The Heart of Prajñāpāramitā Sutra contains very direct teachings on emptiness and the practice of prajñāpāramitā (perfection of liberating wisdom) . As with many perfection of wisdom sutras, emphasis is placed on realizing suchness through absence of that which is not necessary or essential.
One way to work with the sutra is to simply let go of its list of “no’s” moment to moment. This acts as the sword of wisdom, cutting away illusion until what remains is that which cannot come and go, cannot be born or die.
Also contained in this sutra is a pointing to the path of realization of true nature in three progressively deeper phases.
- Realization of the actual.
- Realization that the seeming is made of the actual.
- Shifting seamlessly between these polarities as needed.
Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara,
The Heart of Prajnaparamita Sutra
While deeply immersed in prajna paramita,
Clearly perceived the empty nature of the five skandhas,
And transcended all suffering.
Shariputra! Form is not different from emptiness,
Emptiness is not different from form.
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.
So it is with feeling, conception, volition, and
consciousness.
Shariputra! All dharmas are empty in character;
Neither arising nor ceasing,
Neither impure nor pure,
Neither increasing nor decreasing.
Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form;
There is no feeling, conception, volition, or consciousness;
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind;
No form, sound, smell, taste, touch, or dharmas;
No realm of vision, and so forth,
Up to no realm of mind-consciousness;
No ignorance or ending of ignorance, and so forth,
Up to no aging and death or ending of aging and death.
There is no suffering, no cause, no extinction, no path.
There is no wisdom and no attainment.
There is nothing to be attained.
By way of prajna paramita,
The bodhisattva’s mind is free from hindrances.
With no hindrances, there is no fear;
Freed from all distortion and delusion,
Ultimate nirvana is reached.
By way of prajna paramita,
Buddhas of the past, present, and future
Attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore, prajna paramita
Is the great powerful mantra,
The great enlightening mantra,
The supreme and peerless mantra.
It can remove all suffering.
This is the truth beyond all doubt.
And the prajna paramita mantra is spoken thus:
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.