VBS 642
翻譯經咒，例有四則：一、音字俱翻，諸經文也；二、音字俱不翻，西來梵筴；三、翻音不翻字，卍字是也；四、翻字不翻音，諸咒語也。今當第四。
There are four approaches to translating sūtras or mantras:
1. Both sounds and characters are translated, such as in sūtra texts.
2. Neither sounds nor characters are translated, such as Sanskrit classics from India.
3. Sounds are transliterated and characters are not translated, such as the special character 卍 (wàn).
4. Characters are transliterated and; the sounds are retained but not translated, such as in mantras. The following text is an application of the fourth approach.
【白話解】Simple explanation:
「譯咒微旨」：這一段文，就是說翻譯這個咒的微旨，是微妙不可思議的宗旨。
Key Principles in Translating Mantras. This passage is about the wondrous and inconceivable guidelines for translating mantras.
「翻譯經咒，例有四則】：想要翻譯經咒的方法有四個原則。這四個原則是什麼呢？
There are four approaches to translating sūtras and mantras: To translate sūtras and mantras, there are four approaches. What are the four? They are:
「一、音字俱翻，諸經文也」：第一，音也翻譯過來了，字也翻譯過來了，是什麼呢？就是所有一切的經文，是音字俱翻的。
1. Both sounds and characters are translated, such as in sūtra texts. The sounds are translated, and so are the texts. Where is this approach used? For all the sūtra texts.
「二、音字俱不翻，西來梵筴」：第二，這是音也不翻，字也不翻；音還是梵音，字也還是梵字，是什麼呢？就是西來梵筴，所有梵文的經典，這沒有翻譯成中文。
2. Neither sounds nor characters are translated, such as Sanskrit classics from India. The Sanskrit sounds are retained, and so are the Sanskrit words as in Sanskrit classics from India. The “Sanskrit scriptures” are all the Sanskrit classics, which are not translated into Chinese.
「三、翻音不翻字，卍字是也」：第三，翻這個音，字沒有翻釋過來，是什麼呢？就是這個「卍」字，只翻它的音。
3. Sounds are transliterated but characters are not translated. For example, the special character 卍 (wàn). Only its sound is transliterated.
「四、翻字不翻音，諸咒語也」：第四，這個字翻譯成中文了，但這個音還是梵音，所有的咒都是翻字不翻音。那麼你念咒，先要知道咒又是什麼，好像〈楞嚴咒〉的「南無薩怛他蘇伽多耶．阿囉訶帝．三藐三菩陀寫」；這你要知道，字是中國字，而音是梵音。現在就好像你把它翻譯成英文，字是英文字，但音還是梵音，這也是翻字不翻音。
4. Characters are transliterated and the sounds are retained but not translated, such as in the mantras. This is the case for all mantras. When you recite mantras, you first need to know what the mantra is. For example, the Shurangama Mantra starts with “na mo sa dan duo su qie duo ye, e la he di, sam miao sam pu tuo xie.” You must know that although the characters are Chinese, they are transliterated based on the Sanskrit pronunciation. The same is the case with the English—letters of the English alphabet are used, but the Sanskrit pronunciation is retained.
VBS 643
又有五種不翻：一、秘密，諸咒是也；二、多含，薄伽六義；三、本無，如閻浮樹；四、順古，阿耨菩提；五、生善，般若尊重。今屬第一。
【白話解】Simple explanation:
「又有五種不翻」：所以翻譯經咒，又有五種的不翻，是什麼呢？
Also, there are five instances of terms that are untranslatable. In translating sūtras and mantras, there are five kinds of terms that are untranslatable. What are they? They are:
「一、秘密，諸咒是也」：第一種，秘密不翻；旁人不知道，很秘密的，怎麼可以翻呢？翻出來就不秘密了嘛！所以一切咒都是秘密不翻的，因為它很秘密的。怎麼秘密呢？它一句裡頭含著多義，很多的意思在裡頭，很多的力量，很多的用，所以不翻。
First, terms with esoteric meanings, such as mantras. Terms that have esoteric meanings are not translated. Because their meanings are esoteric and not known to others, how can they be translated? If they were translated, they would not be esoteric anymore! Thus, all mantras are not translated as they are esoteric. How so? Each line contains many meanings, many powers, and many applications.
