Heart Sutra

The smile of Buddha meditating.
Photo by Ganesh Kumar B N

The Heart Sutra,

a New Translation.

Dear Reader.
The Heart Sutra is about śūnyatā,
where the mind is quite empty of noise and defilement.
So please do not be driven nor enticed to rush thru this discussion.
Allow your mind to slow down, stabilise, and quieten.
Perhaps only one or two sections
is enough for each page visit.
Best wishes from Mike.

Table of Contents.

Introducing the Heart Sutra and śūnyatā.
  Pronunciation Guide.

        Paragraph 2.
H 1 a. śūnyatā.   Empty of What ??
H 2. rūpam śūnyatā.
H 3. śūnyatā as Both Empty and Full !
H 4 a. manas śūnyatā = Mind is śūnyatā = suññatā
H 4 b. śūnyatā as “Spaciousness of Mind.”
H 4 c. śūnyatā as “illusion”.
H 5 a. The Five skandhā   or Categories.
H 5 b. Formula Used in Paragraph 2 of the Heart Sutra.
H 5 c. The skandā Explained.
H 5 d. manas śūnyatā   Summarised.

śūnyatā as anattā

      Paragraphs 3 - 5
H 6 a.   All Dharma is Śūnyatā   .
H 6 b. In śūnyatā   there is no Doctrine.
H 8.   Beyond skandhas, Beyond the Sense Doors.
H 9.   śūnyatā can mean “The Way to Liberation”
H 9 b. prajñā pāramitām
H 10 a.   Beyond the Body.
H 10 b.   Beyond the Mind.
H 10 c.   Beyond the Sense Doors.

H 11. Conclusion : gate gate paragate.
H 12.   Reference : Edward Conze.

H 1 a.   Introducing the Heart Sutra and śūnyatā.
The Heart Sutra is a famous Mahayana Buddhist Sutra or discourse.    In Sanskrit it is : prajñā-pāramitā hṛdayam = “Perfect Wisdom in the Heart”.

The Heart Sutra, paragraph 1, opens with the Buddha-to-be Avalokit-eśvara practising (caramāṇo) the perfection (pāramitā) of perfect wisdom (prajna = pra-jñāna) that takes us beyond (vyava-loka-yati). He then instructs the Buddha’s chief disciple, Shāriputra, in this pra-jñāna. He begins thus : Iha Śāriputra = “Listen, Shaariputra, …” and then delivers the Heart Sutra. Paragraph 2 then follows.

This Sutra is enigmatic, for most of it seems to be saying “Everything is empty, and in emptiness there is nothing.” Such enigma attracts attention, and suggests there might be more to experience than we normally recognise. It invites investigation.

For Buddha declares, in paragraphs 2 and 3, that –

rūpa, manas, dharma śūnyatā
body, mind, Dharma are śūnyatā.

The Heart Sutra is all about śūnyatā, and śūnyatā   occurs many times in the Sutra. The primary dictionary translation of śūnyatā is “empty” or “void”. Many online translations of this Sutra use this basic dictionary translation of śūnyatā throughout the Heart Sutra. These translations do NOT explain what they mean by this, and so present the Heart Sutra in a most strange manner. For the words “empty” or “void” indicate a lack of usefulness and value. In addition, śūnyatā means more than just “empty” in the dictionary. And, we can get much more out of this Sutra if we allow the meaning of śūnyatā to evolve and develop as we progress thru the Heart Sutra.

So I offer a new,   non religious, translation of the Heart Sutra, with ample discussion. Something that works for me after four decades on the spiritual Path. I hope it works for you too. Some parts of this Sutra are superfluous, and I have left these on the website that I copied the Sanskrit from. Yet other phrases merit close attention, and I provide detailed discussion to bring out their full significance for our spiritual practice.

Pronunciation Guide.

When Sanskrit (and PāỊi) are properly published, they include the diacritics, which indicate proper pronunciation, and much of this Sutra is intended to be articulated for full benefit.

So I have retained the diacritics throughout this Commentary. There is much Sanskrit in it, which comes from the Sutra. It is important that the reader knows how to pronounce these superscripts and subscripts properly.

ś = sh as in English she shall
a and ā are the same sound, as in cut, can’t or father, except the
bar over a vowel letter means it is a long vowel sound.
u is pronounced as in put, cook.   ū has the same sound but longer.
j   in jñana is quite faint, barely heard, and often omitted from spelling.
ṁ = ṃ = ṅ = ng as in English sing, ring
ñ = ny as in English senior, canyon
Ị ṛ ṇ ṣ are pronounced with tongue pointing to mid palette instead of the teeth. Not in English.
th is pronounced as in English rat house, dh as in bud hut
kh   is pronounced as in English back house
ḥ at the end of a word is pronounced like h, and prolonged. Not in English

Paragraph 2.

