Video: Deep Attention Practice, The Experiential Heart Sutra

Sanskrit manuscript of the Heart Sūtra, written in the Siddhaṃ script. Bibliothèque Nationale de France.

The Heart Sutra is quite famous and has been for millennia. It is chanted in Buddhist monasteries, temples, halls and homes by millions of priests and practitioners every day. It’s a very clear and powerful chant, even before you have lived its meaning.

This video will help you begin to know and live the Heart Sutra in your own life. Blessings.

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Video

Click the link below to watch.

Deep Attention Practice

Text

The Heart Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, when deeply practicing prajna-paramita,
clearly saw that the five skandhas are all empty,
and was saved from all suffering and distress.

Sariputra, form is no different to emptiness,
emptiness no different to form.

That which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness, form.

Sensations, perceptions, impressions, and consciousness are also like this.

Sariputra, all things and phenomena are marked by emptiness;
they are neither appearing nor disappearing,
neither impure nor pure,
neither increasing nor decreasing.

Therefore, in emptiness, no forms, no sensations,
perceptions, impressions, or consciousness;
no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, mind;

no sights, sounds, odors, tastes, objects of touch,
objects of mind; no realm of sight up to no realm of consciousness;

no ignorance and no end of ignorance,
up to no aging and death, and no end of aging and death;

no suffering, accumulation, cessation, or path;
no wisdom and no attainment.

With nothing to attain, bodhisattvas rely on prajna-paramita,
and their minds are without hindrance.

They are without hindrance, and thus without fear.

Far apart from all confused dreams, they dwell in nirvana.

All buddhas of the past, present and future rely on prajna-paramita,
and attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

Therefore, know that prajna-paramita is the great transcendent mantra, the great bright mantra, the supreme mantra, the unequalled balanced mantra, that can eliminate all suffering, and is real, not false.

So proclaim the prajna-paramita mantra,
proclaim the mantra that says:

gate, gate,
paragate,
parasamgate,
bodhi, svaha!*

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*My non-scholarly translation of the concluding mantra is

gone, gone,
gone beyond,
gone completely beyond,
awake,
rejoice!

Fredness
September 14, 2014