Prajna Paramita ~The Heart Sutra

般若波罗蜜多心经

Perhaps it was under the influence of my mother who was a devoted Buddhist that I have been "interested" in Buddhism—likely more on an intellectual than a religious standpoint. I have visited many temples and monasteries—of Tibetan Buddhism, in particular, read and researched on materials in connection with Buddhism. I never understood the reasons behind the ceremonious aspects of prostrating, offerings and incense burning. I remain ignorant, not appreciating the true essence of the subject.

On June 6^th 2010, I had the pleasure of attending a prayer meeting in Hong Kong hosted by the Tenth Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche. It was my first time of attending such an event during which Rinpoche explained in the simplest language the meanings behind the Heart Sutra.  I felt I have learned more on the true essence of Buddhism than all my previous pursuits—not that I may claim I have fully comprehended the fundamental principles of Buddhism.

I took copious notes on Rinpoche's teachings. Then I spent two days searching the Web, organizing my notes and thinking through what I think I have learned from the Rinpoche. I decided to put whatever little I know in writing—to remind myself from time to time, or perhaps to share with whoever may be interested in the subject.

The Tenth Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche

The Tenth Sangye Nyen Rinpoche was born in 1964 in Bhutan. He is the tenth incarnation of Sangye Nyenpa Tashi Paljor(1457-1525). He was recognized as such at an early age and was enthroned by H.H. the 16^th Karmapa himself. He was brought up by the Karmapa and began his studies under and had received transmissions from various great masters since the age of five. He was among the first to enroll at the Karma Shri Nalanda of Higher Buddhist Studies where he spent ten years, obtaining the title of an Archarya. Today, he is recognized as one of the most learned young Rinpoches in both Dharma philosophy and tantric rituals.

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Prajna (Wisdom) Paramita (Perfection): "The Perfect Wisdom"

The Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or The Heart Sutra is a member of the Perfection of Wisdom class of Mahayana (大乘) Buddhist sutras and along with the Diamond Sutrais most prominent and popular for both its brevity and depth of meaning. In "anglicized" Sanskrit and Chinese, Prajna (般若) and Paramita (波罗蜜多)means respectively "Wisdom" and "Perfection"—therefore, the Perfection of Wisdom.

It is purported that Prajna Paramita was originally composed in 1^st Century CE and translated by Xuanzang (649CE) into Chinese from Sanskrit, consisting 260 characters—often into English in 16 sentences.

The Heart Sutra describes the experience of liberation of Bodhisattva of Compassion, Avalokitesvara, as a result gained while in deep meditation to awaken the faculty of "wisdom". The insight refers to fundamental emptiness of all phenomena—the five aggregates (skandhas) of human existence: form, feeling (sensation), volition (thought), perception (activity) and consciousness (knowledge).

The sutra takes the form of a interactive dialogue between Avalokitesvara and Sariputra (舍利子), the principal disciple of Buddha. In response to Sariputra's question of the best way to understand the true essence of Buddhism, Avalokitesvara famously states that "Form is empty, Emptiness is form."

For the sentient being to get rid of pain and suffering, to end the endless cycle of birth and death, and to attain awakening, one has to begin from the heart. To understand one's heart, one has to understand the meaning of Emptiness which is explained succinctly in the Heart Sutra.

Emptiness is not conventional emptiness as we mortals understand it. In Sanskrit, Prajna means "from the heart" which is shared equally by all: Buddha and mortals. It is only that Buddha and Bodhisattva had fully comprehended the true meaning of Emptiness from his heart; all mortals have "It" but blinded by ignorance and prejudice have not realized "It".

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Prajna Paramita Heart Sutra:

When Avalokitesvara who was deep into the practice of the Perfection of Wisdom perceived the five aggregates (skandhas), he saw in their own-being they were empty. And thereby he was delivered from all suffering and misery.

Oh, Sariputra! Form is Emptiness, and Emptiness is Form; Form does not differ from Emptiness, and Emptiness does not differ from Form; so it is the same with feeling, thoughts, activity and consciousness.

Oh, Sariputra! All dharmas are empty: they are not born nor annihilated, not defiled nor immaculate, not increased nor decreased; therefore in Emptiness, there is no form, nor feeling, nor thoughts, nor activity, nor consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body nor mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, touch nor object; there is no element of seeing and no mental consciousness.

