MAHAPRAJNAPARAMITA – HRIDAYA-SUTRA

MAHAPRAJNAPARAMITA – HRIDAYA-SUTRA

(The Heart Sutra)

Thus I have heard at one time. The Buddha dwelt at Vulture Peak together with a sangha of one hundred thousand monks and nuns, and seventy thousand bodhisattvas. At that time the bodhisattva Avalokitesvara arose from his seat among the assembly and went up to the Buddha. Facing him he joined his palms together and bowed respectfully. With reverence he said, “I wish to explain for this assembly the bodhisattva’s Heart of Perfect Wisdom which is the Universal Womb of Wisdom.”

           

Then the Buddha said, “Excellent, excellent, Great Compassionate One!”

Then Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva entered into his meditation and coursing in prajnaparamita observed that all five skandhas are empty of own-nature. Arising from his contemplation he said:

            “The nature of form is empty, emptiness is form. Form is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from form. That which is form is empty, that which is emptiness is form. Feelings, perception, activities, and individual consciousness are also like this. The nature of consciousness is empty, emptiness is consciousness. Consciousness is not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different from consciousness. That which is consciousness is empty, that which is emptiness is consciousness.

            “These dharmas are marked with emptiness, neither arising nor ceasing, neither tainted nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore in emptiness there is no form, no sensation, no perceptions, no mental impulses, no consciousness, no eye, no ear, no nose, no taste, no touch; no realm of sight and so on up to no realm of mind-consciousness; no ignorance and no extinction of ignorance, and so on up to no old age and death and no end to old age and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no end to suffering, no path, no wisdom and no attainment.

            “With nothing to attain the bodhisattvas depend on prajnaparamita and their minds are without any hindrance. Without any hindrance, no fears exist. Far removed from perverted thought they are awake. All Buddhas of the three periods of time depend on prajnaparamita in attaining annutara-samyak-sambodhi.

            “Therefore, know the prajnaparamita is the great mantra, the bright mantra, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequalled mantra that ends all suffering, and is true not false.

            “Therefore proclaim the prajnaparamita mantra. Proclaim the mantra that says:

GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA