THE SUTRA OF THE HEART OF TRANSCENDENT KNOWLEDGEPrajnaparamita, inexpressible by speech or thought; Unborn,unceasing, with nature like the sky; Which can only be experienced by Discriminating Awareness wisdom; Mother of the Victorious Ones of the Three Times, I praise and prostrate! Sanskrit title: Gyagar ke du: Bhagawati Prajnaparamita Hridaya; Tibetan title: Bo ke du: Chomden Dema Sherap Kyi Parol Tu Chinpe Nyingpo; Bam Chik Go: In one volume.
Homage to the Bhagavati Prajnaparamita! Thus have I heard. Once The Blessed One was dwelling in Rajagrha at Vulture Peak Mountain, together with a great gathering of the Sangha of monks and a great gathering of the Sangha of bodhisattvas. At that time the Blessed One entered the samadhi that expresses the dharma called “profound illumination”, and at the same time noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, while practicing the profound prajnaparamita, saw in this way: he saw the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Then through the power of the Buddha, venerable Shariputra said to noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, “How should a son or daughter of noble family train, who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita?” Addressed in this way, noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, said to venerable Shariputra, “O Shariputra, a son or daughter of noble family who wishes to practice the profound prajnaparamita should see in this way: seeing the five skandhas to be empty of nature. Form is emptiness; emptiness also is form; emptiness is no other than form; form is no other than emptiness. In the same way, feeling, perception, formation, and consciousness are emptiness; Thus, Shariputra, all dharmas are emptiness; There are no characteristics, there is no birth and no cessation. There is no impurity and no purity. There is no decrease and no increase. Therefore Shariputra, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no formation, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no appearance, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no dharmas; no eye dhatu up to no mind dhatu; no dhatu of dharmas, no mind consciousness dhatu; no ignorance, no end of ignorance up to no old age and death, no end of old age and death; no suffering, no origin of suffering, no cessation of suffering, no path, no wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment. Therefore Shariputra, since the bodhisattvas have no attainment, they abide by means of prajnaparamita. Since there is no obscuration of mind, there is no fear. They transcend falsity and attain complete nirvana. All the Buddhas of the three times, by means of prajnaparamita, fully awaken to unsurpassable, true, complete enlightenment. Therefore, the great mantra of prajnaparamita, the mantra of great insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequalled mantra, the mantra that calms all suffering should be known as truth, since there is no deception. The prajnaparamita mantra is said in this way: Tadyatha Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha: Gone , gone, gone beyond, completely exposed, awake, so be it. Thus Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound prajnaparamita.” Then the Blessed One arose from that Samadhi and praised noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, saying “Good, good, O son of noble family; thus it is, O son of noble family thus it is. One should practise the profound prajnaparamita just as you have taught and all the tathagatas will rejoice.” When the Blessed One had said this, venerable Shariputra, and noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, that whole assembly and the world with its gods, humans, asuras and gandharvas rejoiced and praised the words of the Blessed One. Thus concludes the Sutra of the Heart of Transcendent Knowledge. Namo! Homage to the Lama! Homage to the Buddha! Homage to the Dharma! Homage to the Sangha! Homage to the Great Mother, Prajnaparamita! Through the power and strength of paying homage to you, may these words of ours come true! Just as, long ago, the king of the gods Indra, by the power and strength of contemplating on the profound meaning of the Prajnaparamita, the Great Mother, and reciting its words, was able to avert the demonic forces of negativity, so in the very same way, may we too, through the power and strength of contemplating on the profound meaning of the Prajnaparamita, the Great Mother, and reciting its words, avert all the negative influences which prevent us and those around us from accomplishing the noble Dharma! May they be annihilated! May they be rendered harmless! May they be completely pacified! Everything that arises interdependently is unceasing and unborn; neither non-existent nor everlasting; neither coming nor going; neither several in meaning; nor with a single meaning, All concepts and duality are pacified; to this teaching, the words of the fully enlightened Buddha, We pay homage! May all obstacles, outer and inner, To our attaining complete enlightenment, Be totally pacified! Also, in this very life, May everything unharmonious be pacified, And may we always enjoy peace and happiness, Long life, good health, prosperity and success!
