Transcript Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra

Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart
Sutra
Otherwise known as – “The Heart of
Perfect Wisdom Sutra” or “Essence of
Wisdom Sutra”
Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra as a text is a member of the
Prajnaparamita scriptures (Perfection of Wisdom)
Along with the Diamond Sutra, it is considered to be a
very important scripture by some Mahayana Buddhists
It only has 14 verses (shlokas) in sanskrit
In its translation, it has 260 Chinese characters
It’s study is particularly emphasised in South East
Asian schools of Buddhism
Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra
 The Heart Sutra is a teaching that was not actually delivered by
the Buddha himself
 In some Chinese versions of the text, The Buddha confirms and
praises the text as the words of Avalokitesvara
 The Heart Sutra is regarded as the absolute wisdom of the
Buddha and contains great teachings on non attachment and
the doctrine of emptiness
 Many Buddhists recite the Heart Sutra daily although not all
fully understand it (though to recite any sutra Buddhists believe
has great value)
 As one writer puts it – “The Heart Sutra reveals the entire secret
truth of the universe and life. Don’t miss it, otherwise you’ll
regret”!
Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra begins with an introduction:When Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva is practising
the profound prajnaparamita, he sees and
illuminates to the emptiness of the five
skandhas and thus attains deliverance from all
suffering. Sariputra (a disciple of the Buddha) is
not different from emptiness, and emptiness is
not different from matter. So too are sensation,
recognition, volition and consciousness.
Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra
The actual text says:“Avalokita, the Holy Lord and Bidhisattva, was
moving in the deep course of the Wisdom which has
gone beyond. He looked down from on high, He beheld
the five heaps, and He saw that in their own being they
were empty. Here, O Sariputra, form is emptiness and
the very emptiness is form; emptiness does not differ
from form, form does not differ from emptiness,
whatever is emptiness, that is form, the same is true of
feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.”
Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra
The Heart Sutra then continues with reference
to the bodhisattvas having “no attachment and
no hindrance in their minds”
It also talks of the 12 Nidanas or links of
dependent origination
At the end of The Heart Sutra it states:“Gate gate pargate parasamgate bodhi svaha” –
in other words! “Gone gone gone beyond, gone
altogether beyond, O what an awakening, all
hail”
Mahayana Scriptures – The Heart Sutra

a)
b)
c)
d)
The Heart Sutra is often divided by writers into different sections –
Avalokitesvara represents wisdom (prajna) and his analysis of the human
condition is that there is nothing which lies outside the five aggregates of
human existence (5 skandhas)
He then addresses Sariputra who is meant to be representing earlier
Mahayana schools and begins to teach about sunyata (emptiness)
Avalokitesvara then goes through basic teachings of the Buddha beginning
with the Four Noble Truths and saying that these are conventional reality
and not true reality because true reality speaks of ultimate truth
The mantra at the end (not completely grammatical) can only be guessed
at with the translation (as indeed with much sanskrit) – it is thought by
the current Dalai Lama to be measuring an individuals level of spiritual
attainment