These core tenets of Buddhism are expressed in the
teaching known as the Heart of the Great Wisdom Sutra.
Although it is the shortest of all the sutras, containing
only 632 characters in the traditional Chinese translation, it explains the
essence of Buddhism, which is KU, or Emptiness. The meaning is essentially that by letting go of your
preconceived notions, opinions, and attachments, you can become open to all the
wonders of our life.
All things are empty. This is the realization of
nothingness. But, emptiness or nothingness does not just mean nothing. It means
not being attached to anything; especially your own perceptions and ideas so
that you can see your life clearly.
The Heart Suttra:
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva was
moving in the deep course of wisdom which
has gone beyond. He looked down
from on high and saw but five skandhas*
which, in their own being, were
empty. Here, O Sariputra, Form is
Emptiness, Emptiness is Form;
Form does not differ from Emptiness,
Emptiness does not differ from
Form; whatever is Empty, that is Form,
whatever is Form that is Empty.
The same is true of feelings, perceptions,
impulses and consciousness. O
Sariputra all dharmas are marked with
Emptiness, they have no
beginning and no end, they are neither imperfect nor
perfect, neither deficient nor
complete. Therefore O Sariputra, in emptiness
there is no form, no feeling, no
perception, no name, no concepts, no
knowledge. No eye, no ear, no
nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no
forms, sounds, smells, tastes,
touchables or object of the mind, no sight
organ, no hearing organ and so
forth to no mind consciousness element; no
ignorance or extinction of
ignorance, no decay and death, no extinction of
decay and death. There is no
suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path,
no cognition, no attainment, nor
anything to attain. There is nothing to
accomplish and so Bodhisattvas
can rely on the Perfection of Wisdom
without trouble. Being without
trouble they are not afraid, having overcome
anything upsetting they attain
Nirvana.
All Buddhas who appear in the three periods, fully Awake
to the utmost
right and perfect enlightenment because they have relied
on the Perfection
of Wisdom.
Therefore, one should know the Perfection of Wisdom is the great mantra,
is the unequaled mantra, the destroyer of suffering.
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhi svaha
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Para Sam gate Bodhisvaha.
Bodhi Svaha
English:
Gone, Gone, Gone beyond Gone utterly beyond
Gone, Gone, Gone beyond Gone utterly beyond
Gone, Gone, Gone beyond Gone utterly beyond
Oh what an Awakening
*The five skandas are the five components of any
individual: body, perceptions, feelings, mental formations and consciousness.)
Gate means gone. Gone from suffering to the liberation
of suffering. Gone from forgetfulness to mindfulness. Gone from duality into
non-duality.
Gate gate means gone, gone.
Paragate means gone all the way to the
other shore. So this mantra is said in a very strong way. Gone, gone, gone all
the way over.
In Parasamgate sam means everyone, the sangha, the
entire community of beings. Everyone gone over to the other shore.
Bodhi is the light inside, enlightenment, or awakening.
You see it and the vision of reality liberates you.
And svaha is a cry of joy or excitement, like
"Welcome!" or "Hallelujah!" "Gone, gone, gone all the
way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, svaha !"
No
coming, no going
No
after, no before
I
hold you close to me,
Because
I am in you, and you are in me