The Heart Sutra is still my favourite Buddhism sutra and it captures the essence of Buddha's teaching on emptiness. Thus I started Buddhism blog titled Heart Sutra and Buddhism. As I read more, I learnt about different sutras like The Diamond Sutra and the Lotus Sutra.
The following Heart Sutra and annotation is from here by Chung Tai Translation Committee. Please click the link here as it has very good explanation of the Heart Sutra.
prajna . Great transcendental wisdom; wisdom from understanding the truth; wisdom of understanding the empty nature of the ‘self’ and all phenomena; wisdom that can overcome birth-and-death and all suffering, and enlighten all beings.
paramita . Perfection, the practice that can bring one to liberation. Literally, “to the other shore.” To become a buddha, the bodhisattva practices the six paramitas: perfection of charity (dana), moral conduct (sila), tolerance (ksanti), diligence (virya), meditation (dhyana), and, most important of all, wisdom (prajna).
empty nature . Both the self and all phenomena are without independent existence or inherent, fixed characteristics. They are impermanent, mutable and mutually dependent; their individuality is in appearance only.
Buddhism provides us with several classifications of phenomena to help us understand how ordinary people perceive the world. They are: the five skandhas, the twelve bases, and the eighteen spheres (see below). However, our perceptions of the world are founded on ignorance; therefore, these constructions are ultimately empty.
five skandhas . Five aggregates—form, feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness . Form refers to our body or the physical world, the other four are of the mind. Ordinary beings see themselves as composed of these aggregates. When we analyze them deeper, we find no real substance.
neither arising ... nor decreasing. By understanding the mutual dependencies and inter-connections of all things, one realizes that all creation and destruction, birth-and-death, good and bad, more and less, etc., exist in appearance only.
no form, feeling ... This negation of the five skandhas is to point out that the superficial appearance and characters we are familiar with actually have no intrinsic substance. Form (physical matter) is energy, its appearance is an illusion of the perceiver; feelings are subjective; conceptions are mind-made; volition (will or intent which leads to action); and what we call consciousness are streams of thought based on deluded understanding of reality. There is no “self” to be found in form, feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness.
no eye, ear...or dharmas. Negation of the twelve bases (of consciousness) which include six senses and six sense objects . The six senses are used to perceive the six sense objects and the result is our conception of the world. The six sense objects are also known as six dusts in Buddhism.
no realm of vision ... no realm of mind-consciousness. Negation of the eighteen spheres , six senses, six sense objects, and six types of consciousness, that of vision, hearing, olfaction, taste, touch, and mind-consciousness. The eighteen spheres represent the way the deluded mind perceives and divides the world, and prevents us from seeing the unity and equality of all things.
no ignorance ... no ending of aging and death. The twelve links of dependent origination explain the process of the rebirth cycle. They are ignorance-intentional action-consciousness- mind and form -six senses -contact- feeling- craving- grasping- being- birth -old age and death. However, from the view of absolute reality, the twelve links and their elimination (ending of ..., which is needed to gain liberation from rebirth), are also empty. In fact, what we perceive as birth-and-deaths are actually delusions, so suffering is also empty.
Updated:
Research by Hufeng has shown that 以无所得故 does not mean "Because there is nothing to be attained". It translates a Sanskrit word anupalambhayogena "by means of nonapprehension.
SUTRA OPENING GATHA 開經偈
The Dharma, infinitely profound and subtle,
Is rarely encountered even in a million kalpas. Now we are able to hear, study, and follow it,
May we fully realize the Tathagata’s true meaning.
無上甚深微妙法 百千萬劫難遭遇 我今見聞得受持 願解如來真實義
The following Heart Sutra and annotation is from here by Chung Tai Translation Committee. Please click the link here as it has very good explanation of the Heart Sutra.
prajna . Great transcendental wisdom; wisdom from understanding the truth; wisdom of understanding the empty nature of the ‘self’ and all phenomena; wisdom that can overcome birth-and-death and all suffering, and enlighten all beings.
paramita . Perfection, the practice that can bring one to liberation. Literally, “to the other shore.” To become a buddha, the bodhisattva practices the six paramitas: perfection of charity (dana), moral conduct (sila), tolerance (ksanti), diligence (virya), meditation (dhyana), and, most important of all, wisdom (prajna).
empty nature . Both the self and all phenomena are without independent existence or inherent, fixed characteristics. They are impermanent, mutable and mutually dependent; their individuality is in appearance only.
Buddhism provides us with several classifications of phenomena to help us understand how ordinary people perceive the world. They are: the five skandhas, the twelve bases, and the eighteen spheres (see below). However, our perceptions of the world are founded on ignorance; therefore, these constructions are ultimately empty.
five skandhas . Five aggregates—form, feeling, conception, volition, and consciousness . Form refers to our body or the physical world, the other four are of the mind. Ordinary beings see themselves as composed of these aggregates. When we analyze them deeper, we find no real substance.
neither arising ... nor decreasing. By understanding the mutual dependencies and inter-connections of all things, one realizes that all creation and destruction, birth-and-death, good and bad, more and less, etc., exist in appearance only.
no form, feeling ... This negation of the five skandhas is to point out that the superficial appearance and characters we are familiar with actually have no intrinsic substance. Form (physical matter) is energy, its appearance is an illusion of the perceiver; feelings are subjective; conceptions are mind-made; volition (will or intent which leads to action); and what we call consciousness are streams of thought based on deluded understanding of reality. There is no “self” to be found in form, feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness.
no eye, ear...or dharmas. Negation of the twelve bases (of consciousness) which include six senses and six sense objects . The six senses are used to perceive the six sense objects and the result is our conception of the world. The six sense objects are also known as six dusts in Buddhism.
no realm of vision ... no realm of mind-consciousness. Negation of the eighteen spheres , six senses, six sense objects, and six types of consciousness, that of vision, hearing, olfaction, taste, touch, and mind-consciousness. The eighteen spheres represent the way the deluded mind perceives and divides the world, and prevents us from seeing the unity and equality of all things.
no ignorance ... no ending of aging and death. The twelve links of dependent origination explain the process of the rebirth cycle. They are ignorance-intentional action-consciousness- mind and form -six senses -contact- feeling- craving- grasping- being- birth -old age and death. However, from the view of absolute reality, the twelve links and their elimination (ending of ..., which is needed to gain liberation from rebirth), are also empty. In fact, what we perceive as birth-and-deaths are actually delusions, so suffering is also empty.
