Heart Sutra
般若波羅蜜多心經
"Heart of Perfect Wisdom" Sutra
觀自在菩薩。行深般若波羅蜜多時。
The Bodhisattva Who Contemplates Freedom, while practicing the profound Perfect Wisdom,
照見五蘊皆空。度一切苦厄。
clearly saw that the five aggregates are all empty, and thus crossed beyond every suffering and distress.
舍利子。色不異空。空不異色。
Śāriputra, form is not other than emptiness; emptiness is not other than form.
色即是空。空即是色。
Form itself is emptiness; emptiness itself is form.
受想行識。亦復如是。
The same is true of feeling, perception, volitional formations, and consciousness.
舍利子。是諸法空相。
Śāriputra, all dharmas bear the mark of emptiness:
不生不滅。不垢不淨。不增不減。
not born and not destroyed, not stained and not pure, not increasing and not decreasing.
是故空中無色。無受想行識。
Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, perception, volitional formations, or consciousness;
無眼耳鼻舌身意。無色聲香味觸法。
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mind; no sights, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or mental objects;
無眼界。乃至無意識界。
no realm of vision, up to and including no realm of consciousness;
無無明。亦無無明盡。
no ignorance and no ending of ignorance,
乃至無老死。亦無老死盡。
no old age and death and no ending of old age and death;
無苦集滅道。無智亦無得。以無所得故。
no suffering, origin, cessation, or path; no wisdom and no attainment, for there is nothing to attain.
菩提薩埵。依般若波羅蜜多故。
Bodhisattvas, relying on Perfect Wisdom,
心無罣礙。無罣礙故。無有恐怖。
have minds without hindrance; and, with no hindrance, they know no fear.
遠離顛倒夢想。究竟涅槃。
Far removed from inverted, dream-like thinking, they dwell in ultimate Nirvāṇa.
三世諸佛。依般若波羅蜜多故。
All Buddhas of the three times, relying on Perfect Wisdom,
得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
awaken to unsurpassed, complete, perfect enlightenment.
故知般若波羅蜜多。
Therefore know that Perfect Wisdom
是大神咒。是大明咒。
is the great mantra, the mantra of great illumination,
是無上咒。是無等等咒。
the supreme mantra, the unequalled mantra,
能除一切苦。真實不虛。
capable of removing every suffering—true, not false.
故說般若波羅蜜多咒。即說咒曰。
Thus proclaim the mantra of Perfect Wisdom—proclaim it thus:
揭諦揭諦 波羅揭諦 波羅僧揭諦
菩提薩婆訶。
菩提薩婆訶。
gate gate pāragate pārasaṁgate
bodhi svāhā.
(“Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond—Awakening! Hail.”)
bodhi svāhā.
(“Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond—Awakening! Hail.”)
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The above is a line-by-line translation of the Chinese text (which was was, in turn, originally translated from Sanskrit). While we have done our best to preserve its spirit and meaning, certain cultural references and nuances may not fully carry over into English or for the Western audience. This is a preliminary version and remains a work in progress. We welcome and appreciate any feedback, and we sincerely apologize for any inaccuracies or deviations from the original intent.
