By Tony Glore

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 !"