「二、多含，薄伽六義」：第二種，多含不翻；就是一句裡頭含著多種的意思，所以不翻。好像「般若」，有文字般若、觀照般若、實相般若，有這三個意思，所以不翻。
多含不翻，又好像這個「薄伽六義」。什麼叫「薄伽梵」？（弟子：「薄伽梵」是梵音，是佛。）對的。「薄伽梵六義」，有六種的義理，有人知道嗎？（弟子：自在、熾盛、端嚴、名稱、吉祥、尊貴。）
對的。第一是「自在」；就是不打妄想，一打妄想，心就跑了，就不自在了。第二是「熾盛」：什麼熾盛呢？這不是五陰熾盛的熾盛，這是光明熾盛的熾盛。第三是「端嚴」：端是端正，嚴是威嚴，非常端正威嚴、莊嚴。第四是「名稱」。第五是「吉祥」。第六是「尊貴」。因為「薄伽梵」有六種意思，所以這不翻，沒有翻譯出來。
Second, terms with multiple meanings, such as Bhagavān with six meanings. When a term contains multiple meanings, it is not translated. An example would be “prajñā,” which has three meanings: literary prajñā, contemplative prajñā, and prajñā of ultimate reality. Hence, it is not translated.
Another example is “Bhagavān.” What is it? (Disciple: Bhagavān is Sanskrit for Buddha). Correct! “Bhagavān” has six meanings. Does anyone know? (Disciple: self-mastery, prosperity/brilliance/intensity, majesty, renown, auspiciousness, and nobility).
Correct! The first is “self-mastery,” which means not having false/discursive thoughts. The moment a discursive thought arises, the mind runs away and self-mastery will be absent. The second is “prosperity/brilliance/intensity,” which is not the prospering/intensity of the five skandhas but rather the prospering of the Buddha’s radiance. The third is “majesty,” which describes the Buddha’s upright dignity and magnificence. The fourth is “renown.” The fifth is “auspiciousness.” The sixth is “nobility.” Because the term “Bhagavān” has these six meanings, it is not translated.
「三、本無，如閻浮樹」：第三種，本無不翻；在中國本來沒有的。好像「閻浮樹」，閻浮壇金樹是中國沒有的；因為在中國沒有，翻譯出來沒有人懂，所以「閻浮樹」還是翻譯為「閻浮樹」，本無不翻。
Thrid, terms not found in the target language, such as jambū tree. These are terms that China originally did not have. One example is the jambūnada-suvarna tree, which is not found in China. Even if it were translated, no one would understand it, so this term is rendered as “jambū tree” with its meaning untranslated.
「四、順古，阿耨菩提」：第四種，順古不翻；順古就是古人這麼樣子翻，翻譯得都很不錯的。「阿耨菩提」，是「阿耨多羅三藐三菩提」，就是無上正等正覺，這也不翻。這也順古，因為尊古不翻，尊重古人；人家費了很多心血翻譯出來了，我們不要再用一個特別的標異現奇說我超過古人了，不要這樣！
Fourth, terms that follow ancient usage, such as anuttarāṃ-samyaksaṃbodhi. Some terms are untranslated to follow what past translators did, since their translation works are exceptional. Anuttarāṃ-samyak-sambodhi means “unsurpassed, perfect, and right enlightenment,”which is not translated out of respect for ancient tradition. Past translators dedicated much painstaking effort to come up with this transliteration, so we do not need to come up with a special, new translation, as if to claim that we are better than past translators. Do not do that!
「五、生善，般若尊重」：第五種，生善不翻。生善，就是能生出種種的善法，所以不翻。這「般若」為什麼不翻？就是尊重它，尊重也生善；尊重也不翻，生善也不翻。
Fifth, terms that generate goodness and command respect, such as the term prajñā. These terms can inspire various wholesome dharmas, so they are left untranslated. Why is ”prajñā” not translated? It is out of respect for the term as well as because it generates goodness. Therefore, terms that generate goodness and command respect are not translated.
「今屬第一」：現在這個〈楞嚴咒〉，就是屬第一「秘密不翻」。這「今屬第一」和那個「今當第四」是一樣的意思。
The following text has terms that fall under the first category of untranslatables. The Śūraṅgama Mantra has terms that fall under the first category of untranslatables: terms with esoteric meanings.