得間斷。這是數息觀者，兼持咒之法，功德殊勝，想之甚妙。
五、瑜伽持－－觀想行者自己心中月輪，湛然清淨，月輪中心是梵文種子字，輪的四周是梵文咒字，於是右旋，觀咒字旋轉周而復始，是瑜伽持也。這瑜伽持如果入了三昧，本尊就和自己合一了，功德無量。
持咒亦有先用咒語加持念珠七遍，於是唸一遍等於千遍，這就是我從前傳授過的千轉輪法，這種唸法有速疾的功德也。

WaysofRecitingMantras

WrittenbyLian-shenLinvingBuddhaSheng-yenLu
TranslatedbyChengYewChungeditedbyVictorHazen
TrueBuddhaFoundationTranslationTeam

someoneasked,
"Itisknownthattherearemanywaysofrecitingmantras,sowhichwayisthebest?"
Ireplied,"Indeedtherearemanywaystorecitemantras,anditdependsontheindividual'saffinitytoaccessthebestwayforhisorherchanting.Eachpersonhashisorherownhabitsandpreferences,andthereforethemeritsofrecitingmantrasareexpressedinwondrousways.
Ishalllistthedifferentwaysofrecitingmantrasasfollows:
1.Loudandaudiblerecitation-Themeritofthisapproachisthatallwhohearthemantrashallhavetheirkarmictransgressionremoved.Whenrecitingaloud,onemaychoosetousethemalaorprayerbeadsforcounting,orsimplychantwithoutthemala.
2.Softrecitation-Itisaudibletoone'sears.Reciteataneasyandcomfortablepace,ensuringthateachsyllableisrecitedclearly.Thisapproachhelpsoneentermeditativestability.
3.TheVajrarecitation-Thelipsremainsealedandthetongueshouldnottouchthepalate,movingslightlywithinthemouth.Thismethodofrecitationisappliedinacrowdedplace.Whentravelingoverseas,ridingonboats,cars,orplanes,onecanemploythismethod.
4.Breathingrecitation-Whilebreathing,imaginetheSanskritmantrasyllablesflowingwiththebreath;aninflowofsyllableswitheachinhalationofbreath,andanoutflowofsyllableswitheachexhalingbreath.Everymantrasyllableisrecitedclearly,weavingthemantrasyllableslikeacontinuousstringofluminouspearlsthatgoesonandon.Thisisanapproachthatcombinesthebreathcountingvisualizationmethodwithmantrarecitation.Itsmeritsareremarkable,andthewayofvisualizationiswonderful.
5.Yogicrecitation-Visualizethemoondiscinone'sheartchakrainallitspureclarity.WithinthemoondiscisimprintedtheSanskritseedsyllable,surroundedbytheSanskritmantrasyllables.Visualizethemantrasyllablesmovingclockwiseinafullcircle.Suchistheyogicrecitation.IfthepractitionerentersSamadhithroughthisrecitationmethod,heshallbecomeonewithhisprincipaldeity,themeritsofwhicharesimplyendless.
Mantrarecitationalsoinvolvestheprocessofempoweringthemalaseventimeswithamantra,whichhaveamultiplyingeffectofathousandtimespereverycompleteroundofrecitation.ThisistheThousandWheelTurningMethodwhichIhavetransmitted.Thisapproachtomantrarecitationincreasesmeritsswiftly.