Heart Sutra

[terryboy]

I have been mystified by the Heart Sutra for many years. Never could understand its meaning. Any Guru kind enough to shed some light on me? Thanks in advance.

The Heart Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajna-paramita,
clearly saw that the five skandhas 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 up to no realm of consciousness;

no ignorance and no end of ignorance,
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 thus 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 anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

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.

 

[Pineblossom]

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parsumgate, Bodhi, Svaha

Gone, Gone, Gone beyond, Gone beyond the beyond, Enlightenment, Hail.

The Heart Sutra is quintessentially Buddhist. It originates from what is know as the second turning of the wheel of Dharma as spoken by the Buddha.

The Buddha puts the lesson in the form of an answer and question session between master and student. The Bodhisattva is a realized being and Sariputra is seeking advice from the realized One.

The basic message is - reality is a social construct and does not really exist.

Until we realize that everything that comes through our sense is contaminated with preconceived ideas and concepts we will remain locked in samsara - suffering. It is only by realizing that we have been brainwashed to accept certain principles and concepts we will escape suffering. Thus, all created things are inherently empty of ultimate existence.

Even my body is essential empty of inherent existence and is therefore not what I think is 'me'.

This is a challenging lesson and in the case of all such lessons takes to sink in. There is a wealth of material on the web you can tap into but you would really need to follow the Buddhist path to gain a greater understanding of the depth of the lesson.

 

[Breathe]

Hi terryboy,

Did you ever read any commentaries on the Heart Sutra? Just curious.

 

[terryboy]

Hi terryboy,

Did you ever read any commentaries on the Heart Sutra? Just curious.

No I have not, I am familiar with the Chinese version and I've been trying to understand it with just thinking alone but it's just not possible. Now that you've mention it, I really should go to search for the commentaries.

 

[terryboy]

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parsumgate, Bodhi, Svaha

Gone, Gone, Gone beyond, Gone beyond the beyond, Enlightenment, Hail.

The Heart Sutra is quintessentially Buddhist. It originates from what is know as the second turning of the wheel of Dharma as spoken by the Buddha.

The Buddha puts the lesson in the form of an answer and question session between master and student. The Bodhisattva is a realized being and Sariputra is seeking advice from the realized One.

The basic message is - reality is a social construct and does not really exist.

Until we realize that everything that comes through our sense is contaminated with preconceived ideas and concepts we will remain locked in samsara - suffering. It is only by realizing that we have been brainwashed to accept certain principles and concepts we will escape suffering. Thus, all created things are inherently empty of ultimate existence.

Even my body is essential empty of inherent existence and is therefore not what I think is 'me'.

This is a challenging lesson and in the case of all such lessons takes to sink in. There is a wealth of material on the web you can tap into but you would really need to follow the Buddhist path to gain a greater understanding of the depth of the lesson.

Thanks for the explanation

I don't really understand, For example if we see someone just got murdered, our mind tell us that it's bad, or that we've been brainwashed to accept that murder is bad. There's no way I can think that someone being murdered is not bad, or it's not what I think it is.

 

[Breathe]

No I have not, I am familiar with the Chinese version and I've been trying to understand it with just thinking alone but it's just not possible. Now that you've mention it, I really should go to search for the commentaries.

I hope you enjoy it. I have a favourite commentary on this Sutra, so I would be interested to hear which one you choose.

Are you after a specific denomination's interpretation, or open to any of them?

 

[terryboy]

I hope you enjoy it. I have a favourite commentary on this Sutra, so I would be interested to hear which one you choose.

Are you after a specific denomination's interpretation, or open to any of them?

I am open to all interpretations, can you show me the link to your favorite commentary?

Thanks again!

 

[koan]

The best commentary I've read was by, the Korean Mu soeng. However here is part of my take. Form = Existence. Void/Emptiness =non existence. So a basic formula is, We exist, we don't exist. We neither exist or don't exist. We both exist and don't exist. Everything comes from emptiness. Everything is a set of causes and conditions. Then comes the mind. This interprets phenomena and thought which we take as real. There are two main branches of Mahayana philosophy, Mulamadyakakarika by Nagarjuna and deals with emptiness and Yogacara by Asanga and Vasabandhu, which deals with mind only. As the heart sutra is part of the prajnaparamita sutras' I suggest Nagarjuna would be more practical.

