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HeartSutra

The Heart Sutra is a famous sutra in Mahyna Buddhism. Its Sanskrit title, Prajpramithrdaya,

literally means The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom. The Heart The Heart Sutra is a famous sutra in
Mahyna Buddhism. Its Sanskrit title, Prajpramithrdaya,
literally means The Heart of the Perfection

of Wisdom. The Heart Sutra is often cited as the best-known and most popular Buddhist scripture.
http://www.interluderetreat.com/meditate/ppsutra.htm and http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/heartsutra.html

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Avalokiteshvara,theBodhisattvaofCompassion,meditatingdeeplyonPerfectionofWisdom,
sawclearlythatthefiveaspectsofhumanexistenceareempty 1,andsoreleasedhimselffrom
suffering.AnsweringthemonkSariputra,hesaidthis:
Bodyisnothingmorethanemptiness,
emptinessisnothingmorethanbody.
Thebodyisexactlyempty,
andemptinessisexactlybody.
Theotherfouraspectsofhumanexistence
feeling,thought,will,andconsciousness
arelikewisenothingmorethanemptiness,
andemptinessnothingmorethanthey.
Allthingsareempty:
Nothingisborn,nothingdies,
1 EmptinessistheusualtranslationfortheBuddhisttermSunyata(orShunyata).Itreferstothefactthat
nothingincludinghumanexistencehasultimatesubstantiality,whichinturnmeansthatnothingis
permanentandnothingistotallyindependentofeverythingelse.Inotherwords,everythinginthisworld
isinterconnectedandinconstantflux.Adeepappreciationofthisideaofemptinessthussavesusfromthe
sufferingcausedbyouregos,ourattachments,andourresistancetochangeandloss.

nothingispure,nothingisstained,
nothingincreasesandnothingdecreases.
So,inemptiness,thereisnobody,
nofeeling,nothought,
nowill,noconsciousness.
Therearenoeyes,noears,
nonose,notongue,
nobody,nomind.
Thereisnoseeing,nohearing,
nosmelling,notasting,
notouching,noimagining.
Thereisnothingseen,norheard,
norsmelled,nortasted,
nortouched,norimagined.
Thereisnoignorance,
andnoendtoignorance.
Thereisnooldageanddeath,
andnoendtooldageanddeath.
Thereisnosuffering,nocauseofsuffering,
noendtosuffering.Nopathtofollow.
Thereisnoattainmentofwisdom,
andnowisdomtoattain.
ThusBodhisattvasliveinPerfectionofUnderstanding,
withnohindranceofmind.Nohindrance,
thereforetheyfeelnofear,farbeyonddeludedthoughts.
ThisisNirvana,hereandnow.
AlltheBuddhas,
past,present,andfuture,
relyonthePerfectionofWisdom,
andliveinfullenlightenment.
ThePerfectionofWisdomisthegreatestmantra.
Itistheclearestmantra,
thehighestmantra,
themantrathatremovesallsuffering.
Thisistruththatcannotbedoubted.
Sayitso:
Gat,
gat,
paragat,
parasamgat.

Bodhi!
Svaha!2

2 Gone(orgoing)

gone,
goneover(orgoingbeyond),
gonefullyover(oralwaysgoingbeyond).
Awakened!(orenlightened,oralwaysbecomingBuddha!)
Sobeit!(orfulfilled!)

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