A Brief Talk about The Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart

A Brief Talk about The Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart       

Translator in the time of Sui and Tang Dynasties, China (AD.602-664): Xuanzang (Who translated the said Scripture from Sanskrit into Chinese.)

Translator in the modern time: Tao Qing Hsu (Who translated the said Scripture from Chinese into English.)

Teacher, speaker and writer: Tao Qing Hsu

Introduction

The Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart is generally spoken as Heart Sutra which is short for The Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra. The title as said is Sanskrit and some words of Sanskrit in the content are too many syllables to pronounce. It is thus more difficult for us to understand and recite it. Furthermore, I find that some of translations from Sanskrit into English or from Chinese into English are not complete. It might confuse us. Therefore, I translate it from Chinese into English according to my knowledge and understanding of the Heart Sutra. The original Chinese version what I use is translated from Sanskrit into Chinese, and is used freely and universally in Chinese and Taiwan. The translator is Xuan Zang, which is a person in ancient China. What I have translated can be found in the website of Buddha’s Virtue & Love Widely and Universally. And now I have a brief talk about heart sutra by my own version of translation. I hope that this version would be more helpful for all people in the world to understand and recite it by such easy way.

The Content of The Scripture of The Supreme-Wisdom Heart

        

When Pusa Self-ease-perceiving is deeply practicing the supreme wisdom,

It reflects and views its Five Aggregates are all empty,

and is thus free from all suffering.

“Pusa” means “Buddhisattva”, and is short for Buddhisattva, which you can find. So we can also pronounce it as “Busa” in short if you like. When someone follows the path of Buddha, however, it has not yet completely enlightened, and still has some obstacles in heart about nuisance and what as known, even though this, it can use its power of kindness and sympathy to save sentient beings to be free from all suffering, we call such person “Buddisattva” for honor it. In Chinese language, we call it “Pusa”, which is transliterated from Chinese words and its original language is also from Sanskrit.

There are two kinds of “Pusa”(Busa, Buddisattva). One is Buddhist monk or nun. The other is Buddhist non-monk or non-nun. That is mentioned from The Sutra of an Upasaka’s Precepts.

So now, we have one concept that there is one person whom is given one title as “Pusa” for honoring him or her. And the Pusa’ name is called as Self-ease-perceiving. Why I use these words, because its meaning is totally concerned about the content of the heart sutra. If you completely understand it, you will know why the “Pusa” is named as Self-ease-perceiving. The complete meaning is that to perceive itself is in the state of comfort or ease, or to deeply practice the supreme wisdom by perceiving itself in the way of comfort or ease. There are immeasurable meanings waiting for you to find out. So, it really has the meaning for you. The most important is that you understand the meaning, so the heart sutra would be truly helpful for you.

In Sanskrit, the Pusa as aforesaid is Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. And the supreme wisdom is parajna paramita. Sanskrit might have no meaning for us, because it is not our language. The pronounce of “Pusa” is similar to “Pizza”, so it is easier to remember and recite, especially for the elder people. That is why I use this word ”Pusa” instead of Bodhisattva.

The whole content of this heart sutra is talking about why it is the supreme wisdom. Now there is one person, who is Pusa Self-ease-perceiving, and has deeply practicing the profound and supreme wisdom. From this, we can find one important point. That is telling us, we have to do as what Pusa Self-ease-Perceiving to do, so that we might get into the profound supreme wisdom.

In practicing as said, Pusa Self-ease-perceiving finally finds its Five Aggregates are all empty. For generally speaking, the practicing in the teaching of Buddha is including the meaning of seeing from eyes, hearing from ears, smelling from nose, tasting from tongue, acting from body and minding from consciousness.

What we have seen, heard, smelled, tasted and acted is forms, sounds, flavor, taste and perception. What is thus arisen from the matters, feeling, cognition, action and conscious, no matter it is in material or spiritual form, will be all accumulated or aggregated in our consciousness. So it is called as Five Aggregate. 
In Sanskrit, it means Skandha. 