H 1 c. śūnyatā. Empty of What ??

The Heart Sutra gives us the freedom to determine what our body and mind might be empty of, and be emptied of. And what we might do about this. However, as we progress through my commentary of the Heart Sutra, the meaning of śūnyatā will evolve and develop, from ‘empty’ to ‘Liberation’. This is one of the beauties of the Heart Sutra.

H 2. rūpaṁ śūnyatā.

Let’s start with rūpaṁ śūnyatā, where rūpa means body, or the nature and characteristics of the body, and śūnyatā means “empty”. (When the noun rūpa in put into the nominative case, it is spelled rūpaṁ). Sutras like this one are intended to help us let go of what we need to let go of. So rūpam śūnyatā can mean the body is empty of anything worth clinging to or rejecting : that the body is something to care for, not cling to nor reject. Now we can now explore other interpretations of rūpam śūnyatā.

In caring for our most valuable body, we need to give it best nutrition, exercise and rest. This assists the body to return to its natural form (rūpa), which is healthy, robust and energetic, for its age. This expands the meaning of śūnyatā beyond just “no self”, and gives the following interpretation –

rūpa śūnyatā can mean “the true nature of the body is to be empty of disease and weakness”, or
rūpa śūnyatā can mean “may I empty my body of sickness, inflexibility, heaviness, weakness, tiredness” : thru proper nutrition, exercise and rest. This will help the body return to its natural form and state (rūpa), which is health and energy (for its age).

By giving our body proper nutrition, exercise and rest, we are essentially “filling” it with strength, vitality, endurance, flexibility. This gives the following interpretation –

rūpa śūnyatā can mean “may I fill by body with strength, vitality, endurance, flexibility”, by practising proper nutrition, exercise and rest.

Strength, vitality, endurance, flexibility do not arise in the body due to a mere act of will. They are something to be cultivated. These important Qualities of health will come to us, sooner or later, when the conditions are favourable for them to arise. They are conditioned. It is our task on the spiritual Path to cultivate these conditions.

rūpa means more than just “body”. This theme of śūnyatā as “emptiness” can also be applied to substances that are taken into the body, and effect the body. This includes tasty nutritious food as well as substances that are empty or śūnyatā of nourishment, such as drugs, alcohol, and white sugar white flour products. In addictions, including overeating to obesity or indigestion, there is a history of dependence and abuse, which is a kind of “clinging”. Can we cultivate the perception that there is nothing in the addiction or addictive substance that’s worth clinging to ? Can we perceive the problems of such attachment, and perceive this clearly ? This leads to the following interpretation –

rūpa śūnyatā can mean “there is nothing in food worth clinging to”, or
rūpa śūnyatā can mean “addictive substances are empty of nutrition”, and
rūpa śūnyatā can mean “addictive substances are empty of anything worth clinging to.”

This is not a Buddhist interpretation of this Buddhist Sutra. In my experience of Buddhism, the monks and the Asian lay people were somewhat below average in their health consciousness. What awareness of health in the Buddhist Society came from outside Buddhism, from an interest in alternatives, such as alternatives to fast food and junk food. This came from the Western converts. For the monks, the Buddha’s middle path avoided the extremes of punishing the body and pampering the body.

For the monks, the Buddha was the “doctor of the mind.” How do we apply this principle of śūnyatā to the mind? First we need to further understand the meaning of śūnyatā, and what happens when we try to apply a theme of “emptiness” to our spiritual practice.

H 3. śūnyatā as Both Empty and Full !

To access the full benefit of the Heart Sutra, we need to properly understand śūnyatā. We can reflect on garden and land management. If we just empty our garden of weeds, and not immediately replant with what we need in that space, the weeds will immediately grow back. Nature does not tolerate emptiness of fertile space. She immediately fills it with something that grows. And our mind is the same. What will we allow to grow in our mind?

We need to go beyond the basic dictionary meaning of śūnyatā. Thus -

śūnyatā can mean “empty, deficient”, and
śūnyatā can also paradoxically mean “full, purified”. (More on this in section H 5 b.)

Let us now apply śūnyatā to the mind. For the Buddhist monks, Buddha was the “doctor of the mind.”

