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.
