Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva: Heart Sutra

 

The Heart Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajna-paramita,
clearly saw that the five skandas are all empty,
and was saved from all suffering and distress.

Sariputra,
form is no different to emptiness,
emptiness no different to form.

That which is form is emptiness,
that which is emptiness, form.

Sensations, perceptions, impressions, and consciousness
are also like this.

Sariputra,
all things and phenomena are marked by emptiness;
they are neither appearing nor disappearing,
neither impure nor pure,
neither increasing nor decreasing.

Therefore, in emptiness,
no forms, no sensations, perceptions, impressions, or
consciousness;
no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind;

no sights, sounds, odors, tastes, objects of touch, objects of
mind;

no realm of sight and so on up to no realm of consciousness;

no ignorance and no end of ignorance,
and so on up to no aging and death,
and no end of aging and death;

no suffering, accumulation, cessation, or path;
no wisdom and no attainment.

With nothing to attain,
bodhisattvas
rely on prajna-paramita,
and their minds are without hindrance.

They are without hindrance,
and therefore without fear.

Far apart from all confused dreams,
they dwell in nirvana.

All buddhas of the past, present and future
rely on prajna-paramita,
and attain full, complete realization.

Therefore, know that prajna-paramita
is the great transcendent mantra,
the great bright mantra,
the supreme mantra,
the unequalled balanced mantra,
that can eliminate all suffering,
and is real, not false.

So proclaim the prajna-paramita mantra,
proclaim the mantra that says:

gate, gate,
paragate,
parasamgate,
bodhi, svaha!

The Heart Sutra of Prajna.

This is lovely classic of Buddhism called The Heart Sutra. The full title of the sutra is The Heart of Great Prajna Sutra or The Heart of Great Real Wisdom Sutra.

The Heart Sutra was written by Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, literally the bodhisattva (one who has discovered truth but remains to eliminate suffering) of compassion and mercy. This is Buddha himself. Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva writes to Sariputra, one of Buddha's original ten disciples.

Prajna means real wisdom. It is is a very important principle in Buddhism, and The Heart Sutra is devoted to the subject of prajna. In Sanskrit, 'pra' means before or prior to, and 'jna' means knowledge or knowing. So prajna refers to a kind of intuition or intuitive ability. In Buddhism, real wisdom is based on this intuitive ability, and has nothing to do with intellectual knowledge. The second word, paramita, means complete attainment or accomplishment. So prajna-paramita means complete attainment or accomplishment of real wisdom.

The term skanda is a Sanskrit term simply referring to the five elements that make up our direct experience:

1) Form (rupa)
2) Sensations (vedana)
3) Perceptions (samjna)
4) Mental Impressions (samskara)
5) Consciousness (vijnana)

The ending of the sutra - 'Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi! Svaha!' - is in Sanskrit and is usually chanted just as it is. A literal translation is something like 'gone, gone, totally gone, completely gone, perfect wisdom, so be it!'

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