H 4 a. manas śūnyatā = Mind is śūnyatā = suññatā

Paragraph 2 of the Heart Sutra advises us to perceive mind (manas) as śūnyatā. Now we need to look at the Pali dictionary, for further meaning of this word. śūnyatā in Sanskrit = suññatā in Pali. In the Pali dictionary, suññatā means “empty of defilement, “empty of mental noise”. For paragraph 2, this is best understood as an affirmation or wish. This leads to the following interpretation -

manas śūnyatā can mean “may my mind be empty of defilement and mental noise.”

This naturally leads to what we might fill our mind with, again as an affirmation or intention. This leads to the following interpretation -

manas śūnyatā can mean : “may I fill my mind with peace, happiness, clarity, good will …”

H 4 b. śūnyatā as “Spaciousness of Mind.”

Let us revisit the Pali dictionary for additional meanings for suññatā (śūnyatā), for it also means nibbāna = nirvāṇa. In śūnyatā, there is tremendous spaciousness in the mind. It is uncluttered, without chatter, and has all the brightness, joy, clarity and inspiration that comes from spaciousness of mind. Indeed, meditating on spaciousness is now one of my favourites, for I find it very healing and liberating.

śūnyatā cannot be accessed by just emptying the mind of clutter, chatter and defilement. We also need to fill the mind with the spiritual Qualities or bodhyaṇga, especially contentment, appreciation, delight, good will, forgiveness and tolerance, and clarity. This leads to the following interpretation –

śūnyatā can mean the mind “empty of defilement = kilesa,” and
śūnyatā can mean the mind “filled with the spiritual Qualities = bodhyaṇga.”

The spiritual Qualities are not something to cling to. Indeed, if we try to cling to them as they weaken, deteriorate and dissolve, we will only accelerate their decay. bodhyaṇga arise because conditions are favourable, i.e. bodhyaṇga are conditioned. More importantly, bodhyaṇga will fade as these conditions also fade. It is our task on the spiritual Path to cultivate these important conditions that are needed for bodhyaṇga to arise. This leads to further interpretation –

śūnyatā can mean “bodhyaṇga are empty of anything worth clinging to.”

H 4 c. śūnyatā as “illusion”, a Different Viewpoint.

The tremendous spacious-ness, clarity and joy of śūnyatā is quite different to normal consciousness. Normally, our mind is quite pre-occupied with the worldly busy-ness of our daily lives, for there is much to do. In addition, the screen has invaded much of people’s non work time, and it also keeps the mind busy. Consequently, for much of our waking hours, there is no opportunity to even move towards śūnyatā, let alone achieve it. For as long as we cling to our old habits. Can we perceive that worldly busy-ness is empty of anything worth clinging to?

For śūnyatā is really beyond normal worldly busy-ness (vyava-loka-yati). The Heart Sutra, paragraph 1, opens with the Buddha-to-be Avalokit-eśvara practising (caramāṇo) the perfection (pāramitā) of perfect wisdom (prajna = pra-jñāna) that takes us beyond (vyava-loka-yati).

So the Sanskrit dictionary provides yet another translation for śūnyatā : illusive. This leads to another interpretation, quite different yet also complementary -

manas śūnyatā can mean the “thinking mind is illusory”.

It’s very busy-ness makes nirvāṇa difficult to understand, difficult to achieve. Such busy-ness seems to offer satisfaction and reward, but this can be very illusory. The thinking mind does not properly rejuvenate and restore our happiness, peace, clarity and good will. It is not refreshing like deep inner stillness and silence.

H 5 a. The Five skandhā or Categories.

The Heart Sutra does not actually use the word manas = mind, nor the term ‘manas śūnyatā’. Instead, it uses a traditional listing of five categories or groups, called skandā in Sanskrit (khanda in Pali), four of which refers to the mind. These five skandā are –

body = rūpa
feelings = vedanā
perceptions = saṃjñā = saññā
conceptions = saṃskāra (saṅkhārā in Pali)
consciousness = vijñāna = viññāṇa

In paragraph 2, Buddha advises us to perceive each skandhā or category of body and mind as śūnyatā, using the following formula.

H 5 b. Formula Used in Paragraph 2 of the Heart Sutra.

“rūpaṁ    śūnyatā,    śūnyat-aiva      rūpaṁ;
body is    śūnyatā,   like śūnyatā     is body

rūpaṁ    na     pṛthak      śūnyatā,          śunyatāyā       na pṛthag       rūpaṁ;
body is   not different   to śūnyatā,    to śūnyatā        not different   body

yad                      rūpaṁ    sā śūnyatā,    ya                       śūnyatā   tad rūpaṁ”
the Quality of    body      is śūnyatā,     the Quality of śūnyatā      is     body”

The same applies to vedanā and saṃjñā and saṃskāra and vijñāna.