 

[Twilight Hue]

I like the sutra as it points out the straight skinny on what we precieve as being form and no-form. The duality on the surface loses it's hold as we experience the sutra further, and realise in time what it means first hand by which such dualities then drop away as with all other perceptions that arise. Like waves. There is no true distinguishment from the ocean.

 

[Pineblossom]

Thanks for the explanation

I don't really understand, For example if we see someone just got murdered, our mind tell us that it's bad, or that we've been brainwashed to accept that murder is bad. There's no way I can think that someone being murdered is not bad, or it's not what I think it is.

Murder is socially, and legally, sanctioned behaviour. What do you call war other than legalized murder? What is the difference between the assassination of Martin Luther King and Osama bin Laden?

The fact is when we label something 'bad' or something 'good' has no bearing on the act involved but has more to do with our perception of that act.

What we label 'good' and 'bad' is a result of our own perceptions - not the result of the act itself.

This is the message of the Heart Sutra. When we label things according to our perception we will inevitable avoid the 'bad' and gravitate towards the 'good'. As we pursue the 'good' and avoid the 'bad' we fail to acknowledge the temporary nature of all things. While all created things inevitable change we cling to our preconceived ideas about the nature of things. Such clinging eventually leads to suffering, stress, anxiety, anger and depression all because clinging means 'things are not allowed to change'.

 

[Tathagata]

That's not a very good translation of the Heart Sutra. I believe this to be the best one yet:

Heart of Transcendent Wisdom Sutra

[FONT=&quot]Adoration to the Omniscient![/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]When Holy Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva performed the deep practice in the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom,
he contemplated that there were five aggregates but observed that they were devoid of essential nature.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

In this case, Shaariputra, form is voidness and voidness is itself form;
voidness is not different from form, and form is not different from voidness;
that which is form is voidness, and that which is voidness is form.[/FONT]

​

[FONT=&quot]So it is for perception, conception, volition and consciousness.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]In this case, Shaariputra, all phenomena of existence have the characteristics of voidness;
they neither arise nor perish;
they are neither defiled nor pure,
neither deficient nor complete.[/FONT]

​

[FONT=&quot]Therefore, Shaariputra, within the voidness, there is no form, no perception, no conception, no volition, nor consciousness.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]Neither is there eye, ear, nose, tongue, body or mind.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]Neither is there form, sound, smell, taste, touch nor concepts.[/FONT]

​

[FONT=&quot]Neither is there realm of sight, until we come to the non-existence of realm of consciousness.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]Neither is there wisdom, nor ignorance, nor extinction of wisdom, nor extinction of ignorance,
until we come to the non-existence of old age and death and the non-extinction of old age and death.

Neither is there suffering, cause of suffering, extinction of suffering, nor the path leading to extinction of suffering.
Neither is there wisdom nor acquisition because there is no grasping.[/FONT]

​

[FONT=&quot]Depending on the bodhisattva's Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom,
one dwells without any mental hindrance.

Because of the absence of mental hindrance, one is fearless; freed from delusory thoughts, one will reach Nirvana.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]All Buddhas dwelling in the three periods realize the highest, perfect enlightenment depending on the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.[/FONT]

​

[FONT=&quot]For this reason, know that the Great Mantra of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom is the Great Wisdom Mantra, the Unsurpassed Mantra, and the Unequaled Mantra.
It extinguishes all suffering, and is true and real because it is not false.

It is the Mantra proclaimed in the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]Namely, "Go, go, go beyond, go thoroughly beyond, and establish yourself in enlightenment.[/FONT]
​

[FONT=&quot]Svaha."[/FONT]

​

[FONT=&quot]Thus ends the Essence of the Transcendent Wisdom Sutra.[/FONT]
​

​

I prefer this one as it seems more accurate and is more sophisticated in it's presentation.



.

 

[zenzero]

Friends,

Personal understanding in short:

Originally and in TRUTH * IT * is VOID or NOTHINGNESS.
Matter, energy and everything is only a vibration.
Vibrations too are REAL but they are temporary and CHANGE is only Permanent.
Mind or THOUGHTS originating are nothing but vibrations which gives shape to things the mind sees and when the MIND is STILL all vibrations stills to merge with that VOID or Nothingness.
But again the VOID contains all the vibrations but only in their stillness.

