THE HEART SUTRA

ARYA BHAGAVATI PRAJNAPARAMITA HRIDAYA SUTRA

SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA

THE HEART OF THE PERFECTION OF

WISDOM SUTRA(Arya-bhagavati-prajnaparamita-hridaya-sutra)

1. Prologue indicating the origination of the sutra1A. Common prologue

Thus did I hear at one time. The Bhagavan was dwelling on Mass of Vultures Mountain in Rajagriha together with a great community of monks and a great community of bodhisattvas.

1B. Uncommon prologue

At that time, the Bhagavan was absorbed in the concentration on the categories of phenomena called “Profound Perception.” Also, at that time, the bodhisattva mahasattva arya Avalokiteshvara looked upon the very practice of the profound perfection of wisdom and beheld those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature.

2. Subject matter of the actual sutra2A. Shariputra’s question on the mode of practising the perfection of wisdom

Then, through the power of Buddha, the venerable Shariputra said this to the bodhisattva mahasattva arya Avalokiteshvara: “How should any son of the lineage train who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom?”

2B. Avalokiteshvara’s responses2B1. Individual presentation of the mode of training in the path of those of inferior faculties2B1A. Presentation of the mode of training in the perfection of wisdom on the path of accumulation and the path of preparation2B1A-1. Transition

He said that and the bodhisattva mahasattva arya Avalokiteshvara said this to the venerable Sharadvatiputra. “Shariputra, any son of the lineage or daughter of the lineage who wishes to practice the activity of the profound perfection of wisdom should look upon it like this,

[2B1A-2. Mode of training in brief]

correctly and repeatedly beholding those five aggregates also as empty of inherent nature.

[2B1A-3. Extensive presentation]2B1A-3A. Mode of training in the ultimate nature of the aggregate of form

Form is empty. Emptiness is form. Emptiness is not other than form; form is also not other than emptiness.

2B1A-3B. Extending the same analysis to the remaining aggregates

In the same way, feeling, discrimination, compositional factors, and consciousness are empty.

2B1B. Presentation of the mode of training on the path of seeing

Shariputra, likewise, all phenomena are emptiness; without characteristic; unproduced, unceased; stainless, not without stain; not deficient, not fulfilled.

2B1C. Presentation of the mode of training on the path of meditation

Shariputra, therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no discrimination, no compositional factors, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no visual form, no sound, no odor, no taste, no object of touch, and no phenomenon. There is no eye element and so on up to and including no mind element and no mental consciousness element. There is no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance, and so on up to andincluding no aging and death and no extinction of aging and death. Similarly, there is no suffering, origination, cessation, and path; there is no exalted wisdom, no attainment, and also no non-attainment.

2B1D. Presentation of the mode of training on the path of no more learning

Shariputra, therefore, because there is no attainment, bodhisattvas rely on and dwell in the perfection of wisdom, the mind without obscuration and without fear. Having completely passed beyond error, they reach the end-point of nirvana. All the buddhas who dwell in the three times also manifestly, completely awaken to unsurpassable, perfect, complete enlightenment in reliance on the perfection of wisdom.

2B2. Presentation through mere words of mantra to those of superior faculties

Therefore, the mantra of the perfection of wisdom, the mantra of great knowledge, the unsurpassed mantra, the mantra equal to the unequaled, the mantra that thoroughly pacifiesall suffering, should be known as truth since it is not false. The mantra of the perfection of wisdom is declared:

TADYATHA [OM] GATÉ GATÉ PARAGATÉ PARASAMGATÉ BODHI SVAHA

2B3. Exhortation to train by means of summarizing the subject matter

Shariputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva should train in the profound perfection of wisdom like that.”

2C. The teacher’s affirmation of this

Then the Bhagavan arose from that concentration and commended the bodhisattva mahasattva arya Avalokiteshvara saying: “Well said, well said, son of the lineage, it is like that. It is like that; one should practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as you have indicated; even the tathagatas rejoice.”

