Heart Sutra

    Avalokiteshvara , doing deep Prajna Paramita, clearly saw emptiness of all the five conditions, thus completely relieving misfortune and pain.  

    Oh Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form. Form is exactly emptiness, emptiness exactly form. Sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness are likewise like this.

    Oh Shariputra, all dharmas are forms of emptiness; not born, not destroyed, not stained, not pure, without loss, without gain. 

     So in emptiness there is no form; no sensation, conception, discrimination, awareness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, phenomena; no realm of sight, no realm of consciousness; no ignorance and no end to ignorance, no old age and death and no end to old age and death, no suffering, no cause of suffering, no extinguishing, no path, no wisdom, and no gain. 

     No gain and thus the bodhisattva lives Prajna Paramita, with no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance, therefore no fear. 

    Far beyond deluded thoughts; this is Nirvana. 

    All past, present, and future buddhas live Prajna Paramita and therefore attain anuttarasamyak-sambodhi.    

           
    Therefore know Prajna Paramita is the great mantra, the vivid mantra, the best mantra, the unsurpassable mantra. It completely clears all pain. 

     This is the truth not a lie.

    So set forth the Prajna Paramita mantra, set forth this mantra and say,
                     Gate  Gate  Paragate  Parasamgate  Bodh  Svaha 

         Prajna Heart Sutra
 

This sutra is chanted at all Zen Centers and Zen Monasteries every day. 

Chant this sutra at home  after zazen.