The Heart Sutra

A Pocket Guide to the Essence of Wisdom

序文

Introduction

The Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, commonly known as the Heart Sutra, is one of the most famous and beloved texts in Mahayana Buddhism. Though it is only 260 characters long in its Chinese translation, it encapsulates the profound heart of Buddhist wisdom.

The sutra is a teaching given by the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to Shariputra, a senior disciple of the Buddha. Its core message is the teaching of Shunyata, or “emptiness.” This is not a nihilistic “nothingness,” but a revelation that all things, concepts, and phenomena lack a fixed, independent, and permanent self. They are interconnected and ever-changing.

This short book presents the sutra in Japanese and English, followed by brief explanations of its key concepts to help you on your journey of understanding.

経文

摩訶まか般若はんにゃ波羅蜜多はらみった心経しんぎょう

Reading aids

観自在かんじざい菩薩ぼさつ行ぎょう深じん般若はんにゃ波羅蜜多はらみった時じ照見しょうけん五蘊ごうん皆空かいくう度ど一切いっさい苦厄くやく舎利子しゃりし色しき不異ふい空くう空くう不異ふい色しき色しき即是そくぜ空くう空くう即是そくぜ色しき受じゅ想そう行ぎょう識しき亦復如是やくぶにょぜ舎利子しゃりし是ぜ諸法しょほう空相くうそう不生ふしょう不滅ふめつ不垢ふく不浄ふじょう不増ふぞう不減ふげん是故ぜこ空中くうちゅう無む色しき無む受じゅ想そう行ぎょう識しき無む眼耳鼻舌身意げんにびぜっしんい無む色声香味触法しきしょうこうみそくほう無む眼界げんかい乃至ないし無む意識界いしきかい無む無明むみょう亦やく無む無明むみょう尽じん乃至ないし無む老死ろうし亦やく無む老死ろうし尽じん無む苦く集しゅう滅めつ道どう無む智ち亦やく無む得とく以い無所得むしょとく故こ菩提薩埵ぼだいさった依え般若波羅蜜多はんにゃはらみった故こ心しん無む罣礙けいげ無む罣礙けいげ故こ無有むう恐怖くふ遠離おんり一切いっさい顛倒てんどう夢想むそう究竟くぎょう涅槃ねはん三世さんぜ諸仏しょぶつ依え般若波羅蜜多はんにゃはらみった故こ得とく阿耨多羅あのくたら三藐さんみゃく三菩提さんぼだい故こ知ち般若波羅蜜多はんにゃはらみった是ぜ大神呪だいじんしゅ是ぜ大明呪だいみょうしゅ是ぜ無上呪むじょうしゅ是ぜ無等等呪むとうどうしゅ能除のうじょ一切いっさい苦く真実しんじつ不虚ふこ故こ説せつ般若波羅蜜多呪はんにゃはらみったしゅ即説そくせつ呪曰しゅわつ

羯諦ぎゃてい羯諦ぎゃてい波羅はら羯諦ぎゃてい波羅僧はらそう羯諦ぎゃてい菩提ぼじ薩婆訶そわか

般若心経

ローマ字 — Romanization

Kan jizai bosatsu gyō jin Hannya Haramitta ji, shōken go'un kai kū, do issai ku yaku. Sha-ri-shi, shiki fu i kū, kū fu i shiki, shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki. Ju sō gyō shiki, yaku bu nyoze. Sha-ri-shi, ze shohō kū sō, fu shō fu metsu, fu ku fu jō, fu zō fu gen. Ze ko kū chū, mu shiki, mu ju sō gyō shiki, mu gen ni bi zetsu shin i, mu shiki shō kō mi soku hō, mu gen kai nai shi mu i shiki kai. Mu mumyō, yaku mu mumyō jin, nai shi mu rōshi, yaku mu rōshi jin. Mu ku shū metsu dō, mu chi, yaku mu toku. I mu shotoku ko, bodaisatta, e Hannya Haramitta ko, shin mu keige, mu keige ko, mu u kufu, on-ri issai tendō musō, kugyō Nehan. Sanze shobutsu, e Hannya Haramitta ko, toku Anokutara Sanmyaku Sanbodai. Ko chi Hannya Haramitta, ze dai jin shū, ze dai myō shū, ze mu jō shū, ze mu tō dō shū, nō jo issai ku, shinjitsu fuko. Ko setsu Hannya Haramitta shū, soku setsu shū watsu:

Gyatei gyatei, hara gyatei, harasō gyatei, boji sowaka.

Hannya Shingyō.

英訳

The Heart Sutra

English Translation

When the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Perfection of Wisdom, he perceived that all five aggregates are empty and was saved from all suffering and distress.

“Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. That which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness is form. The same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.

Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they do not appear or disappear, are not tainted or pure, do not increase or decrease.

Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no impulse, no consciousness. No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no realm of eyes and so forth until no realm of mind consciousness. No ignorance and also no extinction of it, and so forth until no old age and death and also no extinction of them. No suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path, no cognition, also no attainment with nothing to attain.

The Bodhisattva depends on Prajnaparamita and the mind is no hindrance; without any hindrance no fears exist. Far apart from every perverted view one dwells in Nirvana.

All Buddhas in the past, present, and future depend on Prajnaparamita and attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.

Therefore, know that Prajnaparamita is the great transcendent mantra, is the great bright mantra, is the utmost mantra, is the supreme mantra, which is able to relieve all suffering and is true, not false. So proclaim the Prajnaparamita mantra, proclaim the mantra which says:

Gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā.”

解説

Explanations

形は空に溶ける

Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form

色しき即是そくぜ空くう、空くう即是そくぜ色しき

Shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki

This is the sutra’s most famous and paradoxical statement. “Form” refers to the physical world, our bodies, and material objects. The sutra asserts that these forms have no permanent, inherent existence. They are “empty” because they are constantly changing and dependent on other conditions to exist.

A wave is distinct, yet it is just water. The wave is “empty” of a separate self; it is the water. Conversely, this “emptiness” is not apart from the physical world; it manifests as form.

The Five Aggregates are Empty

五蘊ごうん皆空かいくう

Goun kai kū

The Buddha taught that what we call a “self” is just a temporary combination of five parts, or aggregates:

Form — The physical body.
Feeling — Sensations of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
Perception — Recognizing and labeling things.
Mental Formations — Thoughts, volitions, and emotions.
Consciousness — Awareness itself.

Avalokiteshvara sees that none of these parts constitute a permanent “I”. When we realize our “self” is empty, we are freed from the suffering that comes from clinging to it.

彼岸への門

The Great Mantra

羯諦ぎゃてい羯諦ぎゃてい…

Gyatei gyatei…

The sutra concludes with a powerful mantra, a chant that encapsulates the energy of the teaching. It is often left untranslated to preserve its power, but its meaning is approximately:

“Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, O awakening, hail!”

Gate — Gone from the shore of suffering and ignorance.
Paragate — Gone to the other shore of enlightenment.
Parasamgate — Gone completely, together with all beings.
Bodhi — Awakening.
Svāhā — An expression of delight, like “So be it!” or “Hallelujah!”

Reciting the mantra is a practice to help us let go of our conceptual thinking and cross over from the world of suffering to the shore of liberation.

A timeless guide to the essence of Buddhist wisdom.

This pocket-sized edition contains the complete text of the Heart Sutra in Japanese and English, along with concise explanations of its most profound teachings on emptiness, non-duality, and liberation.

A perfect companion for meditation and daily reflection.

般若心経