When we write paragraph 2 in full, we get -

“rūpa śūnyatā            śūnyat-aiva rūpa,          rūpa na pṛthak śūnyatā ….”
“vedanā śūnyatā,      śūnyat-aiva vedanā,      vedanā na pṛthak śūnyatā ….”
“saṃjñā śūnyatā,      śūnyat-aiva saṃjñā,      saṃjñā na pṛthak śūnyatā ….”
“saṃskāra śūnyatā, śūnyat-aiva saṃskāra, saṃskāra na pṛthak śūnyatā ….”
“vijñāna śūnyatā,      śūnyat-aiva vijñāna,       vijñāna na pṛthak śūnyatā ….”
“mind is śūnyatā,    like śūnyatā is mind,    mind is not different to śūnyatā ..”

Therefore the full traditional wording of paragraph 2 has some 105 Sanskrit words in it. Yet all of paragraph 2 can be fully summarised by the simple expression ‘rūpa śūnyatā, manas śūnyatā’.

What are these four categories or skandā of mind, and how can we make best use of the above formulae?

H 5 c. The skandā Explained.

Feelings = vedanā. This can mean the actual feeling of defilement, perhaps feeling unsafe, feeling excluded, feeling disappointed . As opposed to pain driven and pain filled thoughts, and all the emotions and disturbance that goes with these, which is saṅkhārā. To be able to feel the emotion, uncomplicated by pain filled and pain driven thoughts, our consciousness = vi-jñana needs to be clear and not occluded.   When we can achieve this, then it is remarkable how quickly the painful feeling dissolves. This leads to the following interpretation -

vedanā śūnyatā can mean “May our painful feeling dissolve.”

Conceptions = saṃskāra. This can mean anything conceived in the mind, such as thoughts, values, attitudes and judgements, and disturbances like emotions. More importantly, saṃskāra refers to conceptions that have inevitable consequences, either helpful or unhelpful. This leads to the following interpretation -

saṃskāram śūnyatā can mean “May our compulsive thinking and emotions dissolve”.

Then our mind can return to its natural state of being still, clear, alert, bright, focussed and very happy to be like this.

Consciousness = vi-jñana. This can mean our ability to be aware of feelings, opinions and thoughts. To be aware or conscious of what’s occupying our mind, we need some separation from whatever we are observing. vi- mean “apart from”, jñāna means “knowing”, especially from meditation. Unfortunately, our consciousness is all too often obscured by the defilements, and we have the greatest difficulty in being truly aware of what’s taken over our mind. This leads to the following interpretation -

vi-jñana śūnyatā can mean “May our consciousness be un-obscured by defilement.”

Perceptions = saṁjñā = saṃ-jñananā.   (saṁjñā = saṁjnyā is short for saṃ-jñananā. The j is almost silent.)   It it important to look on the bright side of life, and this is really a matter or how we perceive the people, pursuits and possessions in our life. Thus saṁjñā includes our thoughts, opinions, judgements and attitudes about people, pursuits and possessions.    Let us perceive them as being essentially wholesome and helpful, and kindly overlook their failings. This will be a great help in cultivating our good will, appreciation and enjoyment of life. This includes our perception of unspoiled Nature and natural foods as being wholesome, beautiful and sacred, which will greatly help our meditations and nurturing of body and mind.

Then our perception of the failings of people, pursuits and possessions can help us better allow for these weaknesses, so that they may be less disruptive to the happiness and peace of oneself and others.

saṃjñā and saññā have a range of meanings in the Sanskrit and Pali dictionaries.   These include watch for, understand, be in harmony with, recognise, sign or token. Yet saṃjñā and saññā also mean ‘consciousness, perception’.

This suggests that saṃjñā and saññā means perceiving and understanding the important things in our lives in a helpful way.  sam- can mean “mixed with” in this context, and jñananā = jñāna = know, be aware of. In saṁjñā, our knowing is more intimate and closer to the person, pursuit or possession, compared to vijñanā.   saṁjñā represents our involvement with them. This leads to the following interpretation -

saṃ-jñananā śūnyatā can mean “May the defilements not poison our perceptions.”

H 5 d. manas śūnyatā Summarised..