Love & rgds

 

[terryboy]

Murder is socially, and legally, sanctioned behaviour. What do you call war other than legalized murder? What is the difference between the assassination of Martin Luther King and Osama bin Laden?

War is wrong, so is murder. There's no difference between the assassination of Martin Luther King and Osama bin Laden.

The fact is when we label something 'bad' or something 'good' has no bearing on the act involved but has more to do with our perception of that act.

What we label 'good' and 'bad' is a result of our own perceptions - not the result of the act itself.

Okay, I can understand.

This is the message of the Heart Sutra. When we label things according to our perception we will inevitable avoid the 'bad' and gravitate towards the 'good'. As we pursue the 'good' and avoid the 'bad' we fail to acknowledge the temporary nature of all things. While all created things inevitable change we cling to our preconceived ideas about the nature of things. Such clinging eventually leads to suffering, stress, anxiety, anger and depression all because clinging means 'things are not allowed to change'.

I think I can understand but it's vague to me.

 

[Friend of Bill W]

I'm working my way slowly through a commentary on the Heart of Wisdom Sutra. It's not that difficult (with a commentary), though if you're new to Buddhism, find a longer one, because it will explain stuff like the Two Truths; rather than a shorter one where you'll fill in the gaps with your own knowledge of Buddhist doctrine.

 

[wmjbyatt]

I have been mystified by the Heart Sutra for many years. Never could understand its meaning. Any Guru kind enough to shed some light on me? Thanks in advance.

The Heart Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva,
when deeply practicing prajna-paramita,
clearly saw that the five skandhas 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 up to no realm of consciousness;

no ignorance and no end of ignorance,
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 thus 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 anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

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 wisdom for the wise: to understand this in the first place requires a profound degree of realization.

Thought is not the solution. Commentaries, even, may get in the way (depending on your personal cognitive bent). What will lead you to understanding here is letting go of your conceptions regarding desire/non-desire, letting go of your conceptions regarding self/no-self, letting go of your conceptions regarding nothingness, emptiness, somethingness, and fullness.

The prajnaparamita serves the purpose of teaching us the perfection of our wisdom. We have to see through the maya of our thoughts and words, including the words which are the expressed Four Noble Truths.

"The Great Way is easy, simply cease preferring the Great Way."

See also: Joshu's Mu

 

[Pineblossom]

War is wrong, so is murder. There's no difference between the assassination of Martin Luther King and Osama bin Laden.

Well, there is - according to who/what you accept as 'truth'. We, in the West, have been taught that when you kill really bad people through sanctions, called government, then killing is 'good'.

I think I can understand but it's vague to me.

If it was easy we would all be enlightened. It takes time and effort.

The point is you have to realize that what you have been taught - brainwashed - to believe is not necessarily the truth.

Truth/reality very much depends on which side of the fence you have been bought up. We generally accept this truth without too much questioning. But when we do start questioning we begin to feel really uncomfortable because our security blanket is being taken away and we feel rather exposed. So most people cling to their security blanket and avoid that which is uncomfortable.

The point that the Buddha is making is that it is not a matter of ditching one set of truths just to take up another set. What we have to do is realize that 'truth' is relative. Ultimate truth is becoming detached from these 'relative' truths. We see them for what they are - mirages.

This does not mean that if I stand in front of a bus that I will escape uninjured. So don't try that trick.

What it means is that I don't continually react to my perception of what my senses seem to keep telling me as if what my sense are telling me is 'truth'. When we can let our perceptions pass through our brain without latching onto them as something concrete we will begin to be free from attachments which will free us from unnecessary sufferings.

Stay with it.

 

[themo]

Heart sutra is nihilism at its peak. It even claims "There is no suffering, there is no karma, there is no dharma, there is no path, there is no nirvana". n other words it even denies basic 5 noble truth. Let`s read:

"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 up to no realm of consciousness;

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

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

These words are longer way of saying "there is nothing, no meaning, nowhere to go" in life which is Nihilism.

When I read this sutra I don`t see any "wisdom" in it but just Nihilism that only denies everything, that`s all. I don`t consider this even a "teaching".

