The Heart Sutra

by Red Pine

  Hui-chung says, “If you believe in this unsurpassed, true Tao, your mind is already the buddha. Thus it says they realize ‘unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.’”

  Te-ch’ing says, “Not only do bodhisattvas rely on this prajna for their practice, there is no buddha in the past, the present, or the future who does not rely on this prajna in order to realize unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.”

  Part Four

  The Womb of Buddhas

  29. YOU SHOULD THEREFORE KNOW THE GREAT MANTRA OF PRAJNAPARAMITA: tasmaj jnatavyan prajnaparamita maha-mantro

  BY TAKING REFUGE in Prajnaparamita, bodhisattvas overcome all obstacles to enlightenment. With the way now clear, Avalokiteshvara shows us the door to the sanctum sanctorum.

  In line 20, we are told that in emptiness there is “no knowledge” (na jnana). So how can we now know ( jnatavyan) this mantra? Unlike such dharmas as the skandhas, the abodes, the elements, the links, or the truths regarding suffering, this mantra is not an entity of the mind. We can know this mantra because it involves no knowledge, rather it leads beyond knowledge. This is the only form of knowledge cultivated by a bodhisattva. The knowledge of dharmas turns out to be no knowledge, and the knowledge of no knowledge turns out to be the only knowledge worth knowing.

  Mantras are knowledge that transcends our normal understanding of knowledge. They are the creation of beings in touch with the underlying vibrations of the mind and the keys that unlock its power through sympathetic harmonics. In the Chungnan Mountains south of Sian, I once met a Buddhist master who had founded four Buddhist colleges before finally retiring to spend her last years in a mountain hut. She told me in all seriousness that mantras were taught to humans by beings from another world. No doubt their authors were from another world. At the very least, it was a world whose origin stretches back to India’s pre-Vedic, pre-historic past, when the only knowledge worthy of the name was knowledge of ritual, and at the heart of every ritual was a mantra. In the Buddha’s day, mantras were in widespread use among almost all religious practitioners, including his own disciples. Although the Buddha sometimes criticized their use, as in the Dhirgha Agama (14), he also taught them to his disciples for such purposes as protection from snakes, as in the Samyukt Agama (9). In this regard, the Buddha distinguished between mantras that simply conferred magic powers and those that provided protection or spiritual aid.

  Often a distinction is made between mantras and dharanis, whereby mantras are said to be strings of one or more syllables not meant to be understood as human language, and dharanis are said to be intelligible summaries of some profound truth. But this is a late distinction, and early texts use the words mantra and dharani in reference to both intelligible and unintelligible incantations. Since this sutra uses the word mantra, and the sutra itself was often referred to as a dharani, it was most likely composed before such a distinction was made.

  Andre Padoux says, “a mantra has a use rather than a meaning” (Understanding Mantras, p. 302). This mantra, however, has both. It contains the essential teaching of the Prajnaparamita and also enables those who chant it to join the lineage of buddhas who have their origin in this teaching. In his commentary, Vajrapani says, “The mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is not a mantra for pacification, increase, power, or wrath. What is it? By merely understanding the meaning of this mantra, the mind is freed” (Donald Lopez, Elaborations on Emptiness, p. 213).

  A mantra is like a magic lamp. If you rub it correctly, its resident genie will appear. During Hsuan-tsang’s stay in India (630-644), he once traveled through Andra Pradesh and came to a cavern where the monk Bhavaviveka lived during the previous century and where he was said to have chanted a mantra every day for three years in order to invoke the appearance of Avalokiteshvara. The resident genie of this mantra, however, is not Avalokiteshvara, but Prajnaparamita, the Goddess of Transcendent Wisdom and the Mother of All Buddhas, and it turns out she is already present. Thus, bodhisattvas who know this mantra know their mother.

  Ching-chueh says, “Once you catch a fish, you can forget the trap. Once you catch a rabbit, you can forget the snare. Once you catch the meaning, you can forget the words. The Pravara-devaraja Paripriccha Sutra says, ‘Though words are used to express a dharani, a dharani has no words. The great compassionate power of prajna is beyond words and expressions.’”

