Sunday, May 13, 2012

The Heart Sutra: Prajñaparamita Mantra

Wildmind.org (Chinese to English translation by Willam J. Giddings, 2003)
Prajnaparamita is the "perfection of wisdom," a mantra, an ideal, an Indian goddess (devi), and a type of Buddhist literature. It may aid guided meditation (wildmind.org shop).


.
The hymn to the perfection of wisdom famously concludes the shorter version of The Heart Sutra:

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva, when pursuing the perfection of wisdom recognized the Five Aggregates as completely empty [impersonal] and passed beyond all vexations and distress. 

Shariputra, appearances are not different from emptiness, emptiness is not different to appearances. Appearances are emptiness, emptiness is an appearance.

Impressions, thoughts, associations, and knowing, too, are also like this.

Shariputra, all dharmas [phenomena] are empty of appearances, are not created, are not extinguished, are not defiled, are not pure; do not increase, do not decrease. 

For this reason, amidst emptiness there are no appearances, nor are there any impressions, thoughts, associations, and knowing.

There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch, ideas. There are no colors, sounds, smells, tastes, and touch dharmas. There is no eye-element up to no imagining nor knowledge element. Neither is any non-understanding, nor is there any end to non-understanding up to no old-age and death. More

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha!
Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond, enlightenment hail!
  • (Mondo) Fodian.net has an awesome storehouse of sutras in many languages set up by Rulu. From the Large Perfection of Wisdom by Edward Conze through the 8,000 Verses of the Prajnaparamita and so many more, into the various translations of The Heart Sutra...
  • PHOTOS: Strange (alien?) objects of Tibetan worship

No comments:

Post a Comment