2D. The assembly member’s delight and their pledge to uphold

The Bhagavan having thus spoken, the venerable Sharadvatiputra, the bodhisattva mahasattva arya Avalokiteshvara, those surrounding in their entirety along with the world ofgods, humans, asuras, and gandharvas were overjoyed and highly praised that spoken by theBhagavan.

COLOPHON: The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra has been translated from the Tibetan, consulting the Indian and Tibetan commentaries and previous good translations, by Gelong Thubten Tsultrim (George Churinoff), the first day of Saka Dawa, 1999, at Tushita Meditation Centre, Dharamsala, India. Amended March 8, 2001, in the New Mexico desert.

Note: Embedded outlines originate from a commentary on the Heart Sutra by Jamyang Gawai Lodro. The translated outlines have been sourced from the Appendix of Essence of the Heart Sutra (by His Holiness the Dalai Lama).

MA

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Mid

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tra)

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SU

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As

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[1

8.5]

----

----

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6.

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1. A

ffli

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e ob

scur

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ns –

con

cept

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of in

here

nt e

xist

ence

alo

ng w

ith it

s se

eds

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ogni

tive

obsc

urat

ions

– la

tenc

ies

of th

e co

ncep

tion

of

inhe

rent

exi

sten

ce a

nd a

ll f

acto

rs o

f m

ista

ken

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istic

app

eara

nce

that

ari

se

due

to th

e fo

rce

of th

ose

TH

E F

OU

R B

UD

DH

IST T

EN

ET S

YS

TE

MS

Sou

rce:

Jet

sun

Cho

gyi G

yelts

en's

Pre

sent

atio

n of

Ten

ets

SC

HO

OL

SU

B-S

CH

OO

LS

PR

OP

ON

EN

TIL

LU

ST

RA

TIO

N O

F P

ER

SO

N

VA

IBH

AS

IKA

(Gre

at E

xpos

ition

)

18 s

ub-s

choo

ls 1

A p

erso

n pr

opou

ndin

g H

inay

ana

tene

ts w

ho d

oes

not a

ccep

t se

lf-c

ogni

tion

but

doe

s ac

cept

trul

yex

iste

nt e

xter

nal o

bjec

ts

Var

ious

ass

erti

ons:

the

mer

e co

llec

tion

of

the

five

agg

rega

tes,

the

cont

inuu

m o

f th

e ag

greg

ates

, the

men

tal c

onsc

ious

ness

SA

UT

RA

NT

IKA

(Sut

ra)

FO

LL

OW

ER

S O

F S

CR

IPT

UR

EF

ollo

wer

s of

Vas

uban

dhu’

s Tr

easu

ry o

f Man

ifes

t Kno

wle

dge

A p

erso

n pr

opou

ndin

g H

inay

ana

tene

ts w

ho a

sser

ts b

oth

self

-cog

niti

on2 a

nd tr

uly

exis

tent

ex

tern

al o

bjec

ts

The

men

tal c

onsc

ious

ness

FO

LL

OW

ER

S O

F R

EA

SO

NIN

GF

ollo

wer

s of

Dha

rmak

irti

’s S

even

Tre

atis

es o

n V

alid

Cog

niti

on

CIT

TA

MA

TR

A(M

ind

Onl

y)

FO

LL

OW

ER

S O

F S

CR

IPT

UR

EF

ollo

wer

s of

Asa

nga’

s F

ive

Trea

tise

s on

the

Gro

unds

A p

erso

n pr

opou

ndin

g M

ahay

ana

tene

ts w

ho d

oes

not a

sser

t ext

erna

l ob

ject

s bu

t doe

s ac

cept

trul

y ex

iste

nt s

elf-

cogn

itio

n

The

mer

e m

enta

l con

scio

usne

ssF

OL

LO

WE

RS

OF

RE

AS

ON

ING

Fol

low

ers

of D

harm

akir

ti’s

Sev

en T

reat

ises

on

Val

id C

ogni

tion

MA

DH

YA

MIK

A(M

iddl

e W

ay)

SV

AT

AN

TR

IKA

(Aut

onom

y)