And those type of Mahayana Buddhist teachings gave birth to Neo-Advaita and Neo-Zen that denies everything (even enlightement and karma/rebirth themselves.)

 

[wmjbyatt]

These words are longer way of saying "there is nothing, no meaning, nowhere to go" in life which is Nihilism.

When I read this sutra I don`t see any "wisdom" in it but just Nihilism that only denies everything, that`s all. I don`t consider this even a "teaching".

And those type of Mahayana Buddhist teachings gave birth to Neo-Advaita and Neo-Zen that denies everything (even enlightement and karma/rebirth themselves.)

You're missing the fact that this is prajnaparamita. This text and the Diamon Sutra (the other important Prajnaparamita Sutra) both negate a lot of the classical teachings of the Buddha's expressed Dharma.

The Buddha called his own Dharma inexpressible while he expressed it. The Prajnaparamita teachings are designed to bring the wise and understanding into perfect enlightenment. In studying the Dharma, we build up ideas and concepts whose purpose is to break down the false/illusory ideas and concepts we've grown attached to. Once that has been accomplished, we are still fettered by concepts if we do not dismantle this new edifice that we have built, and thus it is brought into contradiction by the introduction of the prajnaparamita. An understanding of these doctrines will shatter all remaining attachment to thoughts and ideas and allow total freedom: remember that "Nirvana" literally means "a blowing out, as of a candle." Such a blowing out does not exist, in the strict sense: it is an action which is a lack, it is not a thing which is an is. Prajnaparamita understanding blows out the candle.

Remember that it was not the Buddha's direct purpose to articulate The Truth in the most exact and precise form possible. It was the Buddha's purpose to RELIEVE SUFFERING. To this end, his teachings were designed to carefully lead the student up to and through his or her own mind.

 

[Tathagata]

Heart sutra is nihilism at its peak. It even claims "There is no suffering, there is no karma, there is no dharma, there is no path, there is no nirvana". n other words it even denies basic 5 noble truth. Let`s read:

"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 up to no realm of consciousness;

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

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

These words are longer way of saying "there is nothing, no meaning, nowhere to go" in life which is Nihilism.

When I read this sutra I don`t see any "wisdom" in it but just Nihilism that only denies everything, that`s all. I don`t consider this even a "teaching".

And those type of Mahayana Buddhist teachings gave birth to Neo-Advaita and Neo-Zen that denies everything (even enlightement and karma/rebirth themselves.)

What you say is false. You demonstrate a lack of understanding of Two-Truth doctrine.

Besides, look at the end that you skipped. Does this sound like Nihilism?

"Because of the absence of mental hindrance, one is fearless; freed from delusory thoughts, one will reach Nirvana.
All Buddhas dwelling in the three periods realize the highest, perfect enlightenment depending on the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom.

For this reason, know that the Great Mantra of the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom is the Great Wisdom Mantra, the Unsurpassed Mantra, and the Unequaled Mantra.*
It extinguishes all suffering, and is true and real because it is not false."


The Heart Sutra is based on Two-Truth doctrine as it mentions conventional truths such as cause of suffering, sense organs and sense perceptions, volition, etc. These things do exist in the realm of this world of Maya, and are conventionally true, but are not Ultimate Truths or representative of Ultimate Reality. Thats what this Sutra is saying.

Just think, if you were to have a lens that looked at the world from a quantum perspective, the eyes, ears, nose, are just quantum fluctuations which are 95% empty. It is accepted scientific fact that 95% of the Universe is EMPTY SPACE.

So not only is Heart Sutra philosophically true, it's scientifically accurate.




.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Heart sutra is nihilism at its peak. It even claims "There is no suffering, there is no karma, there is no dharma, there is no path, there is no nirvana". n other words it even denies basic 5 noble truth. Let`s read:

"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 up to no realm of consciousness;

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

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

These words are longer way of saying "there is nothing, no meaning, nowhere to go" in life which is Nihilism.

When I read this sutra I don`t see any "wisdom" in it but just Nihilism that only denies everything, that`s all. I don`t consider this even a "teaching".

And those type of Mahayana Buddhist teachings gave birth to Neo-Advaita and Neo-Zen that denies everything (even enlightement and karma/rebirth themselves.)

No it's not nihilistic. LOL