The Buddha said that the eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body are the Five fundamental Roots of our human body. Any distress or trouble is arisen from these Five Roots, and is described as sand or dust which might pollute our heart. Furthermore, our conscious is arisen from this Five Roots while they are connecting the realm of outside. 

And our conscious thus could further perceive and distinguish things of outside around us, including ourselves inside, the physical or mental matters. It is called Five Consciousness, which is the conscious of eyes, ears, nose, tongue, or body. Then, any realm or field of self conscious would be formed accordingly. Thus, that is why a world around us is formed.

“All law is arisen from or is extinguished according to the causes and conditions.”

“What is spoken according to the causes and conditions, I say it is empty.”

The above two sentences are said by ancient Buddhist masters, and would be helpful to awaken us to realize the emptiness’ nature. Please note that the meaning of law in Buddhism is general, it could be included the phenomenon of physical and mental matters inside and outside, and the phenomenon and any rules of the world.

From aforesaid, we might have understood that the Five Aggregates are arisen from the causes and conditions. As we have known that the Five Roots might be as the causes and what have been in the outside of the Five Roots might be as conditions. Then when the causes meet to or link to the conditions, any effect or result is arisen. Therefore, the Five Aggregates might be as the consequence here. Accordingly, we could image that, if there was no Five Roots, there would be no Five Aggregates. Thus, the world in the outside or inside of the Five Roots is totally disappeared.

I use the word ”reflect”, which I mean to look into our inside, because everything what is arisen from our Five Roots could be reflected in our sea of heart, which is like an invisible mirror and the reflection of all are in it, so all can be viewed by us. Especially, when we close our eyes and make a meditation. Do not ignore these two words ”reflect” and “view”, because it is very important here. Why? As my experience of practicing, it is the method of key points to realize the profound wisdom. To use these two methods in practicing the law or doctrine of Buddha is good for us.

In a word, Pusa Self-ease-perceiving has liberated from all suffering, because it has realized that all causes and conditions for Five Aggregates, including the Five Aggregates themselves, are all empty. If all is empty, where you can find the suffering, let along to bear it? So what is the truth? The truth is that there is indeed no suffering. All what you have from Five Roots is all illusion, including the suffering.

Shelizi!

The material world is no difference from the emptiness.

The emptiness is no difference from the material world.

The material world itself is the emptiness.

The Emptiness itself is the material world.

So feeling, the cognition, the action, and the consciousness are the same as above mentioned.

“Shelizi” is a name in Sanskrit. He is a disciple of the Buddha, and is listening to the teaching of the Buddha. This whole scripture of the supreme-wisdom heart was said by the Buddha Siddhattha, and was recorded by his disciples after he died. 

So, as we have known and what we have said, the matter, feeling, cognition, action, and the consciousness are the Five Aggregates. All of them and its quality is emptiness. Meanwhile, the Buddha said that the emptiness itself is the Five Aggregates. How we realize the concept as said? The matter, feeling, cognition, action and the consciousness are arisen from the emptiness. In a word, the emptiness and the existence are one.

Shelizi!

All law is the phenomenon of emptiness,

which is neither arising nor eliminating, neither defiling nor purifying, and neither increasing nor decreasing.

All law as we have said is generally referring to the phenomenon of physical and mental matters which are inside and outside, and the phenomenon and any rules of the world, which is also concerning to the law or doctrine of Buddha. Thus, we might have a question what we should learn, if all law is the phenomenon of emptiness?

When we realize that all is empty, then we realize that all exists. The Buddha had been telling us one concept that all is illusion, which should not be persisted. Because all existence, including the mental and spiritual matters, would be in the following four states: formation, existence, destruction and emptiness, and in the following four states: arise, dwell, change, eliminate. So, we know that the final state of all law is elimination and emptiness. We could ask the following questions to ourselves. Why should I persist in doing or having something that its final state is the elimination and emptiness? If I persist in doing or having something that its final state is empty, I might be a silly person. Not to persist in doing or having something does not mean not to do something. We shall do all right things and do all things rightly, even though we know that their final states are empty. As aforesaid, the teaching of Buddha is not negative. On the contrary, it is very positive.

