Maha-Prajna-Paramita-Hridaya Sutra(The Heart Sutra)
Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One together with many of the highest
Bodhisattvas and a great company of Bhikshus was staying at Rajagaha on Mt.
Gridhrakuta. The Blessed One was sitting apart absorbed in Samadhi Prajna-paramita.
The Venerable Sariputra, influenced by the Blessed One absorbed in Samadhi, spoke
thus to the Noble Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara: --If a son or daughter wishes to
study the profound Prajna-paramita, how is he to do so?
The Noble Avalokitesvara replied to the Venerable Sariputra, saying:--If a son or
daughter wishes to study the profound Prajna-paramita, he must first get rid of all
ideas of ego-selfness. Let him think thus: Personality? What is personality? Is it
an enduring entity? Or is it made up of elements that pass away? Personality is
made up of the five grasping aggregates: form, sensation, perception,
discrimination, consciousness, all of which are by nature empty of any self-
substance. Form is emptiness, emptiness is not different from form, neither is form
different from emptiness, indeed, emptiness is form. Also, sensation is emptiness,
emptiness is not different from sensation, neither is sensation different from
emptiness, indeed, emptiness is sensation. Also, perception is emptiness, emptiness
is not different from perception, neither is perception different from emptiness,
indeed, emptiness is perception. Also, discrimination is emptiness, emptiness is
not different from discrimination, neither is discrimination different from
emptiness, indeed, emptiness is discrimination. Also, consciousness is emptiness,
emptiness is not different from consciousness, neither is consciousness different
from emptiness, indeed, emptiness is consciousness.
Thus, O Sariputra, all things having the nature of emptiness have no beginning and
no ending. The are neither faultless nor not faultless; they are neither perfect
nor imperfect. In emptiness there is no form, no sensation, no perception, no
discrimination, no consciousness. There is no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no
sensitiveness to contact, no mind. There is no sight, no sound, no smell, no taste,
no touch, no mental process, no object, no knowledge, no ignorance. There is no
destruction of objects, there is no cessation of knowledge, no destruction of
objects, there is no cessation of knowledge, no cessation of ignorance. There is no
Noble Four-fold Truths: no pain, no cause of pain, no cessation of pain, no Noble
Path leading to the cessation of pain. There is no decay and no death, and no
destruction of the notion of decay and death. There is no knowledge of Nirvana,
there is no obtaining of Nirvana, there is no not obtaining of Nirvana.
Why is there no obtaining of Nirvana? Because Nirvana is the realm of no
"thingness." If the ego-soul of personality was an enduring entity it could not
obtain Nirvana. It is only because personality is made up of elements that pass
away, that personality may attain Nirvana. So long as man is seeking highest
perfect Wisdom, he is still abiding in the realm of consciousness. If he is to
realize Nirvana, he must pass beyond consciousness. In highest samadhi having
transcended consciousness, he has passed beyond discrimination and knowledge,
beyond the reach of change or fear; he is already enjoying Nirvana. The perfect
understanding of this and the patient acceptance of it is the highest perfect
Wisdom that is Prajna-paramita. All the Buddhas of the past, present and future
having attained highest samadhi, awake to find themselves realizing Prajna-
paramita.
Therefore, O Sariputra, every-one should seek self-realization of Prajna-paramita,
the Transcendent Truth, the unsurpassable Truth, the Truth that ends all pain, the
Truth that is forever True. Oh Prajna-paramita! O Transcendent Truth that spans the
troubled ocean of life and death: safely carry all seekers to the other shore of
enlightenment.
Listen to the Mantra, the Great, Mysterious Mantra:--Gate, gate, paragate, bodhi,
svaha! Gone, gone, gone to that other shore; safely passed to that other shore, O
Prajna-paramita! So may it be.
(Unknown Author)
Maha-Prajna-Paramita-Hridaya Sutra
(The Heart Sutra)
When Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound Prajna Paramita, he
investigated and perceived the five Skandhas and saw that they were all non-
existent, thus securing his deliverance from all suffering and difficulty.
"Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness; emptiness does not differ from
form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form. So too are feeling,
cognition, mental function and consciousness in relation to emptiness.
Shariputra, all dharmas are empty of characteristics. They are not created, not
annihilated, not impure, not pure, and they neither increase nor decrease.
Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, feeling, cognition, mental function, or
consciousness; no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind; no sights, sounds,
smells, taste, touch, and ideas; no field of the eyes, up to and including no field
of mind-consciousness1, and no ignorance or ending of ignorance, up to and
including no old age and death, or ending of old age and death.2 There are no Four
Noble Truths, no wisdom and no gain.
Because nothing is gained, the Bodhisattva, through reliance on Prajna Paramita,
has n hindrances in his heart. Because there is no hindrance, he is not afraid, is
free from contrary and delusive ideas and attain the Final Nirvana.
All Buddhas of the past, present and future attain enlightenment through reliance
on Prajna Paramita. Therefore, know that Prajna Paramita is a great spiritual
mantra, a great bright mantra, a supreme mantra, an unequalled mantra. It can
remove all suffering; it is genuine and not false. That is why the mantra of Prajna
Paramita was spoken. Recite it like this:
GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA!
(Unknown Author)
1: A shortened reference to the eighteen sense realms.
2: A shortened reference to the chain of dependent co-origination.
