The Prajñāpāramitā Hṛdaya Sūtra

Chinese text by Ven. Hyeon Jang Beob Sa
English text by Ven. Zen Master Y. S. Seong Do

Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva,
when practicing profoundly the Prajñāpāramitā,
perceives that all five skandhas are empty
and is relieved from all suffering and distress.

Śāriputra,
form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form.

Form is emptiness,
emptiness is form.

And also like this are feeling, perception, impulse and
consciousness.

Śāriputra,
all dharmas are marked with emptiness;

they do not appear nor disappear,
are not tainted nor pure,
do not increase nor decrease.

Therefore in emptiness there is no form,
Nor feeling, perception, impulse and consciousness;
No eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body and mind,
Nor form, sound, smell, taste, touch and dharma;

No realm of the eye and so on,
No realm of consciousness;

No ignorance and also no exhaustion of it and so on,
No old age and death and also no exhaustion of them;

No suffering, origination, extinction and path,
No wisdom and also no attainment.

As there is nothing to attain,
the Bodhisattva, depending on the Prajñāpāramitā,
escapes from all obstacles in his mind.

As there is no obstacle, no fears exist
and going far beyond all inverted dreams,
in the end he reaches Nirvāṇa.

All Buddhas of the three periods,
depending on the Prajñāpāramitā,
attain the Anuttara-samyak-saṃbodhi.

Therefore one should know the Prajñāpāramitā
as the great divine Mantra,
as the great bright Mantra,
as the utmost Mantra,
as the unequalled Mantra,
which can relieve all suffering and in truth is not false.

So by the Prajñāpāramitā
has the Mantra been delivered
and is as follows:

Gate Gate Pāragate,
Pārasaṃgate Bodhi Svāhā

Gate Gate Pāragate,
Pārasaṃgate Bodhi Svāhā

Gate Gate Pāragate,
Pārasaṃgate Bodhi Svāhā