In the phenomenon of emptiness, it is neither arising nor eliminating, neither defiling nor purifying, and neither increasing nor decreasing. We can find that arise and eliminate are the opposite concept, so such as defile and purify, increase and decrease. That means there is no such opposite concept or any such opposite matters in the phenomenon of emptiness. It is very important for us to know it in learning Buddha, because the Buddha’s nature is the nature of emptiness.

In Zen, one person asked for awakening of its own Buddha’s nature from an ancient Buddhist master. The Buddhist master said that: “Do not think about the good. Do not think about the evil.” Then, the person was awakened immediately.

In our world and our life, there are so many troubles and distress that come from what we persist in the opposite concept, matter, feeling, cognition, action, and conscious. For example, if one person persisted in what is right, and the other persisted in what is wrong, then, these two persons would argue with each other, because they had the different opinion. Then, the fighting is happened. If we could abandon any meaningless persistence, and be in the state of emptiness, there would be no burden in heart such as troubles or nuisance. In this way, we should cultivate the heart of abandonment as said.

There is thus no material world in the emptiness, and no feeling, cognition, action, and consciousness;

No eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, and mind;

No form, sound, smell, taste, sensation, and law;

No realms of eyes, and even until no realms of consciousness;

No ignorance, and no end of ignorance, and even until no aging and death, and no end of aging and death;

No suffering, aggregating, eliminating, and Tao;

No wisdom and attainment.

That is talking about the Five Roots and Five Aggregate as aforesaid. When we use our eyes, we see all the matters. When we use our ears, we hear all the sounds. As such until that we have the consciousness for all the law when we use our mind. However, in the emptiness, there are no such things. Even though, such things which is happened are emptiness. Then, we might have a question what it has any meaning for us, when all is emptiness. To image that there is a road, from A point to B point, there is nothing in the road, so we can go forward without any obstacle from A to B, meanwhile, others can come to us in the road without any obstacle from B to A. To think about that, then the meaning will be present to us. There is meaning on the Buddha’s path, which is waiting for us to find out. It is the deep teaching of Buddha and it is incredible.    

In the Buddhist Scripture, the Buddha said: The ignorance is the Buddha Nature. The distress is the Bodhi. We might have a question, that the ignorance and the Buddha Nature which seems like the opposite concept, why both of them are equal? We might have the same question about that the distress is the Bodhi. We might understand that from a lotus. A lotus grows in the mud. Mud is described as the ignorance or distress. A lotus is described as Buddha’s Nature or Bodhi. No matter a lotus or mud, both of them never depart from each other.

A great Buddhist master in ancient China had said that:

The law or doctrine of Buddha exists in the world,

And never departs from the worldly feeling.

Leaving the world to find the Bodhi, 

Is like to ask for rabbits horns. 

  The Bodhi is in Sanskrit, which also means Buddhahood or the supreme-equality enlightenment.

In the body of emptiness, there is no aging and death, and no end of aging and death. There is a Buddhist Scripture which is talking about the vows of the Buddha, whose name is immeasurable longevity. That is said by the Buddha Siddhattha. One day, I seem to understand it and to link it with no aging and death. Then, I have found that there would be the immeasurable longevity, if there was no aging and death. Furthermore, it talks about the incarnation and the eternity of Buddha’s nature.

In the phenomenon of emptiness, there is no suffering, aggregating, eliminating, and Tao. There is no such concept, even the action, such as to feel the suffering, to accumulate the feeling of suffering, to eliminate the aggregating of such feeling, and to go in the path of practicing the Buddha’s law. Tao is the transliteration from  the Chinese word. Its original meaning is path, road, or way. And then, it is extended to be the practicing of Buddha’s law. Why I use this word ”Tao”, because it has the meaning. If we say that we walk in the road of Buddha, it means that we do something like Buddha to do.