Updated:
Research by Hufeng has shown that 以无所得故 does not mean "Because there is nothing to be attained". It translates a Sanskrit word anupalambhayogena "by means of nonapprehension.
The Dharma, infinitely profound and subtle,
Is rarely encountered even in a million kalpas. Now we are able to hear, study, and follow it,
May we fully realize the Tathagata’s true meaning.
無上甚深微妙法 百千萬劫難遭遇 我今見聞得受持 願解如來真實義
THE HEART OF PRAJNA PARAMITA SUTRA
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara,
While deeply immersed in prajna paramita,
Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas, And transcended all suffering.
Shariputra! Form is not different from emptiness, Emptiness is not different from form.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and
consciousness.
Shariputra! All dharmas are empty in character;
Neither arising nor ceasing,
Neither impure nor pure,
Neither increasing nor decreasing.
Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form;
There is no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness; No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind;
No form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas;
No realm of vision, and so forth,
Up to no realm of mind-consciousness;
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara,
While deeply immersed in prajna paramita,
Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas, And transcended all suffering.
Shariputra! Form is not different from emptiness, Emptiness is not different from form.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and
consciousness.
Shariputra! All dharmas are empty in character;
Neither arising nor ceasing,
Neither impure nor pure,
Neither increasing nor decreasing.
Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form;
There is no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness; No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind;
No form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas;
No realm of vision, and so forth,
Up to no realm of mind-consciousness;
No ignorance or ending of ignorance, and so forth,
Up to no aging and death or ending of aging and death. There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no path. There is no wisdom and no attainment.
There is nothing to be attained.
By way of prajna paramita,
The bodhisattva’s mind is free from hindrances.
With no hindrances, there is no fear;
Freed from all distortion and delusion,
Ultimate nirvana is reached.
By way of prajna paramita,
Buddhas of the past, present, and future
Attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore, prajna paramita
Is the great powerful mantra,
The great enlightening mantra,
The supreme and peerless mantra.
It can remove all suffering.
This is the truth beyond all doubt.
And the prajna paramita mantra is spoken thus:Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.
观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄,
舍利子, 色不异空, 空不异色, 色即是空, 空即是色,
受想行识, 亦复如是, 舍利子, 是诸法空相, 不生不灭, 不垢不净, 不增不减,
是故空中无色, 无受想行识, 无眼耳鼻舌身意, 无色声香味触法,
无眼界, 乃至无意识界, 无无明, 亦无无明尽, 乃至无老死, 亦无老死尽,
无苦集灭道, 无智亦无得, 以无所得故, 菩提萨埵(duǒ), 依般若波罗蜜多故,
心无罣碍( guà ài ),无罣碍, 故无有恐怖, 远离颠倒梦想, 究竟涅盘,
三世诸佛, 依般若波罗蜜多故, 得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提,
故知般若波罗蜜多,是大神咒, 是大明咒, 是无上咒, 是无等等咒, 能除一切
苦, 真实不虚, 故说般若波罗蜜多咒,
即说咒曰, 揭谛揭谛 波罗揭谛 波罗僧揭谛 菩提萨婆诃
Up to no aging and death or ending of aging and death. There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no path. There is no wisdom and no attainment.
There is nothing to be attained.
By way of prajna paramita,
The bodhisattva’s mind is free from hindrances.
With no hindrances, there is no fear;
Freed from all distortion and delusion,
Ultimate nirvana is reached.
By way of prajna paramita,
Buddhas of the past, present, and future
Attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore, prajna paramita
Is the great powerful mantra,
The great enlightening mantra,
The supreme and peerless mantra.
It can remove all suffering.
This is the truth beyond all doubt.
And the prajna paramita mantra is spoken thus:Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.
观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄,
舍利子, 色不异空, 空不异色, 色即是空, 空即是色,
受想行识, 亦复如是, 舍利子, 是诸法空相, 不生不灭, 不垢不净, 不增不减,
是故空中无色, 无受想行识, 无眼耳鼻舌身意, 无色声香味触法,
无眼界, 乃至无意识界, 无无明, 亦无无明尽, 乃至无老死, 亦无老死尽,
无苦集灭道, 无智亦无得, 以无所得故, 菩提萨埵(duǒ), 依般若波罗蜜多故,
心无罣碍( guà ài ),无罣碍, 故无有恐怖, 远离颠倒梦想, 究竟涅盘,
三世诸佛, 依般若波罗蜜多故, 得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提,
故知般若波罗蜜多,是大神咒, 是大明咒, 是无上咒, 是无等等咒, 能除一切
苦, 真实不虚, 故说般若波罗蜜多咒,
即说咒曰, 揭谛揭谛 波罗揭谛 波罗僧揭谛 菩提萨婆诃
The Heart Sutra story
The Heart Sutra by Imee Ooi
The Heart Sutra by Imee Ooi
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