When the Sutra is properly understood, and viewed in fair light, then sections of it can be useful to recite. Traditionally, this is how they used Sutras like this. They were something to recite as a meditation, especially if properly translated. They are in Sanskrit, which was well understood in the time of the Buddha. Reciting repetitions helps cultivate the perception.

manas śūnyatā = May my mind be like śūnyatā
manas na pṛthak śūnyatā = May my mind be not different to śūnyatā
yad manasi sā śūnyatā = Whatever is in my mind, may it be śūnyatāy
ya śūnyatāyās tad manasi = Whatever śūnyatā is, may this be my mind

śūnyatā as anattā.

śūnyatā can be interpreted differently. The Suñña Sutta (Samyutta Nikaya 35. 85) says that suñña means : “empty of self”, which is called anattā in Buddhism. The theme of anattā = “not me, not mine” is most prominent in Buddhism. So Thich Nhat Hanh translates śūnyatā as “not a separate self entity.” He also provides commentary on this Sutra.

This gives additional meaning to our Sutra. We can apply this interpretation to the opening statement, in paragraph 2 of the Heart Sutra, thus -

rūpa śūnyatā can mean “I am not this body”. This can be expanded for clarification thus :
“I inhabit this body, I move this body, but I am not this body.”
manas śūnyatā can mean “I am not this mind”. This can be expanded for clarification thus :
“I am not these thoughts, attitudes and intentions, but I am allowing them to proliferate in my mind.” This naturally leads to the reflection –

“Should I allow thoughts like these in my mind? If so, is this the right time to entertain them?”

This is intended as a wise reflection that we can use at appropriate times,   to stabilise and focus the mind, to de-chatter and de-clutter. It helps restore a more objective perspective to experience of daily life. It also leads to a different topic : “Who am I ?” which I discuss in Self Realisation, in my treatise on Spiritual Practice.

Paragraph 3 of the Heart Sutra continues thus –
sarva     dharmāḥ             śūnyatā
all           things (are)          not mine

This can be expanded for clarification thus –

“I care for and make best use of my belongings, but I am not possessive of them”.

We can apply this reflection to household goods, vehicle, work tools, and house (if we own it). These things have great importance, we rely on them much, and if or when they fail, are lost, destroyed or stolen much suffering can arise. To help protect our happiness, we can make this shift from possessing to caring and utilising. This precept is called a-parigraha = non greed.

Paragraph 4 of the Heart Sutra then says (in brief)
“In śūnyatā there is no body, mind nor sense doors.”

This could mean there is no attachment to body and mind, when we practice anattā; when we practice “not me, not mine”. This is far easier said than done, for there can be considerable attachment to thoughts, attitudes, views, and intentions, far more than we normally realise. So the Sutra omits the word upadāna = attachment, and says something that makes little (or no) sense to the thinking mind. To try to shift our attention out of thinking, and back to consciousness.

Paragraph 4 concludes thus (in brief) –
“Therefore (tasmāc), in śūnyatā there is no arising of suffering (na samudāya) and therefore (tasmāc) no cessation of suffering (na nirodha), nor path to cease suffering (na marga).”
“In śūnyatā there is no ignorance of this Dharma (na a-vidya) and therefore no deterioration nor termination of our happiness (na jarā-maraṇa).”

And paragraph 3 says –
śūnyatā         lakṣaṇā         anutpannā   aniruddhā
anattā           character      no arising      no ceasing
“Not me, not mine” has the character of no arising of pain, and therefore no ceasing of pain.”

anattā is beyond the mundane ups and downs of everyday life; it transcends suffering. This is its defining characteristic (lakṣaṇā), and its benefit (lakṣaṇā). If our practice of “not me, not mine” does not take us to Freedom of suffering, then we are making some mistakes, and we need to reassess.

However, the Heart Sutra is about  śūnyatā not  anattā,  and there are lots of other discourses about anattā. There might be significant reasons why Buddha used the word śūnyatā instead of anattā  in this Sutra. Let us investigate further, about what  śūnyatā might mean for us.

Paragraphs 3 – 5.

H 6 a.   All Dharma is Śūnyatā.

Paragraph 3 of the Heart Sutra says -

sarva             dharmāḥ      śūnyatā                    lakṣaṇā,
all                    Dharma         empty of self           is essentially
All Dharma is essentially empty of self.

We access much of the Dharma as spiritual teachings, from a spiritual teacher or writer. Such reading stimulates the thinking mind, and the mind becomes busy. Our minds need to be active and engaged when we interact with the outside world. And trying to get info off the internet greatly stimulates such busy-ness. Too much reading of a website like this will only keep our mind away from the rejuvenating stillness and silence of meditation.

