The Heart Sutra
About universal wisdom beyond thought.
When Avalokiteshwara, “Beholder of Liberated Existence”,
Was deeply engaged in the practice of great prajna,
The bodhisattva clearly knew the emptiness of all five skandas,
Thus releasing all un-satisfactoriness, pain and distress.
“Shariputra, form is not different from emptiness,
and emptiness is not different from form.
Form is exactly emptiness, and emptiness is exactly form.
This is also true for feeling, thought, volition, and consciousness.
Shariputra, all appearances are manifestations of emptiness
Which neither come forth nor come to an end,
Which are neither pure nor impure, increasing nor decreasing.
Therefore, in emptiness there is no form,
No feeling, no thought, no volition and no consciousness.
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
No form, no sound, no smell, touch or thought.
No sense-realms, no field of consciousness.
No ignorance and no end of ignorance, through to
No old age and death, nor an end to old age and death.
No suffering, no cause of suffering,
No end of suffering and no path to the end of suffering..
There is neither wisdom nor attainment,
Because there is nothing to attain –
Bodhisattvas rely on the activity of prajna.
Thus their minds are free of hindrances.
Without hindrance they know no fear
And they look far beyond illusions, dreams, ideas,
And finally, beyond nirvana.
All Buddhas of past, present and future
Take refuge in the life of prajna,
Thus they realise perfect, supreme enlightenment.
Therefore, know: the practice of prajna
Is a mantra of great clarity, unsurpassed
And unequalled, which liberates from all suffering
And is utterly true, free of all falsehood.
So, give expression to the mantra of great prajna:
Gone, going, going on beyond,
Always towards bodhi, the deepest wisdom.
Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, Bodhi svaha!
Homage to the Sutra about the heart of prajna
