Heart Sutra

The wise person sees that:
- form and no-form are two sides of the same coin, there cannot be one without the other. So with feelings, perceptions, impulses and consciousness.
- these entities, being non-existent, cannot be created or destroyed, cannot be pure or impure, cannot increase or decrease.

- the following entities do not exist of themselves but rather are creations of the unenlightened mind:
- forms, feelings, perceptions, impulses and consciousness
- sense organs, bodies and minds
- objects sensed or thought
- ignorance and the extinction of ignorance
- old age and death and the extinction of old age and death
- suffering, accumulation, annihilation
- the path to enlightenment
- attainment of perfection and non-attainment of perfection

The enlightened state
After the perfection of wisdom the mind has no hindrances or obstacles and therefore has no fear. Having gone beyond troublesome thoughts the mind is at peace.

The essence of wisdom
In the past, present and future it is the same, the person who perfects his wisdom finds peace of mind.

Open to all
It is open to all people to perfect their wisdom and to transcend suffering. All that is required is going beyond common sense. The catch phrase for this is GONE BEYOND.

Translations Used:

Edward Conze ( 1959) Buddhist Scriptures; Penguin pp162-164
Mu Soeng Sunim (1991) Heart Sutra: Ancient Buddhist Wisdom in the Light of Quantum Reality; Primary Point Press
D T Suzuki in B L Suzuki (1981) Mahayana Buddhism; Unwin

Avalokitesuara Bodisattva

when practicing deeply the Prashna Paramita

perceive that all five skandas are empty

and was safe from all suffering and distress

Know then:

form does not differ from emptiness

emptiness does not differ from form

that which is form is emptiness, that which

is emptiness form, these same is true of

feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness;

all dhamas are marked with emptiness

they do not appear or disappear, are not

tainted or pure, do not increase or

decrease, therefore in emptiness, no form,

no feeling, no impulses, no perception,

no consciousness, no eyes, no ears

no nose, no tougue, no body, no mind

no colour, no sound, no smell, no taste,

no touch, no object of mind, no realm of sensing,

go forth until no realm of consciousness

no ignorance and no extinction of it, and

so forth until no death, no holding,

no extinction of them, no suffering,

no origination, no stopping, no path,

no cognition, also no attainment with nothing to attain.

the bohdisattva deepens on Prashna Paramita

and the mind is no hindrance

without any hindrance, no fears exist,

for apart from every perverted view

the bodisatva dwells in nivana, in

the three worlds, all Buddhas deepens on

Prashna Paramita and attain the unsurpassed

complete perfect enlightmentmant

Therefore know the Prashna Paramita is

the great transcendent mantra, is the great

bright mantra, is the utmost mantra, is

the supreme mantra which is able to release

all suffering and pain, so proclaim

the Prashna Paramita mantra, proclaim

the matra

ga-te ga-te para ga-te, para sum ga-te

bodhi savra

mna