YO

GA

CA

RA

SV

AT

AN

TR

IKA

(Y

ogic

Aut

onom

y)A

per

son

prop

ound

ing

Mah

ayan

a te

nets

who

doe

s no

t acc

ept t

rue

exis

tenc

e ev

en c

onve

ntio

nall

y

The

men

tal c

onsc

ious

ness

SA

UT

RA

NT

IKA

SV

AT

AN

TR

IKA

(S

utra

Aut

onom

y)

PR

AS

AN

GIK

A

(Con

sequ

ence

)T

he m

ere

‘I’ w

hich

is im

pute

d in

de

pend

ence

on

the

five

agg

rega

tes

1 The

div

isio

n in

to 1

8 su

b-sc

hool

s: M

ajor

ity

Com

mun

ity,

One

Con

vent

ion,

Pro

pone

nts

of W

orld

-Tra

nsce

nden

ce, M

uch

Hea

ring

, Pro

pone

nts

of I

mpu

tati

on, M

onum

ent O

nes,

Eas

tern

M

ount

ain

One

s, W

este

rn M

ount

ain

One

s, A

bidi

ng F

irm

ly, P

ropo

nent

s of

the

Exi

sten

ce o

f All

, Vat

sipu

tra

Foll

ower

s, D

harm

otta

ra F

ollo

wer

s, B

hadr

ayan

a F

ollo

wer

s, M

ahas

amm

ata

Fol

low

ers,

Gre

at T

each

ing,

Dha

rmag

upta

Fol

low

ers,

Kas

hyap

a F

ollo

wer

s an

d U

ttar

a Fo

llow

ers.

[M

aps

of th

e P

rofo

und

(Hop

kins

) pa

ges

210-

217]

2 Th

e d

efin

itio

n o

f va

lid s

elf-

cogn

izin

g p

erce

pti

on is

: a n

ew a

nd n

on-d

ecep

tive

cog

nitio

n th

at is

fre

e fr

om c

once

ptua

lity

, is

only

inw

ardl

y di

rect

ed a

nd b

ears

the

aspe

ct o

f an

ap

preh

endi

ng-s

ubje

ct.

OB

JEC

TS O

F A

BA

ND

ON

ME

NT

Sou

rce:

Pre

sent

atio

n of

Ten

ets

- Je

tsun

Chö

gyi G

yelts

en

SC

HO

OL

AF

FL

ICT

IVE

OB

SC

UR

AT

ION

SC

OG

NIT

IVE

OB

SC

UR

AT

ION

SC

OA

RS

ES

UB

TL

E

VA

IBH

ASI

KA

(Gre

at E

xpos

ition

) C

once

ptio

n of

a p

erm

anen

t, un

itar

y, in

depe

nden

t per

son

Con

cept

ion

of a

sel

f-su

ffic

ient

su

bsta

ntia

lly

exis

tent

per

son

Non

e

SA

UT

RA

NT

IKA

(S

utra

)C

once

ptio

n of

a p

erm

anen

t, un

itar

y, in

depe

nden

t per

son

Con

cept

ion

of a

sel

f-su

ffic

ient

su

bsta

ntia

lly

exis

tent

per

son

Non

e

CIT

TA

MA

TR

A(M

ind

Onl

y)C

once

ptio

n of

a p

erm

anen

t, un

itar

y, in

depe

nden

t per

son

Con

cept

ion

of a

sel

f-su

ffic

ient

su

bsta

ntia

lly

exis

tent

per

son

Con

cept

ion

appr

ehen

ding

for

m a

nd th

e va

lid

cogn

itio

n ap

preh

endi

ng th

at f

orm

to b

e di

ffer

ent s

ubst

ance

s

MA

DH

YA

MIK

A(M

iddl

e W

ay)

Sva

tan

trik

a(A

uton

omy)

Con

cept

ion

of a

per

man

ent,

unit

ary,

inde

pend

ent p

erso

nC

once

ptio

n of

a s

elf-

suff

icie

nt

subs

tant

iall

y ex

iste

nt p

erso

nC

once

ptio

n of

true

exi

sten

ce

Pra

san

gik

a(C

onse

quen

ce)

Con

cept

ion

of a

sel

f-su

ffic

ient

su

bsta

ntia

lly

exis

tent

per

son

Con

cept

ion

of in

here

nt

exis

tenc

e

Lat

enci

es o

f th

e co

ncep

tion

of

inhe

rent

exi

sten

ce a

nd a

ll

fact

ors

of m

ista

ken

dual

isti

c ap

pear

ance

that

ari

se d

ue to

th

e fo

rce

of th

at

SHAMATHA

Shamatha is attained by progressing through the nine stages, relying on the eight antidotes to abandon the five faults. This is accomplished through the six powers and the four mental engagements.