There is no wisdom and no attainment in the phenomenon of Emptiness. You know, if someone said that it had been awakened and got a Certificate from a famous Buddhist Master, no matter how famous it is, it is better for us to doubt it. And if someone said that it had been awakened and it was in which level in heaven, we might have to doubt it. Why? Completely understanding the heart sutra as follows, you will know.

Because of nothing to be attained, a Buddhisattva depends and bases on the supreme wisdom, there is thus no hindrance in heart. Due to no hindrance, there is no fear. It departs from the reversed dream. So the Nirvana is exactly attained.

So, what is the supreme wisdom? The Buddha said that nothing to be attained is the supreme wisdom. In fact, including the supreme wisdom itself and the attainment of supreme wisdom itself, all of them do not exist. Therefore, there is no hindrance in heart. If someone said that I got the wisdom, which thus would become a hindrance in heart, because it would be afraid of losing the wisdom.

There is the obtaining, there is thus the losing. There is no obtaining, there is thus no losing. The reversed dream refers to the heart of obtaining and losing. When leaving the heart of obtaining and losing, there is no hindrance and no fear in heart. There is no obtaining, no losing, no hindrance and no fear in the emptiness. Accordingly, a Buddhisattva would exactly attain the “Nirvana”, which means the perfect silence and peace is thus exactly attained. Nirvana is Sanskrit.

All Buddha of Three Life Time has attained the supreme-equality enlightenment by the supreme wisdom.

The Three Life Time means the previous life, the present life and the next life. The supreme-equality enlightenment means the Buddhahood. In Sanskrit, it is ” anuttarā-samyak-sambodhi ”. I do not use these words, because it is difficult to understand, remember and recite.

All Buddha, including the Buddha in the previous, the present, and the next life, has attained the supreme-equality enlightenment by what have mentioned above in the content, which is the supreme wisdom. What all Buddha has attained is the supreme-equality enlightenment. The supreme-equality enlightenment means the heart with the highest and true equality to understand the truth. We know when there is no opposite concept and matters, there will be the true equality. When the disciples doubt whether the woman can get into the Buddhahood or not, the Buddha talks about the story in concerning the Buddhahood of woman. So, no matter who is male or female, monk or nun, non-monk or non-nun, all can get into the Buddhahood, because there is no such concept of differentiation in the emptiness.

Therefore, the supreme wisdom is known as the great-spiritual charm, the great- bright charm, the supreme charm, and the no-grade equal charm, which can be realized to eliminate all suffering. It is genuine and not false. That is why the charm of supreme wisdom is said, and is recited as:

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate

Bodhi Svahal

I use the word ”charm” instead of “mantra”. The word “charm” may be more acceptable for the people. Charm means a saying that is thought to have a magical power, such as the ability to bring happiness. In Sanskrit, mantra means charm.

So, the supreme wisdom that we have said is known as the great spiritual and bright charm. In this charm, there is no obstacle in spirituality and it is full of light and happiness. It is also the supreme charm. That means it is the highest and best charm to remove our suffering.

It is also the equal charm of no grade. In the emptiness, there is no grade. Due to there is no grade, it would not be compared to be equal or un-equal. Here, I have to explain it more clearly. Otherwise, it might be misunderstood. As we have learned, we know that there is no concept of equality or inequality in the emptiness, not to mention the equality or the inequality. Therefore, it is true equality. Accordingly, that is why it is true equal charm. The equality from our personal cognition and consciousness is not necessarily true equality, but more prejudice in personal interests.

To realize such charm could eliminate our all suffering. It is true and not false.

“Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svahal” is in Sanskrit, the whole means that:

Let us all together attain Buddhahood completely with perfect wisdom.

I wish that all sentient beings are free from all suffering,       

And achieve Buddhahood completely with the perfect wisdom.