Heart Sutra - Understanding for Futuo Temple Meditation Tour
Updated: Sep 28, 2021
Trendy Adventurer's temple culture & meditation getaway to Futuo Buddhist Temple
brings travellers into contact with the morning prayer ritual of resident monks. Meditative sutra transcription is another activity the temple offers.
On a previous tour, we got to talking with travellers about the meaning of the scripture. We weren't so familiar with it, so smartphones came out and we checked - but a cursory google search tends to return some rather obscure results. We found more questions than answers.
But, on the ride home from the temple, we found the following literal translation by one KS Vincent Poon. Our answers were found! I've added a list of terms at the start that the average joe/jane can refer back to as they encounter them in the translation.
Buddhist terms that appear in the Sutra
Bodhisattva: any person who is on the path toward Buddhahood.
Avalokiteśvara: widely known by the name “Guanyin” in China, the figure that embodies the compassion of all Buddhas. The Chinese name Guanyin is short for Guanshiyin, which means "[The One Who] Perceives the Sounds of the World." On the 19th day of the 6th lunar month, Guan Shi Yin's attainment of Buddhahood is celebrated.
Prajna Paramita: means "the Perfection of (Transcendent) Wisdom". Refers to this perfected way of seeing the nature of reality.
Five Skandhas: means "heaps, aggregates, collections, groupings". It refers to the five aggregates of clinging (Pañcupādānakkhandhā), that is, the five material and mental factors that take part in the rise of craving and clinging.
Sariputra: was one of the top disciples of the Buddha.
Dharmas: means cosmic law and order, but is also commonly used with the meaning “the teachings of the Buddha”.
Nirvana: the goal of the Buddhist path. The literal meaning of the term is "blowing out" or "quenching". Nirvana is the ultimate spiritual goal in Buddhism and marks the release from rebirths in saṃsāra, that is, the cycle of death and rebirth to which life in the material world is bound.
Sutra Text & Interpretation
觀自在菩薩，行深般若波羅蜜多時。
When the Bodhisattva Avalokiteśvara was flowing deeply into the state of Prajna Paramita (the Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom).
照見五蘊皆空，渡一切苦厄。
He looked down and perceived that all Five Skandhas are empty, thus He overcame all ills and sufferings.
舍利子，
O Sariputra,
色不異空，空不異色，
form does not differ from the void, and the void does not differ from form.
(for details in interpreting "form" and "void", please see Personal Comments - On The Contents Of The Heart Sutra below)
色即是空，空即是色，
form is void and void is form;
受想行識，亦復如是。
the same also applies to feelings, perceptions, volitions and consciousness.
舍利子，
O Sariputra,
是諸法空相，不生不滅，
all dharmas are marked with voidness (or emptiness): they are neither created nor destructible,
不垢不淨，不增不減。
they cannot be defiled or purified, they cannot be augmented nor diminished.
是故空中無色，無受想行識，
Hence, within voidness, there is no form, feeling, perception, volition, nor consciousness;
無眼耳鼻舌身意，無色聲香味觸法，
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, nor perception; no form, sound, smell, taste, tangible objects nor objects of mind;
無眼界，乃至無意識界。
no realm of the sense of sight and so forth, even to the extent of no realm of consciousness;
無無明，亦無無明盡，
there is no annoyance from ignorance, and so no annihilation of annoyance from ignorance;
乃至無老死，亦無老死盡。
and there is even no decay and death, and so no extinction of decay and death;
無苦集滅道，
there is no suffering and no origin of suffering, and there is no cessation of suffering and no path to the cessation of suffering;
無智亦無得。
there is no wisdom and no attainment of anything whatsoever.
以無所得故，菩提薩埵，依般若波羅蜜多故，
As there is nothing to be attained, the Bodhisattva, relying on Prajna Paramita (Perfection of Wisdom),
心無罣礙，無罣礙故，無有恐怖，
has no hindrance in His mind; because His mind is free of hindrance, He has no fear,
遠離顚倒夢想，究竟涅槃。
He stays far away from delusional dreams, and ultimately reaches the state of Nirvana.
三世諸佛，依般若波羅蜜多故，得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
The Buddhas of the Past, Present and Future have all transcended to Supreme Enlightenment by following and practising the Prajna Paramita.
故知般若波羅蜜多，是大神呪，
Therefore, the Prajna Paramita (Prajna Paramita Chant) is the Great Divine Spell,
是大明呪，是無上呪，是無等等呪，
the Great Spell of Illumination, the Supreme Spell, and the Unequalled Spell among all,
能除一切苦，眞實不虛。
which can truly allay one from all suffering without fail.
故說般若波羅蜜多呪，卽說呪曰：
Hence, the Prajna Parmita Chant is recited and and runs like this:
揭諦揭諦，波羅揭諦，波羅僧揭諦，菩提薩婆訶。
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha.
(by KS Vincent Poon on Mar. 5, 2017)
Find Vincent's website here:
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