  30. THE MANTRA OF GREAT MAGIC: maha-vidya mantro

  The word vidya is derived from vid, “to understand,” and includes every kind of mastery from science to practical arts to magic. Among Buddhists, the term vidya is often used as equivalent to the word mantra because it, too, encapsulates a system of mastery, though one that surpasses the ken of ordinary mortals. But vidya is also distinguished from mantra as referring to the mastery of female deities, while mantra refers to that of male deities. Thus, the term mahavidya (great master/magician) has become an appellation for many of India’s most popular goddesses, including Kali, Tara, Durga, Sarasvati, and Lakshmi (cf. Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine: The Ten Mahavidyas, by David Kinsley, pp. 57-60). The reason for such usage is that mantras (or vidyas) have the power to give birth to a new state of consciousness. Thus, each of these mahavidyas is associated with a particular form of spiritual awareness and only appears when her mantra is chanted, just as a genie only appears when its magic lamp is rubbed. But not all mantras give rise to such deities, only mantras that possess great magic. In this case, the mantra does not give rise to Prajnaparamita but becomes her womb and thus the source of the greatest of all magic, the appearance of a buddha.

  The word mantra means “protector of thought.” Thus, a mantra is like an amulet or talisman, but one that protects its user’s mind rather than their body. Normally, mantras are only efficacious when transmitted from teacher to disciple during a carefully ritualized ceremony in which the proper pronunciation is taught along with instructions concerning accompanying gestures, postures, or religious paraphernalia. But the Heart Sutra mantra, being also a dharani, is not subject to such restrictions. It is not secret but accessible to all who have the good fortune to encounter it. The word dharani means “to call to mind.” Like a memento, it reminds us of the teaching we have resolved to practice. But it is much more than that. It is also our guide. Thus, a mantra contains the protective deity, and a dharani leads us into her sanctuary. In this case, the Heart Sutra mantra does both.

  In some perfection of wisdom texts, such as the Perfection of Wisdom in One Hundred Thousand Lines, the word mantra is replaced by vidya in sections of text identical to lines 29-32, in which case this line would read the “magic of great magic” or the “mastery of great mastery,” and the remaining lines would also substitute “magic” or “mastery” for “mantra.”

  31. THE UNEXCELLED MANTRA: anuttara mantro

  The term anuttara (unexcelled) is a title of every buddha and is taken from the phrase anuttara samyak sambodhi, “unexcelled, perfect enlightenment.” Enlightenment is called “unexcelled” because it goes beyond all categories, including the higher categories of the Abhidharma. And because this mantra is identical to enlightenment, it, too, is called “unexcelled.” There is nothing beyond it. It is the beyond.

  This same series of epithets also occurs in Kumarajiva’s translation of the Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines, where Indra, who rules the heaven in which the Buddha’s mother was reborn, sighs, “Bhagavan, the Prajnaparamita is a mantra of great magic, an unexcelled mantra, a mantra equal to the unequalled. And why is this? Because, Bhagavan, the Prajnaparamita can eliminate all evil dharmas and give rise to all good dharmas.” To this the Buddha assents, then adds, “All buddhas of the past have relied on this mantra to realize unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. And all the buddhas of the future and all the buddhas of the present throughout the ten directions also rely on this mantra to realize unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. It is because of this mantra that the world knows the Path” (Chinese Tripitaka, vol. 8, p. 286b-c).

  32. THE MANTRA EQUAL TO
THE UNEQUALLED: asama-sama mantrah

  The term asama-sama (equal to the unequalled) is another title of every buddha. Because this mantra is identical to enlightenment, it is the equal of every buddha. Thus, it is equal to the unequalled. On those occasions when the Buddha was asked if he could suggest a comparison for buddhahood, he pointed to the sky, unbounded, indivisible, and all-pervasive. Being unexcelled, this mantra likewise has nothing above it. Being unequalled, this mantra has nothing below it. And being equal to the unequalled, it is no different from the buddhahood of every buddha. Buddhas differ, but not their buddhahood. Thus, this mantra is known by all buddhas, just as children know their mother.

