The Heart Sutra
The first time I heard this great teaching I knew it was for me. It spoke to me in a way that, as the title suggests, went straight to my heart. It said something I needed to hear, and once I heard it, there has been no turning back. Maybe it was my version of hugging the primal puppy, that puppy hugging me back, with the puppy being life as we most directly experience it, with its joys, and its pain, suffering and tragedies. We experience all this life, we hug it all, and then we let go.
A LUMINOUS LANDSCAPE OF THE HUMAN HEART
Here is a recording of our Jewel Ornament study group reciting The Heart Sutra in English. There are also versions in other languages, our world tour of the Luminous Landscape of the Languages of the Human Heart. Please contact me if you have a language you would like to have represented here.
And this is called The Heart Sutra because it goes to the very heart of how we and the universe operate.
You might enjoy reading it aloud in time with this recording. There are many versions and translations of this teaching. You can download a copy of the Heart Sutra that we are reciting. The Heart Sutra presents the teachings of Buddha Shakyamuni on the brilliant, living quality of experience beyond concept. It tells how to join clarity, compassion and wisdom in daily life. Please see https://www.nalandatranslation.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Heart-Sutra-for-website.pdf
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in English.
這是一本紀錄，由本立先生於2011年1月3日以粵語發表。心經經典介紹了佛陀Shakyamuni對超越概念思想的輝煌，生活質量的教訓。它說明如何在日常生活中加入清晰，同情和智慧。
Zhè shì yī běn jìlù, yóu běnlì xiānshēng wū 2011 nián 1 yuè 3 rì yǐ yuèyǔ fābiǎo. Xīnjīng jīngdiǎn jièshàole fótuó Shakyamuni duì chāoyuè gàiniàn sīxiǎng de huīhuáng, shēnghuó zhìliàng de jiàoxun. Tā shuōmíng rúhé zài rìcháng shēnghuó zhōng jiārù qīngxī, tóngqíng hé zhìhuì.This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Cantonese by Mr. Ben Li on January 3, 2017.
Sutru Srca Mudrosti prevela i obradila sa Sanskrta gđa. Karmen Mihaljinec, Dharmaloka, Budistički Centar, Zagreb. Na Hrvatskom izgovorila gđa. Ana Putar, 24. siječnja, 2017. Sutra Srca Mudrosti predstavlja učenje Šakyamuni Buddhe o pravoj prirodi života onkraj uvjetovanosti. Uči nas kako da pridružimo jasnoću, suosjećanje i mudrost u svakodnevni život.
vo izvan konceptualnog uma. To govori o tome da se pridruže jasnoću, suosjećanje i mudrost u svakodnevnom životu.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra translated by Ms. Karmen Mihalinec, Dharmaloka, Budhist Centar, Zagreb and recited in Croatian by Ms. Ana Putar on January 24, 2017.
Jedná se o záznam ze srdce Sutra je uvedena v Czeck dne 14. ledna 2017. The Heart Sutra prezentuje učení Buddhy Šákjamuniho na brilantní, žijící kvalita zkušeností mimo konceptuální mysli. To řekne, jak se připojit jasnost, soucit a moudrost v každodenním životě.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra in Czeck recited on January 14, 2017.
Il s’agit d’un enregistrement du Sutra du Coeur récité en français par Mme Marie Chemel-Lefebvre le 18 janvier 2017. Le Sutra du Cœur présente les enseignements du Bouddha Shakyamuni sur la qualité brillante et vivante de l’expérience au-delà de l’esprit conceptuel. Il raconte comment joindre la clarté, la compassion et la sagesse dans la vie quotidienne.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in French by Mrs. Marie Chemel-Lefebvre on January 18, 2017.
Dies ist eine Aufnahme von The Heart Sutra, die von Frau Anika Todd am 5. Januar 2017 in deutscher Sprache gehalten wurde. Das Heart Sutra präsentiert die Lehren von Buddha Shakyamuni über die brillante, lebendige Qualität der Erfahrung jenseits des begrifflichen Denkens. Es erzählt, wie man Klarheit, Mitgefühl und Weisheit im täglichen Leben beitreten kann.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in German by Ms. Anika Todd on January 5, 2017.
