Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya (The Heart Sūtra)

Historical context

Set upon Vulture Peak (Gṛdhrakūṭa) near Rājagṛha, while the Buddha entered deep meditative absorption, Avalokiteśvara and Venerable Śāriputra engaged in this profound dialogue on the essential nature of Prajñāpāramitā.

Avalokiteśvara’s insight · 观自在菩萨之照见

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Canonical text: 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。

中文: 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。

Light of Dharma translation: When Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva was practicing the profound perfection of wisdom, he clearly saw that the five aggregates are all empty and passed beyond every affliction.

Contemplative Insight · 经义心要: Suffering dissolves when we perceive that the "I" is not a solid entity, but a dynamic, luminous dance of transient processes.

Form and emptiness · 色空不二

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Canonical text: 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。

中文: 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。

Light of Dharma translation: Śāriputra, form is not different from emptiness, and emptiness is not different from form. Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form. Feeling, perception, formations, and consciousness are likewise.

Contemplative Insight · 经义心要: Form and emptiness are non-dual. Emptiness is not a barren void, but the open, ungraspable texture of every moment of lived experience.

The marks of emptiness · 诸法空相

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Canonical text: 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。

中文: 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。

Light of Dharma translation: Śāriputra, the empty character of all phenomena is neither born nor destroyed, neither stained nor pure, neither increased nor diminished. Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, feeling, perception, formations, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental object; no eye realm through no mind-consciousness realm; no ignorance and no ending of ignorance, through no aging and death and no ending of aging and death; no suffering, origin, cessation, or path; no wisdom and no attainment.

Contemplative Insight · 经义心要: When concepts of gain, loss, purity, and contamination are recognized as mental overlays, original reality rests in unconditioned perfection.

Non-attainment and awakening · 无所得与菩提

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Canonical text: 以無所得故，菩提薩埵依般若波羅蜜多故，心無罣礙；無罣礙故，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。

中文: 以無所得故，菩提薩埵依般若波羅蜜多故，心無罣礙；無罣礙故，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。

Light of Dharma translation: Because there is nothing to attain, the bodhisattva relies on the perfection of wisdom and the mind has no obstruction. With no obstruction there is no fear; leaving inverted and dreamlike conceptions far behind, one reaches complete nirvāṇa. The buddhas of the three times rely on the perfection of wisdom and awaken to unsurpassed, complete, perfect awakening.

Contemplative Insight · 经义心要: Radical deconstruction: Even the spiritual path itself is released. When nothing is grasped as an acquisition, unconditioned freedom shines forth.

Praise of the perfection of wisdom · 般若波罗蜜多之赞

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Canonical text: 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，故說般若波羅蜜多咒。即說咒曰：

中文: 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，故說般若波羅蜜多咒。即說咒曰：

Light of Dharma translation: Therefore, know that the perfection of wisdom is the great sacred formula, the formula of great illumination, the unsurpassed formula, the unequalled formula. It can remove every affliction; it is true and not false. Therefore the formula of the perfection of wisdom is proclaimed. It is spoken as follows:

Contemplative Insight · 经义心要: Freedom from fear (Abhaya) is the direct fruit of wisdom. When we stop manufacturing solid anchors in a changing world, absolute peace is realized.

The mantra · 真言

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Canonical text: 揭帝　揭帝　般羅揭帝　般羅僧揭帝　菩提　莎婆訶

中文: 揭帝　揭帝　般羅揭帝　般羅僧揭帝　菩提　莎婆訶

Light of Dharma translation: Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā.

Contemplative Insight · 经义心要: The transcendent mantra: "Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā!" An invitation to cross beyond self-delusion to the luminous shore of enlightenment.