All this busy-ness of mind simply activates the ego. At times, the reader will feel compelled to either agree or disagree with what they have read or heard. And we can easily get attached to our opinions.

Therefore, Buddha advises us to try to perceive spiritual writings as śūnyatā, as being empty of self. The thought driven self is really not needed in the Dharma. We can set aside opinions about the Dharma. Just let the Dharma soak in, and help take us to inner peace, clarity and contentment.

Paragraph 3 continues thus -

          “All Dharma has the quality of śūnyatā.   It neither arises nor pass away,
             is neither defiled nor pure, neither deficient nor complete.”

Spiritual writings are never perfect, for they reflect the experience and thinking of that person, which will be different from the reader. In addition, no matter how careful the writer is, misunderstandings will inevitably arise. The writer is trying to pass on their spiritual understanding to others, so that the Dharma will survive and thrive, thru the generations.

H 6 b. In śūnyatā there is no Doctrine.

Then paragraph 4 of the Heart Sutra says –

“Therefore, in śūnyatā   (śūnyatāyāṁ) there is no doctrine about skandhā, nor sense doors. There is no doctrine about dependent origination, nor doctrine about noble truths (note 1).   There is only knowing (jñāna) and attainment (prāptir) that is beyond attachment (na)” (see section H 5 c for the meaning of jñāna)

When we feel at ease and untroubled, when we can enjoy experience and appreciate the good things we have, when we are confident and competent, when we can share with others and be supportive and tolerant, when we can let go of the unhelpful and unnecessary, when these beautiful Spiritual Qualities are active, then śūnyatā is present in our Being. This is liberation in the Here and Now. Our being is empty of defilement. And filled with the spiritual Qualities or bodhyaṇga.

When we are like this, then there is no need for doctrines.   In a sense, the doctrine and the religion behind it is like a vehicle. We need it to get to work or get home again, or wherever. But having arrived, we then leave the vehicle and enter our destination.   Maha-yāna contains the word “yāna” which means “vehicle”.

H 8.   Beyond skandhas, Beyond the Sense Doors.

Paragraph 4 of the Sutra is usually translated quite differently. The simple dictionary meaning is used, where na = no. Such translation presents the Sutra in a most strange way -

In śūnyatā, there is no body, nor mind, nor sense doors.”

This helps to create all sorts of imaginative and fascinating religious beliefs.

Yet paragraph 4 of the Sutra becomes far more sensible and workable when na is translated as “beyond” and śūnyatā is put into the dative case. Then paragraph 4 will read thus -

tasmac,      śāriputra,        śūnyatāyai ….
Therefore, Shaariputra,    the Way to śūnyatā is -

na rūpaṁ na vedanā na saṁjñā na saṁskārāḥ na vijñānam
beyond body, beyond feelings, beyond perception, beyond conceptions, beyond consciousness, and -

na         dṛśyatā   śabda   gandha rasa spraṣṭavya dharmāḥ.”
beyond   vision   hearing smell     taste     touch      thought.”

       “Therefore, Shaariputra, the Way to Liberation is beyond body,
         beyond mind, and beyond the sense doors.”

In this paragraph, I have translated śūnyatā as the “Way to Liberation”.   Why? Paragraph 5 of the Sutra explains.

H 9.   śūnyatā can mean “The Way to Liberation”

Paragraph 5 of the Heart Sutra says –

“tasmac ….
“Then ….

prajñā           pāramitām āśritya,          viharatya      cittā                varaṇaḥ,
perfect          perfection    shelter in      dwell in         mind              enclose,
knowing        of mind                                                                                 honour
Then the mind can be enclosed in, take shelter in, and dwell in perfect knowing and the perfect mind, and honour this perfection, and

viparyāsa                atikrānto,     niṣṭhā            Nirvāṇa         prāptaḥ.”
overcome                surpass          state of          Nirvāṇa         attains
overcome and surpass (the defilements), and attain the state of Nirvāṇa.”

So paragraph 5 gives further definition of śūnyatā –

śūnyatā can mean “perfection,” and
śūnyatā can mean “the Way to Nirvāṇa”.