Questa è una registrazione del Sutra del Cuore recitato in italiano da Dr. Emanuela Tura il 6 novembre 2016. Il Sutra del Cuore presenta gli insegnamenti del Buddha Shakyamuni sul brillante, qualità della vita di esperienza al di là mente concettuale. Racconta come partecipare chiarezza, compassione e saggezza nella vita quotidiana.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Italian by Dr. Emanuela Tura on November 6, 2016.
これは、2017年1月11日に朋子さんによって日本語で朗読された「心の経」の記録です。「心の經」は、仏教の釈迦牟尼の教えを、それは、日常生活の中で明快さ、思いやり、そして知恵に参加する方法を教えてくれます。
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra in recited in Japanese by Tomoko San on January 11, 2017.
这是一本经典的“心经”，由魏松博士讲话，并于2016年12月20日录制。心经经典中，我们超越了概念思想，展示了佛陀Shakyamuni的辉煌，生活质量的教训。它谈论如何在日常生活中加入清晰，同情和智慧。
Zhè shì yī běn jīngdiǎn de “xīnjīng”, yóu wèi sōng bóshì jiǎnghuà, bìng yú 2016 nián 12 yuè 20 rì lùzhì. Xīnjīng jīngdiǎn zhōng, wǒmen chāoyuèle gàiniàn sīxiǎng, zhǎnshìle fótuó Shakyamuni de huīhuáng, shēnghuó zhìliàng de jiàoxun. Tā tánlùn rúhé zài rìcháng shēnghuó zhōng jiārù qīngxī, tóngqíng hé zhìhuì.This is a recitation of The Heart Sutra in Mandarin, spoken by Dr. Wei Song and recorded on December 20, 2016.
Jest to zapis Sutra Serca recytowane w języku polskim w dniu 8 stycznia 2017 r Sutra Serca zawiera nauki Buddy Siakjamuniego na genialny, żyjącego jakości doświadczeń poza pojęciowego umysłu. Opowiada, jak dołączyć do jasności, współczucie i mądrość w życiu codziennym.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Polish by Mr. Mark Spzakowski on January 8, 2017.
Esta é uma gravação do Sutra do Coração recitado em português pela Sra. Susana Duarte em 7 de fevereiro de 2017. O Sutra do Coração apresenta os ensinamentos de Buda Shakyamuni sobre a qualidade brilhante e viva da experiência além da mente conceitual. Ele diz como juntar a clareza, compaixão e sabedoria na vida diária.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Portuguese by Ms. Susana Duarte on February 7, 2017.
Aceasta este o inregistrare in limba romana a mantrei “Sutra Inimii”, tradusa de dna Prof. Madelaine Pepenel si recitata de catre dnul Horatiu Pepenel, la data de 13 decembrie 2016. Mantra prezinta invataturile lui Buddha Shakyamuni in ceea ce priveste calitatea extraordinara a experientei adevarate pe care o percepem atunci cand depasim conceptia mentala. Se vorbeste despre cum putem dobandi mai multa claritate, compasiune si intelepciune in viata de zi cu zi.
This is a recitation of The Heart Sutra in Romanian, translated by Mrs. Madeline Pepenel and spoken by Mr. Horatiu Pepenel, recorded on December 13, 2016.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Sanskrit by Dr. Satish Shrikhande on February 5, 2017.
Esta es una grabación del Sutra del Corazón recitada en español el 14 de enero de 2017. El Sutra del Corazón presenta las enseñanzas de Buda Shakyamuni sobre la brillante calidad viva de la experiencia más allá de la mente conceptual. Dice cómo unir claridad, compasión y sabiduría en la vida cotidiana.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Spanish on January 14, 2017.
