As the name suggests, Heart Sutra is the Heart of the perfect wisdom transmitted by the Buddha Mind, a Sutra on the Perfection of Wisdom. Being a highly concentrated masterpiece of teaching, naturally the Heart Sutra is also the most subtle, sophisticated, and sublime. For the majority of practitioners, it is impossible to grasp its true meaning merely based on its literal meaning – so let’s not be wise in our own conceit. A more honest approach is to just read it every day, repeatedly, humbly and respectfully, for as long as we live. Read with a neutral and open mind. Meanwhile experience it through one’s own practice – hopefully the experience and realization will deepen over time.
However, one still can’t help but trying to grasp some of its meaning. Included below is an attempt on a sense-for-sense translation (through paraphrasing, not a word-for-word translation), hopefully it might somewhat facilitate the process of understanding …
Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra
Mahasattva Avalokiteshvara, the Great Bodhisattva of Compassion, while meditating on Prajna Paramita and moving deeply in the course of inner enlightenment, clearly sees the emptiness of all five Skandhas (sees that the five conditions are empty of self-existence) and completely eradicates all obstructions and sufferings.
Form is not different from Emptiness; Emptiness is no other than Form. Form is exactly Emptiness; Emptiness is exactly Form. The same holds for feeling, thinking, doing, and being aware.
All dharmas are forms of Emptiness. The nature of all phenomena is Emptiness. Everything is neither born nor deceased, neither pure nor impure, neither increasing nor decreasing. There is no past, no future, no present.
Objects, circumstances, thoughts, feelings, perception, sensation, conception, discrimination, volition, consciousness – they are all without independent existence, but all included in Emptiness.
Emptiness is free of arising and ceasing, free of aging and dying, free of gain and loss, free of attainment and non-attainment – once you see this, you no longer have to strive for anything. With nothing to attain, you have neither attachment nor aversion, steering clear of inverted dreaming and thinking.
There are no more delusions and therefore no more obstacles in the mind. You have no anxiety about non-perfection. You have no fear, and you have no limitation. With a cloudless mind, you simply abide in perfect wisdom. Embodying perfect serenity, you realize Perfect Nirvana.
All Buddhas in the past, present and future rely on Prajna Paramita and realize Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi (Perfect Enlightenment). Therefore, be ready to proclaim the mantra of Prajna Paramita! It is the most powerful mantra, the most illuminating mantra, a mantra beyond compare, the highest mantra! It has the power to eradicate all kinds of suffering for all sentient beings. So let us set forth this supreme mantra that brings us to the other shore:
Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha!
Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha!
Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha!
摩訶般若波羅蜜大明咒經
姚秦天竺三藏鳩摩羅什大師譯
觀世音菩薩。行深般若波羅蜜時。照見五陰空。度一切苦厄。舍利弗。色空故無惱壞相。受空故無受相。想空故無知相。行空故無作相。識空故無覺相。何以故。舍利弗。非色異空。非空異色。色即是空。空即是色。受想行識亦復如是。舍利弗。是諸法空相。不生不滅。不垢不淨。不增不減。是空法。非過去。非未來。非現在。是故空中無色。無受想行識。無眼耳鼻舌身意。無色聲香味觸法。無眼界乃至無意識界。無無明亦無無明盡。乃至無老死。亦無老死盡。無苦集滅道。無智亦無得。以無所得故。菩薩依般若波羅蜜故。心無掛礙。無掛礙故。無有恐怖。離一切顛倒夢想苦惱。究竟涅槃。三世諸佛。依般若波羅蜜故。得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。故知般若波羅蜜。是大明咒。無上明咒。無等等明咒。能除一切苦。真實不虛。故説般若波羅蜜咒。即説咒曰：竭帝竭帝。波羅竭帝。波羅僧竭帝。菩提僧莎呵!
般若波羅蜜多心經
唐三藏玄奘大師譯
觀自在菩薩。行深般若波羅蜜多時。照見五蘊皆空。度一切苦厄。舍利子。色不異空。空不異色。色即是空。空即是色。受想行識亦復如是。舍利子。是諸法空相。不生不滅。不垢不淨。不增不減。是故空中無色。無受想行識。無眼耳鼻舌身意。無色聲香味觸法。無眼界乃至無意識界。無無明亦無無明盡。乃至無老死。亦無老死盡。無苦集滅道。無智亦無得。以無所得故。菩提薩埵。依般若波羅蜜多故。心無掛礙。無掛礙故。無有恐怖。遠離顛倒夢想。究竟涅槃。三世諸佛。依般若波羅蜜多故。得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。故知般若波羅蜜多。是大神咒。是大明咒。是無上咒。是無等等咒。能除一切苦。真實不虛。故説般若波羅蜜多咒。即説咒曰：竭帝竭帝。波羅竭帝。波羅僧竭帝。菩提僧莎呵!
Buddha Mind 