尔时，药王菩萨即从座起，偏袒右肩，合掌向佛，而白佛言：世尊，若善男子、善女人，能受持法华经者，若读诵通利，若书写经卷，得几所福？佛告药王：若有善男子、善女人，供养八百万亿那由他恒河沙等诸佛，于汝意云何，其所得福宁为多不？甚多，世尊。佛言：若善男子、善女人，能于此经，乃至受持一四句偈，读诵义趣，如说修行，功德甚多。尔时药王菩萨白佛言：世尊，我今当与说法者，陀罗尼咒，以守护之。即说咒曰：阿你、曼你、摩你、摩摩你……
逐句解释
药王菩萨献陀罗尼——以咒护持法师
药王菩萨起立，向佛陀请示：凡能受持《法华经》的善男子善女人，将获得多少福报？佛陀回答说功德无量。随后药王菩萨宣说了一段陀罗尼咒语，以神咒的力量护持所有传授《法华经》的法师。这是《法华经》中第一次出现完整的陀罗尼护法咒，标志着密教元素在大乘经典中的正式融入。
Medicine King Bodhisattva rises to ask about the merit of upholding the Lotus Sutra, then offers a dharani — a protective incantation — to shield all teachers of the sutra from harm.
A dharani (陀罗尼) is a form of concentrated protective formula, closely related to what would later be called a mantra. In the Lotus Sutra's context, dharanis are not magical spells in a superstitious sense; they are expressions of a bodhisattva's vow in sonic form. When Medicine King offers his dharani, he is embedding his protection in the very syllables: anyone who teaches this sutra will have that protection activated around them. The appearance of dharanis here marks an important transition in the history of Buddhism — the integration of ritual protective practices into the Mahayana framework, a development that would eventually flower into Vajrayana.
勇施菩萨、毗沙门天王、持国天王相继献咒
继药王菩萨之后，勇施菩萨、毗沙门天王（北方守护天）、持国天王（东方守护天）也相继起身，各自宣说陀罗尼咒，誓愿护持《法华经》的法师。四大天王在佛教宇宙观中是护世神祇，他们的加入说明：持《法华经》之人，不仅有菩萨的护佑，更有宇宙守护力量的庇护。
After Medicine King, Courageous Giving Bodhisattva, Vaishravana (Guardian of the North), and Dhritarashtra (Guardian of the East) each offer their own dharanis to protect the sutra's teachers.
The accumulation of protective vows from different beings — bodhisattvas and heavenly guardians alike — is not redundant; it is cumulative. Each being brings a different domain of protection. Medicine King brings healing power; the heavenly kings bring cosmological authority over the four directions. The dharanis form an interlocking web of protection around the teacher of the Dharma. The sutra is making a practical statement to those who would take on the dangerous work of teaching in a hostile world: you will not be alone. The entire cosmological order of compassionate beings will stand around you.
鬼子母与十罗刹女献咒——连恶道众生也誓愿护法
最令人意外的是，鬼子母（Hariti，诃梨帝母）和十位罗刹女也起身宣说陀罗尼，誓愿保护持《法华经》之人。鬼子母在佛教传说中是一位最初以孩子为食的鬼神，后被佛陀感化，成为护法神。罗刹女则是凶猛的女鬼神。她们的加入说明：连昔日的恶道众生，也因《法华经》的力量而转化，成为守护善者的力量。
Most unexpectedly, Hariti (the Mother of Demons) and ten rakshasa daughters also rise to offer dharanis, vowing to protect all who uphold the Lotus Sutra.
Hariti's presence here is one of the most theologically charged moments in the chapter. In Buddhist legend, she was a demon who devoured children — the very archetype of destructive maternal energy turned monstrous. The Buddha converted her by hiding her own child, and through this experience of loss she understood the suffering she had caused. Her transformation is complete: now she actively protects the children of the Dharma. The ten rakshasa daughters similarly represent fierce, potentially dangerous energies now brought into the service of protection. The dharanis they offer carry their particular power — the transmuted force of beings who once caused harm, now fiercely devoted to preventing it. Even the converted destroyer makes the most fierce guardian.
陀罗尼的意义：护法不是被动保护，而是主动守卫
佛陀最后称赞：善哉！凡是宣说、书写、受持《法华经》的人，这些陀罗尼将会守护他们，不让任何恶鬼、病魔、障碍近身。陀罗尼的本质是什么？它不只是咒语，而是誓愿的音声形式。每一位发咒的菩萨或天神，都是在将自己的愿力凝缩进那些音节里，让每一次诵咒都重新激活那个最初的誓愿。
The Buddha praises all the dharanis offered, confirming that anyone who teaches, copies, or upholds the Lotus Sutra will be protected by these formulas from all demons, illness, and obstruction.
The final affirmation reframes what a dharani is and does. It is not a mechanical protection — a verbal force field activated by correct pronunciation. It is a living commitment, renewed each time it is spoken. When a practitioner chants Medicine King's dharani, they are invoking not just sound but the entire bodhisattva vow that stands behind it: I will protect this person. The accumulated dharanis of this chapter form a kind of covenant between the cosmic assembly and the teachers of the Dharma. To teach the Lotus Sutra is to step into that covenant. You are not walking alone into danger; you are walking into a web of vows that have been made on your behalf by beings whose commitment is unconditional.
总结 · Summary
第二十六章「陀罗尼品」是《法华经》的护法宣言。药王菩萨、勇施菩萨、毗沙门天王、持国天王，乃至鬼子母与十罗刹女，相继宣说陀罗尼咒，誓愿护持所有传授《法华经》的法师。陀罗尼不只是咒语，而是誓愿的音声化身——每一位宣咒者，都是在将自己的愿力凝缩进那些音节，护持一切为法而行者。本章的深意在于：传法是危险的，但你不孤单。
Chapter 26 is the Lotus Sutra's covenant of protection. Medicine King, Courageous Giving, the heavenly guardians of north and east, Hariti the Mother of Demons, and ten rakshasa daughters all rise in turn to offer dharanis — protective incantations — to shield the sutra's teachers from harm. The most striking offering comes from the converted demons: beings who once caused suffering, now fiercely devoted to preventing it. The dharanis are not mechanical formulas; they are vows expressed in sound, renewed each time they are spoken. The chapter's message to those who take on the work of teaching: it is dangerous, and you will not be alone.