The Essence of the Heart Sutra

The Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita

The Bodhisattva of Compassion, while deeply immersed in the practice of Prajna Paramita, perceived the emptiness of the five aggregates and transcended all suffering. Sariputra, form is not different from emptiness; emptiness is not different from form. Form is identical to emptiness; emptiness is identical to form. The same applies to sensation, perception, mental formations, and consciousness. Sariputra, all phenomena are empty in nature: neither arising nor ceasing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form, sensation, perception, mental formations, or consciousness; no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or mental objects; no realm of sight, up to and including no realm of mind-consciousness. There is no ignorance nor the cessation of ignorance, up to and including no old age and death nor the cessation of old age and death. There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no cessation of suffering, and no path to the cessation of suffering. There is no wisdom nor any attainment. With nothing to attain, the Bodhisattva relies on Prajna Paramita, and thus the mind is without hindrance. Without hindrance, there is no fear; freed from all distortion and delusion, ultimate Nirvana is realized. All Buddhas of the past, present, and future rely on Prajna Paramita to attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi. Therefore, know that Prajna Paramita is the great divine mantra, the great luminous mantra, the supreme mantra, the unequaled mantra. It truly alleviates all suffering. This is the truth, not falsehood. Therefore, recite the Prajna Paramita mantra:

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.