Detta är en inspelning av The Heart Sutra reciteras på svenska av fru Kerstin Gilkerson den 5 februari 2017. The Heart Sutra presenterar Buddhas lära Shakyamuni på lysande, levande kvalitet upplevelse utöver konceptuella sinnet. Den berättar hur man kan gå klarhet, medkänsla och visdom i det dagliga livet.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Swedish by Mrs. Kerstin Gilkerson on February 5, 2017.
This is a recording of The Heart Sutra recited in Tibetan by Acharya Songpo Tsering on January 18, 2017.
Many great teachers have written wonderful commentaries on this teaching. Please study to your heart’s content. This brief discussion is a simple song from my heart. Everything we see, hear, feel, think, all of it, is like a dream, yet a dream that counts so much. We are such dreamers, and it is difficult to wake up. But, without a dream, how can we know we have awakened? According to the players in this scene, this is how you might do it.
There are three main players here—The Buddha, (here, called The Blessed One), Avalokiteshvara (who is the embodiment of compassion) and Sariputra (who is like a good scientist who wants the actual procedure, the actual data). We are all of these players. We all are mystics at heart, artistic-compassion folks, and no nonsense scientists.
I like to use a teaching device called The Three Views of a Star. You may have heard of this, and it goes like this. What part of us knows how to find the North Star? Most of us say our brain-mind. This is a technical issue, like good science. You either know the North Star or you don’t. The word, disaster, means bad or wrong star. If you have the wrong star, you sail onto the rocks. Next, what part of us appreciates songs like Twinkle Twinkle Little Star? We feel it and most people point to their heart. Then, have you ever gone out on a dark night, with no moon, no clouds, no city lights, and looked up? What do you see? Lots of stars! AND??? Space!
What part of us appreciates that view of stars? Most people have to stop here because in the end, we realize we see that blazing night sky with our whole being. We might say Infinity, or God, the Cosmos. But really, those words refer not just to stars, but to stars in space. And really, those stars in space are us! We are the fourth player that night on Vulture Peak mountain—all the stars in space.
So, inspired by the Buddha and the sky, Sariputra, the logician, asks Avalokiteshvara, the compassionate one, how we can be more like the Buddha, the one who knows space and all the stars that can ever be. Avalokiteshavara, the Heart-Felt One, says something like this.
See through your attachment to your own body, your own mind, your own life, your own version of who you are. Those aspects of you are like good stars. They are fine, but without the space around them, they would have no meaning. When you appreciate space, all those forms open and come to life. Just like this photo of the flower emerging from the cracks in a rock.
The universe comes to life when we go beyond fixation.
He proclaims this wonderful realization in the mantra, OM GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA! These words mean that when you appreciate the dance of form and emptiness, you have GONE GONE GONE BEYOND GONE COMPLETELY BEYOND AWAKE REJOICE! We rejoice because finally we know we are awake!
Avalokiteshvara does not say stars and space. He says form and emptiness. The key to resolving this issue for me has been understanding that the suffix, ness, in emptiness, means something like “quality of”. So emptiness, means quality of empty, or we might say, quality of spaciousness, or non-attachment. And non-attachment is not the same as ignoring. It is more like appreciating with love.
The instruction for me has been to love everything in my life, even those parts that I don’t like,
and then everything blooms. I heal my version of the universe and the universe heals my version of me.
WOW! It’s that simple. If I can do that, I am a bit closer to waking up.
In terms of Menla, it might help to remember that he is hollow, or empty inside. The strict scientist within us might say, “Well, this blue Buddha is all just in your mind.” The heart-felt one inside might say, “Well, but I feel it shining in my heart.” And the Buddha within might say, “Wakefulness is in you and everywhere. Rejoice!” All three can be right, and we can be all three.
This view of how things work may help explain why and how it can help to practice both sitting meditation and Menla when we can. My book, Getting Back to Wholeness, is my attempt to explain how these two streams of wisdom can work together in our body, speech and mind, to show us healing joy of being awake. You can find a more focused explanation of this teaching in a book by Chogyam Trungpa, Rinpoche called Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, in the chapters on Sunyata and Prajna and Compassion.