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dharmas
September 2008 
the heart sutra in english
jacqui
After intensive practice of the Prajna Paramita,
Bodhisattva Avalokita had developed such transcendental light of wisdom
Illuminating the true state of the Five Aggregates
as illusory and empty as nothing in existence,
And therefore free of all suffering and distress.
Shariputra,
Substance does not differ from emptiness;
Emptiness does not differ from substance.
Substance itself is emptiness;
And emptiness itself is substance.
The same is true of feeling, perception, impulse, and consciousness.
Shariputra,
All dharmas are empty,
Not to be produced or destroyed,
Neither pure nor filthy,
Not to be increased or decreased.
Therefore, in emptiness,
There is no substance, feeling, perception, impulse, or consciousness;
No eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind;
No sight, sounds, smells, tastes, touches, or dharmas.
There is no field of vision and no field of consciousness;
No ignorance and no ending of ignorance;
No aging and death and
No end of aging and death.
No suffering, accumulation of suffering, extinguishment of suffering,
Or the way to extinguish suffering,
No wisdom and no gain of wisdom.
With nothing to be obtained, the Bodhisattva, through Prajna Paramita, has no worries or fears, stays far away from all distorted dreaming, and reaches Nirvana.
All Buddhas of the three lives -past, present, and future- attain
Great Enlightenment through Prajna Paramita.
Prajna Paramita is a great omnipotent mantra, a great bright mantra, a supreme mantra and a peerless mantra. It can truly, absolutely wipe out all distress and suffering.
Therefore, the mantra is recited as following:
GATTE, GATTE, PARAGATTE, PARASAMGATTE, BODHI SVAHA!
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What is a recommended way to practice the Heart Sutra? Read it aloud? To oneself? Is there a recommended ritual / series of steps?
The Heart Sutra has been recited in many different languages and all over the world. It can be read aloud to yourself, to someone else, recited in a group…. Like many things in Buddhism a sutra should be said a certain number of times. You can say the Heart Sutra once, three times, five or ten times, or 108 times.
I recite it all the time to myself, but I also recite it with a group of friends once a week. We recite it in Chinese and say the whole thing five times. We then repeat the section in bold 108 times. The heart sutra is extremely relaxing and meditative, especially in Chinese. In my opinion it is much more rhymical and soothing. You can see a copy of it in Chinese on TaoPractice.org if you are interested
I have it written out and on CD, but I wasn't quite sure how to go about practicing it. Thank you!