H 9 b. prajñā pāramitām

The proper name for this Sutra is not : “hŗdayam sutra” = Heart Sutra. This Sutra is properly called : “prajñā pāramitā hŗdayam sutra” = “wisdom and perfection of the heart sutra”. prajñā-pāramitā can be simply translated as “highest degree of knowledge or understanding,” but let us explore the meaning more deeply, for is a central theme to the Heart Sutra as well as the Wisdom of the East more generally.

pra-jñā = pra-jñāna = paññā = wisdom. Wisdom means knowledge and experience with the power to apply them to good effect, according to the Oxford Dictionary (1986). jñāna = jñā = jānāti = jñananā = knowing, both mundane and spiritual. jñā also means investigate, determine, ascertain.

By ‘knowing,’ I mean -

knowing how to recognise and identify defilement or kilesa when they are active in our Being, especially when it first begins to stir, and
knowing how to let go of defilements, cease to identify with them and energise them, so they may dissolve, dissipate and cease to trouble us, and
know how to cultivate, strengthen, practice and perfect the spiritual Qualities or bodhyaņga, and
knowing the importance and value of both bodhyaņga and this spiritual practice.

Such know-how requires other spiritual Qualities and powers, more in this soon.

The prefix pa- in Pali and pra- in Sanskrit means ‘forward’ and ‘in front of’, and sometimes mean ‘fully,’ in the dictionary. And pra-jñāna = paññā is usually presented as the fully developed wisdom. To quote Ananda Wood from his 1996 treatise “Interpreting the Upanishads” page 6 –

“The prefix ‘pra-’ can be interpreted in two ways. On the one hand, it means ‘before’; and it thus implies a sense of ‘priority’: like the English ‘pre-’, as in ‘precede’. On the other hand, it means ‘forward’ or ‘onward’; and it thus implies a sense of ongoing continuity: like the English ‘pro-’, as in ‘proceed’.”

This gives the following interpretation –

prajñā can mean spiritual wisdom that precedes effective spiritual practice. prajñā is a pre-requisite for our success in spiritual practice.
prajñā can also mean spiritual wisdom that proceeds for as long as we are conscious in our practice. When our prajñā dissolves and dissipates, then we fall back into mundane problems.

pāramitā is usually translated as “spiritual perfection”, and the religious tradition lists several pāramitā or spiritual powers or Qualities. These include –

dāna = generosity, service, kindness
sīla = virtue, proper conduct
kṣānti = patience, endurance, resilience
vīrya = energy, determination, diligence,
dhyān = meditative stillness and silence
satya = truthfulness, honesty, reliability

All these special Qualities or powers and more will be needed to meet the demands of our spiritual practice, so we may have true success. Then we can ‘pass over the ocean of suffering’ to arrive at Liberation with true happiness and inner peace. This gives another interpretation –

pāramita can mean ‘gone to the opposite shore’ and ‘crossed, traversed.’

This leads us to the conclusion of the Heart Sutra, which is a mantra that I discuss below. But let’s look at the derivation of pāramita.

mita means ‘firm, strong established’ and para means ‘fully developed’. This leads to another interpretation –

pāra-mitā can mean “fully and firmly established”.

In addition, mita also means ‘boundary, limitation’, and para can mean ‘transcend’ or ‘rise above.’ This gives additional interpretation –

pāra-mitā can mean “transcending the limitations of mundane, unenlightened experience.”

H 10 a. Beyond the Body.

Paragraph 4 of this Sutra, as I translate it, says – “The Way to Liberation is beyond the body.” What do I mean by this ?

In normal worldly life, much effort and attention is devoted to caring for the body. Agriculture, buildings, transport, water supply, medicine; all these are needed for our body to survive and thrive. Training and education develop the mind, but primarily so we can get a good job to provide for our body. All this is most important and necessary. It is called artha in Hinduism, one of the four purposes of life, or purushartha.

But human beings also have a spiritual side too. So this paragraph emphasises the need to transcend and go beyond the mere physical side of life, and move to spiritual Liberation, called śūnyatā in this paragraph.

H 10 b. Beyond the Mind.

Paragraph 4, as I translate it, says that the Path to Liberation also involves transcending the thinking mind. This is easier said than done, for there can be considerable attachment to thinking, and the thought driven self. Especially in the modern era, with advanced education, jobs that demand intense mental activity, sensational screen entertainment, and general busy-ness of modern life. To the point where the mind can long for inner peace.

In addition, painful feelings are the undercurrent that drive pain-filled and pain-driven thought. These two (vedanā + saṃskāra) conspire together to generate painful emotions that destroy any possibility of stabilising and quietening our poor worn out mind, until the disturbance has settled. When we have settled down, then we can use the themes of paragraph 4, as follows ….