Fault Antidote

1. laziness 1. faith 2. aspiration 3. effort 4. pliancy

2. forgetfulness 5. mindfulness

3. laxity and excitement 6. introspection

4. non-application 7. application

5. over-application 8. equanimity

1. The first stage is attained through the power of hearing.2. Stage 1 - Setting the mind3. Mindfulness4. Introspection5. From here until the seventh stage the flame progressively decreases in size until it becomes absent. This

difference denotes the measure of the strength of effort required regarding mindfulness and introspection.6. The elephant is the mind and the black colour symbolises laxity.7. The monkey is the proliferation of thoughts and the black colour symbolises excitement. 8. The second stage is attained through the power of thinking.9. Stage 2 - Continuous setting10. Excitement has the five sense pleasures as its objects.11. From here, the black colour progressively becomes white. This symbolises the factor of clarity and the

factor of stability progressively increasing.12. The third and fourth stages are attained through the power of mindfulness.13. Stage 3 - Resetting14. The rabbit is subtle laxity. From here, one can individually identify coarse and subtle laxity.15. Looking back means that having recognized that the mind has wandered, it is again directed back to the

object.16. Stage 4 - Close setting17. The fifth and sixth stages are attained through the power of introspection.18. The potential for excitement to arise prior to meditation has weakened.19. Since virtuous thoughts are an interruption at the time of shamatha meditation, it is necessary to stop

them. At other times it is not necessary.20. Due to introspection the mind does not fall into scattering and through being uplifted, it is drawn into

concentration.21. Stage 5 - Disciplining22. Stage 6 - Pacifying23. The seventh and eighth stages are attained through the power of effort. 24. Stage 7 - Thorough pacifying

At this stage it is difficult for subtle laxity or excitement to arise and even if they do arise a little, they areimmediately eliminated with the slightest effort.

25. The black colour of the elephant is gone and there is no monkey. This means that in dependence on initially applying a little mindfulness and introspection, the mind can engage continuously in concentration without any potential of being interrupted by laxity, excitement or thoughts.

26. Stage 8 - Making one-pointed27. The ninth stage is attained through the power of familiarity.28. Stage 9 - Setting in equipoise29. Physical pliancy30. Mental pliancy31. Attainment of shamatha32. The root of samsara is cut by the union of shamatha and vipashyana observing emptiness.33. Equipped with mindfulness and introspection, seek the correct view of emptiness.

TH

E T

WO

TR

UT

HS

S

ourc

e: A

ppea

ranc

e an

d R

ealit

y –

Guy

New

land

P

rese

ntat

ion

of T

enet

s –

Jets

un C

hogy

i Gye

ltsen

SC

HO

OL

CO

NV

EN

TIO

NA

L T

RU

TH

UL

TIM

AT

E T

RU

TH

VA

IBH

AS

IKA

(Gre

at E

xpos

ition

)

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heno

men

on w

hich

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uch

that

if it

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ysic

ally

de

stro

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or m

enta

lly

sepa

rate

d in

to p

arts

, the

con

scio

usne

ss

appr

ehen

ding

it w

ould

be

canc

elle

d.A

phe

nom

enon

suc

h th

at a

n aw

aren

ess

appr

ehen

ding

it is

ca

ncel

led

if it

is b

roke

n up

or

men

tall

y se

para

ted

into

its

indi

vidu

al p

arts

.