There is no ignorance, and no extinction of ignorance; there is no death, and there is no extinction of death.

There is no suffering, no origination, no riddance and no path.

There is no wisdom, no attainment, and no non-attainment.

Relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, there is no obstacle in the heart, no cause of obstacle, no fear, keeping away from delusion, at the end he attains Nirvana.

All the Buddha of past, present and future by reliance on the Perfection of Wisdom avoid prejudice and attain the highest realization.

Therefore one should be aware that Prajnaparamita is the all-powerful sutra, the great-wisdom sutra; there is no greater sutra and no comparable sutra to rid of all suffering.

So, we recite the Sutra: gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha

(go beyond, go beyond, altogether go beyond to the shore of rapid awakening).

This completes the Heart of the Perfect Wisdom.

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Explanatory Notes:

"Form" (色 in Chinese is "Color"): Form consists of i) "External Form": eye, ear, nose, tongue and body—all human senses of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting and touching, and ii) "Internal Form": earth, water, fire and wind—the basic elements that all physical matters are made. In short, Form is all and everything in the "physical" world.

"The Five Aggregates—Skandhas"(五蕴):The phenomenon or experience of human existence: form, feeling (sensation), volition (thought), perception (activity) and consciousness (knowledge).

"Emptiness" (空性):Why Emptiness? All phenomena (i.e. the Five Aggregates) are empty because each may not exist independently of each other—that is, each is a "dependent phenomenon", depending on cause and effect.

"Cause-Effect" (因缘):  The origin of one thing is dependent on what preceded it. Death and rebirth is part of the dependent origination. The only thing that is "unconditioned" and "causeless" is Nirvana, to bring this cycle of cause-effect to an end—"to destroy the karma seed".

"Karma" (业: 因果报应):The universal principle of cause and effect; action and reaction. However, the effect is not necessarily fated—that is, a particular action is not binding to some particular, pre-determined future reaction. Karma is not fate, for human acting their own free will create their own destiny. The conquest of karma lies in intelligent action and dispassionate response.

Bodhicitta (菩提心): Bodhi means "Awakening" and Citta means "mind or consciousness". It is the wish to attain complete enlightenment.

"The Shore Across" (彼岸): Assuming there exists the "River of Life and Death", mortals are on the shore of suffering.  To rid of suffering, one has to cross over to the shore of Nirvana (state of purity).

"Nirvana": Alternatively referred to as "Enlightenment" and/or "Awakening". Literarily, "to destroy the karma seed"—attainment of a state of purity—to bring this cycle of cause-effect to an end, to end all sufferings (of the endless cycle of death and rebirth).

"Buddha": Alternatively "Buddhahood"—one who has attained Nirvana, ending all sufferings.

A Brief Summary of Teachings of the Tenth Sangye Nyenpa Rinpoche:

To understand the nature of Buddhism—and to initiate Dharma practice—one has to proceed by steps or stages, and to start at the "correct" point:

Step 1: Be aware of suffering. Living in this world, we are needlessly wandering around in the endless cycle of suffering of death and rebirth—birth, aging, illness and death.

Step 2: Search for the cause of suffering.  In realizing all things in this life involving the Five Aggregates are nothing but emptiness, one is to avoid The Three Poisons.

Step 3: Elimination of the cause of suffering.Through Dharma practice of study, contemplation and meditation to realize the true meaning of Emptiness, to renounce the cause of suffering and to seek the "Path".

Steps 4: To practice Bodhicitta.  One needs i) aspiration (desire) and ii) application (to put into practice). The first may be by making a commitment—taking a vow (as in joining of monkhood).

The second is instead of loving oneself, love others—giving up of selfishness—accumulation of merits.

Step 5: To start Dharma practice from the right point to proceed in steps or stages:

1.      ask yourself: "Would I want to be enlightened?";

2.      to have a positive attitude;

3.      to have genuine intention;

4.      to have compassion;

5.      to have loving kindness;

6.      to actualize 4) and 5) without expecting or seeking any returns;

7.      to treat all sentient beings as "My Mother".