Paragraph 4 uses the tactic of numerous repetitions of the word na, which can mean “beyond”.

na rūpaṁ, na vedanā, na saṁjñā, na saṁskārāḥ, na vijñānam …
Beyond body, beyond feeling, beyond perception, beyond thinking, beyond awareness of thought …
na dṛśyatā, na śabda, na gandha, na rasa, na spraṣṭavya, na dharmāḥ …. ”
Beyond vision, beyond hearing, beyond touch, beyond taste, beyond smell, beyond mind objects …

These numerous repetitions are intended to be recited. You can listen to a good recording of the Heart Sutra on –
http://www.dharmabliss.org/audio/heart-skt-audiotext.html

Each of these items is of greatest importance to our well being. We depend on them hugely, they influence us hugely, and there is considerable attachment and ensnarement. These repetitions can help us let go of attachment and entanglement. It is a kind of meditation technique.

The chief purpose here is to let go of mental busy-ness, and the attachment to thinking. Then we can approach inner peace and clarity. This will make it so much easier for us to cultivate our appreciation, contentment, enjoyment, good will, tolerance and forgiveness, inspiration and many other important Qualities of nirvāṇa.

H 10 c.   Beyond the Sense Doors.

I expect that there is far more attachment to thinking than attachment to image, sound, and touch,   outside the realms of sexual desire, abuse of food and sensational screen addiction. So the expression in paragraph 4 :   “The Way to Liberation is beyond the sense doors” needs some discussion.

We normally use the sense doors as our meditation object, when we are moving towards Liberation. Touch of breath is commonly taught in Buddhism.   The sound and sensations of chanting mantra is commonly taught in various Hindu sects, and images of Deities are also used. The meditation I teach here uses the sounds and sights of Nature as the primary meditation object.

The purpose here is to divert our mind from thinking to sensing.    To shift the mind out of its age old habits of compulsive thinking. This is a strategy to train the mind to stop its heedless wandering in saṃsāra, and avoid being reborn back into the same old problems. Get out of the old ruts.

But the untrained mind might have (great) difficulty in believing that focussing on the breath or mantra could ever take us to Freedom. It just does not make sense to the thought driven self.

So we might get the impression that the breath or mantra is the important thing, when we attend a meditation session or retreat, or Kirtan. Therefore, our Sutra advises us that the Way to Being Free is actually beyond the sense doors. The sense doors are no more than a vehicle, to take us to our Goal.

Conclusion

The Sutra concludes with a well known mantra, which can summarise the Heart Sutra.

Paragraph 7 reads -

gate    gate    paragate
going gone   fully gone

para sam                gate                bodhi             svāha
fully    perfectly       gone (at)       awakening   rejoice!

This mantra can be about attachment. Attachment is going, gone, fully gone and perfectly fully gone at bodhi awakening.

Let us rejoice when we can let go ….   of that which we need to let go of.

____________________________________________________________

This well known Buddhist mantra has been set to song by renowned Kirtan musicians. Soraya Saraswati offers an energising and clear song for this mantra, with her partner Terry Oldfield. It concludes their Namaste album, dated 2016. You can listen to and buy this song, as a download as a single, at –
https://terryoldfield.bandcamp.com/album/namaste Track 10, Gate Gate

H 12.   Reference.
I find the word-for-word translation of the Heart Sutra by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu, 2013, most helpful. It’s a translation of an edited version by Edward Conze, 1948.   It’s on
https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Texts-and-Translations/Short-Pieces-in-Sanskrit/Prajnaparamita-Hrdaya.htm    and on –

http://oaks.nvg.org/heart-sutra.html    But this has no diacritics.

Note 1.
Paragraph 4 of the Heart Sutra says –

“Therefore, in śūnyatā   (śūnyatāyāṁ) there is no doctrine about dependent origination, nor doctrine about noble truths.”   What are these doctrines?

Dependent origination and dissolution of pain, and the Four Noble Truths are two foundational doctrines in Buddhism. I discuss these section D 13 of “Self Realisation” and in section I 4 in “Desire”,   in my treatise on Spiritual Practice. These two fundamental Buddhist doctrines appear in paragraph 4 of the Heart Sutra by Edward Conze in short hand notation, thus –

(Dependent Origination and Dissolution)
na avidyā,         na avidyā-kṣayo yāvan   …    na jarā-maraṇam,
no ignorance,    no ignorance dissolution … no deterioration,
                                                                                    termination

(Four Noble Truths)
na duḥkha         samudaya nirodha ….
no suffering      arising      cessation of pain ….

​The Heart Sutra,a New Translation.​

The Heart Sutra,

a New Translation.