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A p

ot)

A p

heno

men

on w

hich

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uch

that

if it

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ysic

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appr

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canc

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phe

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enon

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part

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SA

UT

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(Sut

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fun

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phe

nom

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tim

atel

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imag

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a p

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t whi

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fun

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phe

nom

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ble

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fun

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tim

atel

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CIT

TA

MA

TR

A(M

ind

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obje

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by

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alid

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gniz

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isti

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alid

per

cept

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dire

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ngit

by

way

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geth

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ith

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ance

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yzin

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conv

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obje

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the

mea

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real

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ptin

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AV

OID

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TH

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f Sva

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(L

opez

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TR

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AS

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(Gre

at E

xpos

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All

con

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phe

nom

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impe

rman

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phe

nom

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subs

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tabl

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SA

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(Su

tra)

Per

man

ent p

heno

men

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t sub

stan

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ly e

xist

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ects

are

nat

ural

bas

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or n

ames

and

con

cept

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CIT

TA

MA

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ind

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ly)

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are

not

nat

ural

bas

es f

or n

ames

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con

cept

ion

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er-p

ower

ed a

nd th

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ghly

est

abli

shed

phe

nom

ena

are

trul

yex

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DH

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A(M

idd

le W

ay)

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tant

rik

a(A

uto

nom

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enom

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uly

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phe

nom

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exis

t fro

m th

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own

side

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san

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a(C

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qu

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o ph

enom

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ts f

rom

its

own

side

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phe

nom

ena

are

mer

ely

impu

ted

by c

once

ptio

n

WHEEL OF LIFE (BHAVACHAKRA)

The Wheel of Life painting graphically illustrates the Buddha's teachings on impermanence, suffering, karma, death, and rebirth into one of the six realms of cyclic existence, and the twelve links of dependent origination.

At the central hub of the painting are a pig, a cockerel, and a snake, which bite each other's tails and symbolize the three primary poisons of ignorance, desire and aversion.

The next circle of the painting depicts beings ascending to the three upper realms on its white segment, and beings falling to the three lower realms on its left dark segment.

The third circle is divided by spokes into either five or six sections, with the three lower realms of animals, hungry ghosts (preta), and the various hell (narak) realms in the three lower segments, and the three upper realms of humans, demi-gods (asura), and gods (deva) in the two or three upper segments. Birth into one of these six realms is characterized by a particular mental state or poison:

1) the god or deva realm (pride),2) the demi-god or asura realm (jealousy), 3) the human realm (desire or all five poisons), 4) the animal realm (ignorance or confusion), 5) the hungry ghost or preta realm (greed and miserliness), and 6) the hell or narak realm (anger and hatred).

The first three 'upper realms' are considered favourable, and the last three 'lower realms' miserable. Sometimes only five realms are listed, with the devas and asuras forming a single realm.

The outer circle of the wheel depicts in a clockwise sequence twelve metaphorical images of the twelve links of dependent origination. The twelve links in the chain of dependent arising is one of the most important doctrines on the Buddhist view of causation and interdependence, showing how suffering arises from ignorance and its motivational actions.

1) Ignorance (avidya), represented by a blind man.2) Conditioned or formative actions (samskarakarma), as a potter making pots.3) Consciousness (vijnana), as a playful monkey attracted by objects.4) Name and form (namarupa), as two men in a boat.5) The six sense spheres (ayatana), as a house with five windows and a door.6) Contact (sparsha) and its desire for an object, as a couple kissing or making love.7) Feeling (vedana) or desire giving rise to feelings of pleasure and pain, as a man blinded by an arrow

in one eye.8) Craving (trishna) or thirst, as a man drinking alcohol.9) Grasping (adana), as a monkey plucking all the fruit from a tree.10) Becoming (bhava) or maturing towards rebirth, as a pregnant woman.11) Birth (jati) leading to endless rebirth, as a woman giving birth.12) Aging and death (jaramarana) leading to endless cycles of life and death, as a corpse being carried

to a cemetery.

The wheel itself is held in the claws of Yama, the 'lord of Death' – symbolizing impermanence – who bites and consumes the wheel with his deadly fangs.

Above and outside of this wheel stands the form of Shakyamuni Buddha, who raises his right arm to point towards the moon as a symbol of the Buddhist teachings that lead to liberation from the endless wheel of cyclic existence.