Heart Sutra 
[ Panruopoluomiduo Xinjing ]



Introduction

Panruopoluomiduo Xinjing or Prajnaparamita-Hridaya Sutra means Heart of the Great Transcendental Wisdom Sutra. 
It was written about 500 years after the death of Buddha, the actual writer is untraceable. 
The essence of this sutra is the total liberation of the mind. A free mind, enriched by inner wisdom, 
will surpass the cycle of life and death, going beyond limitation and leading to the ultimate attainment of Nirvana. 

Aim

This sutra is not just meant for chanting, or to be placed on the altar for worship.
It is but a tool for us to work on the liberation of our minds, and for the liberation of all beings.

Sutra

When Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara ( The Enlightened One ) was attaining the profound 
understanding of Panruopoluomiduo, he became fully aware that all of the 
five aggregates ( Skandha ) are nothing 
but emptiness, thus transcending all sufferings.

Sariputra ( The Wise One ), form does not differ from emptiness, 
emptiness does not differ from form; form is emptiness, emptiness is form. 
The same is true of feelings, perception, volition and consciousness.

Sariputra, all dharmas manifest the reality of emptiness: neither beginning
nor ending; neither impurity nor purity; neither increasing nor decreasing.

Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form, no feeling, perception, volition, and consciousness; 
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no appearance, sound, smell, taste, touch, dharmas; 
no domain of sight, not even domain of consciousness; no ignorance, no extinction of ignorance; 
even no decay and death, nor extinction of decay and death; 
no suffering, cause, end, path; no wisdom, no attainment.

With nothing to attain, the Bodhisattva ( The Enlightened One ) who practises Panruopoluomiduo,
 has set his mind free. As the mind is free, there is no fear and being far from delusive thoughts,
 he finally attains complete Nirvana. The Buddhas ( The Awakened Ones ) of all times, 
through Panruopoluomiduo, attain the Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi ( Ultimate Enlightenment ).

Therefore, the Panruopoluomiduo is known as the great divine mantra, the great illuminating mantra, 
the unsurpassed and unequalled mantra which can eliminate all sufferings.
 It should be known as truth as there is no deception. 
The Panruopoluomiduo mantra has been uttered, as:
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
[Gone, Gone, Gone beyond, Gone completely beyond, Enlightenment, Hail!]



Notes

Bodhisattva
( Sankrit, Pudisaduo / Pusa - Chinese ) Means " Enlightened being ". 
In Mahayana Buddhism, a bodhisattva  is a being who seeks Buddhahood through the 
systematic practice of the perfect virtues[paramitas] but renounces complete entry into 
nirvana until all beings are saved.  The determining factor for his action is compassion, 
supported by highest insight and wisdom[ prajna ].  A bodhisattva provides active help,
 is ready to take upon himself the sufferings of all other beings, and to transfer his 
own karmic merit to other beings.  The way of a bodhisattva begins with arousing 
the thought of enlightenment and taking the bodhisattva vow.
Bodhisattva Vow :
As long as space exists,
and as long as there are migrators in cyclic existence,
may I remain - removing their sufferings.

Paramita
( Sankrit ) Param means other shore, or beyond, ita means arrived.
In all it means " That which has reached the other shore, " or the transcendental.

The paramitas, are also translated as " the perfections ",  the virtues perfected
by a bodhisattva in the course of development. 
There are six of these:
1) Dana-paramita : Generosity
2) Shila-paramita ( Precepts, Sila - Pali ) : Ethics or Discipline
3) Kshanti-pramita : Patience
4) Virya-paramita ( Viriya - Sanskrit ) : Exertion 
5) Dhyana-paramita ( Chan - Chinese.) : Concentration
6) Prajna-paramita : Transcendental Wisdom 

Prajna
( Sankrit, Panna - Pali., Panruo - Chinese ) Means fully liberated intelligence. 
It does not depend on the confirmation of ego and is traditionally symbolised by a 
sharp two-edged sword which cuts through all confusion.  Prajna cuts through 
conceptualised versions of goodness, otherwise our version of compassion could 
be thoroughly aggressive, forcing our kindness down people's throats.  Without 
Prajna, the goodness of the Bodhisattva would be mere piousness. 

Sariputra
( Sankrit ) Sari is the name of the mother, Putra is the son therefore Sariputra means son of Sari. 
He was one of the top ten disciples of Buddha Sakyamuni and the one noted for his
analytical and philosophical intelligence. 

Skandha
( Sankrit, Khanda - Pali, Yun - Chinese )
The five aggregates are form, feeling, perception, volition, and 
consciousness all of which, in the Buddhist analysis, make up an individual.

Complied and translated by Simon Yong Pieters Oct 1995


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