The
Heart of Bhagavati wisdom of the perfection
In
Sanskrit: Bhagavati Prajna Paramita Hridaya
Thus
have I once heard:
The
Bagavan was staying in Rajgriha at Vulture Peak along with a great
number of Arhats and great number of Boddhisattvas, and at that time,
the Bagavan entered the meditative absorption on the varieties of
phenomena called the appearance of the profound. At that time as
well, the arya Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva mahasattva, clearly
beheld the practice of the profound perfection of wisdom itself and
saw that even the five aggregates are empty of intrinsic existence.
Thereupon,
through the Buddha's inspiration, the wise bikshu Shariputra spoke to
the arya Avalokiteshvara, the boddhisattva mahasattva, and said,
"'How should any son or daughter of boddhisattva lineage who
wishes to engage in the practice of the profound perfection of wisdom
train?''
When
this has been said, arya avalokitesvara, the boddhisattva mahasattva
spoke to the wise bikshu Shariputra and said, "Shariputra, any
son or daughter of boddhisattva lineage who wishes to angage in the
practice of the profound perfection of wisdom should clearly see this
way: they should see prefectly that even the five aggregates are
empty of instrinsic existence.
Form
is empty, emptiness is form; emptiness is not other than form, form
too is not other than emptiness. Likewise, feelings, perceptions,
mental formations, and consciousness are all empty.
Therefore,
Shariputra, all phenomena are emptiness; they are without defining
characteristics; they are not born, they do not cease; they are not
defiled, they are not undefiled; they are not deficient, and they are
not complete.
''Therefore,
Shariputra, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no
perceptions, no mental formations, and no consciousness. There is no
eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, and no mind. There is no
form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no texture, and no mental
objects. there is no eye element and so on up to no mind-element
including up to no element of mental conciousness. There is no
ignorance, there is no extinction of ignorance, and so on up to no
aging and death and no extinction of aging and death. Likewise, there
is no suffering, origin, cessation, or path; there is no wisdom, no
attainment, and even no non-attainment.
''Therefore,
Shariputra, since boddhisattvas have no attainments, they rely on
this perfection of wisdom and abide in it. Having no obscuration in
their minds, they have no fear, and by going utterly beyond error,
they will reach the end of nirvana. All the buddhas too who abide in
the three times attained the full awakening of unexcelled, perfect
enlightenment by relying on this profound perfection of wisdom.
''Therefore,
one should know that the mantra of the perfection of wisdom - the
mantra of great knowledge, the unexcelled mantra, the mantra equal to
the unequalled, the mantra that quells all suffering - is true
because it is not deceptive. The mantra of the perfection of wisdom
is proclaimed:
tadyatha
gate' gate' paragate' parasamgate' bodhi svoha!
Shariputra,
the boddhisattvas mahasattva should train in the profound perfection
of wisdom in this way."
Thereupon,
the Bhagavan arose from that meditative absorption and commended the
arya Avalokitesvara, boddhisattva mahasattva, saying this is
excellent.
''Excellent!
Excellent! son of boddhisattva lineage, it is so; it should be just
so. One must practice the profound perfection of wisdom just as you
have revealed. For then even the tathagatas will rejoice''.
As
the Bhagavan uttered these words, the wise bikshu Shariputra, the
boddhisattva mahasattva arya Avalokitesvara, along with the entire
assembly, including the worlds of gods, humans, asuras, and
gandharavas, all rejoiced and hailed what the Bhagavan had said.
Notes:
Bagavan:
(Skt.,
Tib. chom dhen de ) generally a title for an enlightened being,
literal meaning is who has completely illuminated the obstacles and
posses all qualities. Synonymous to tatagatha in sanskrit and in tib.
de war sheg pa; who has reached to the state of full calmness or full
enlightenment. But, here it refers to teacher Sakyamuni.
Rajgriha:
(Skt.,
Tib. gyal poe khab) a place where reside the king's palace.
Vulture
Peak:
A
mountain in the shape of Vulture, the place believe to be where the
sutra has taught. Vultures' Peak is popularly identified with a
hilly site in Rajghir in modern India's Bihar State.
Arhat:
(Skt.,
Tib. dra chom pa) Who achieved nirvana - either sarvaka or prateka
buddhas. In original tibetan text it said as bikshu but it mean
arhat.
Boddhisattva;
(Skt.,
Tib. jang chub sem pa) Being who posses Boddhicitta
meditative
absorption:
(Skt.
samadhi, Tib. ting nge zin)
varieties
of phenomena:
(Tib.,
choe kyi nam drang) Enumeration of phenomena; five aggregates, 12
sources of senses, 18 elements, 12 dependent origination, 4 noble
truths, 4 fearlessness and 10 powers of Buddha etc. .
appearance
of the profound:
(Tib.
zab mo nhang wa) seeing the profound reality ultimate truths of
phenomena
arya:
(Skt.,
Tib. Phag pei Gang zag) superrior beings or who has gained the wisdom
of direct realization of emptiness or who has achieved the path of
seeing in any vehicle.
Avalokiteshvara:
(Skt.,
Tib. chen re zig) Generally known as Buddha of compassion.
bodhisattva
mahasattva:
(Skt.,
Tib. jang chub sem pa sem pa chen po) superior Boddhisattva or
boddhisattva those have gained boddhisattva or mahayana path of
seeing
bodhisattva
mahasattva arya Avalokiteshvara:
(Skt.,
Tib. jang chub sem pa sema pa chen po phags pa chen re zig) refers to
a single individual known as boddhisattva mahasattva arya
Avalokiteshara, which should be different from the buddha of
compassion. Becasue here it identify as a boddhisattva in form of
bikshu, boddhisttva, mahasattva and arya being.
the
practice of the profound perfection of wisdom:
(Tib.
she rab kyi pha rol du chin pai zab moi chod pa)
five
aggregates:
(Tib.
phung po ngha, Skt. skandha) Forms, Feelings, perceptions, mental
formations, and consciousness.
empty
of intrinsic existence:
(Tib.
ran shin gyi tong pa)
wise
bikshu
(Tib.
thse dang dhen pa) a title for a fresh minded an intelligent bikshu
Shariputra:
son
of Sharit and known as an exceptional sharp minded bikshu among the
disciples of sakyamuni buddha
son
or daughter of boddhisattva lineage:
(Tib.
rigs kyi bu vam rigs kyi bumo)
Three
doors of liberation:
(Tib.
nam thar go sum) door of emptiness, door of signlessness and door of
wishlessness
twelve
sources of sences:
Six
sources of the sense and Six faculties.
eighteen
elements:
Six
sources of the sense, six faculties and six consciousness
twelve
links of dependent origination:
Ignorance,
Volitional Action, Consciousness, Name and Form, Sense Sources,
Contact, Feelings, Attachment, Grasping, Becoming, Birth, Aging and
Death.
Four
noble truths:
Truth
of suffering, Truth of the causes of suffering, Truth of the
cessation and Truth of the path.
Five
paths:
Accumulation,
Preparation, Seeing, Meditation and No more learning.
nirvana:
(Skt.,
Tib. Nyang De) Being gone beyond the sufferings.
mantra:
(Skt.,
Tib. yid kyob) To protect the Mind.
tathagata:
(Skt.,
see to baghavan)
Translation
and notes added by Ven. Geshe Gedun Tharchin