  In Kumarajiva’s translation of the Perfection of Wisdom in Twenty-five Thousand Lines, Shariputra and the other members of the assembly address the Buddha: “In practicing the Prajnaparamita equal to the unequalled in their giving, bodhisattvas perfect the paramita of generosity equal to the unequalled and obtain a body equal to the unequalled and a dharma equal to the unequalled, namely, unexcelled, perfect enlightenment. The same is true for the paramitas of morality, forbearance, vigor, meditation, and wisdom. The Bhagavan has also practiced this Prajnaparamita and perfected the Six Paramitas equal to the unequalled and obtained a dharma equal to the unequalled and obtained a form equal to the unequalled, and sensations, perceptions, memories, and consciousness equal to the unequalled and has turned the Wheel of Dharma equal to the unequalled. And so it has been for buddhas of the past” (Chinese Tripitaka, vol. 8, p. 229c).

  Te-ch’ing says, “Because it can drive away the demonic torment of birth and death, it is called ‘the great mantra’; because it can break through the ignorance and darkness of the endless night of birth and death, it is called ‘the mantra of great magic’; because no dharma in this or any other world excels prajna, it is called ‘the unexcelled mantra’; because prajna is the mother of buddhas and gives birth to limitless virtues, nothing in this or in any world can match it, while it alone can match everything else. Hence, it is called ‘the mantra equal to the unequalled.’”

  Hui-chung says, “A mantra has many meanings. It can’t be fully explained to people that their own minds have no limits and that they come and go without obstruction and yet never move. This is why this is called a ‘great mantra.’ Because the mind is basically pure and clear and dwells forever in the perfect illumination of what is real and responds to what is present without becoming exhausted, it is a ‘mantra of great magic.’ And because none of the myriad dharmas is beyond the mind, and nothing surpasses it, it is an ‘unexcelled mantra.’ And because the word ‘mind’ cannot be characterized as existing or not existing and is without limits, borders, or comparisons, it is a ‘mantra equal to the unequalled.’”

  Fa-tsang says, “It eliminates obstructions and is not false, hence it is called ‘great.’ It is the light of wisdom and not ignorance, hence it is called ‘magic.’ It is surpassed by nothing else, hence it is called ‘unexcelled.’ And it has no peer, hence it is called ‘equal to the unequalled.’ But why not simply say it is ‘unequalled’? Because it appears to be the equal of enlightenment.”

  Ming-k’uang says, “According to the principles of the Four Teachings, the ‘great mantra’ is the Hinayana Teaching of the Four Truths regarding what is born and what dies; the ‘mantra of great magic’ is the Common Teaching of the Four Truths regarding what is neither born nor dies; the ‘unexcelled mantra’ is the Special Teaching of the Four Truths regarding what is infinite; and the ‘mantra equal to the unequalled’ is the Complete Teaching of the Four Truths regarding what is unconditioned.”

  33. WHICH HEALS ALL SUFFERING AND IS TRUE, NOT FALSE: sarva-duhkha prashamanah satyam amithyatvat

  Here, Avalokiteshvara reveals the function of this mantra as well as its qualification to fulfill that function. Its function is to free us from suffering. Its qualification is that it is true.

  The Buddha often told his disciples that everything he taught them could be summed up by the Four Truths: suffering, the origin of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path leading to the end of suffering. Thus, at the conclusion of this sutra, Avalokiteshvara returns to the beginning: suffering and the way out of suffering.

  Buddhists recognize eight kinds of suffering: the suffering of birth, the suffering of age, the suffering of illness, the suffering of death, the suffering of separation from what one loves, the suffering of meeting what one hates, the suffering of not getting what one wants, and the suffering of the skandhas. Avalokiteshvara tells Shariputra that in emptiness there is no suffering, no source of suffering, no relief from suffering, and no path leading out of suffering. But to keep Shariputra from treating this insight as another level of intellectual understanding, which was the skill for which he was best known, Avalokiteshvara directs him instead to this mantra, which heals our suffering by bringing Shariputra, and us along with him, face-to-face with the true nature of suffering. The Sanskrit verb here is prashamana. In addition to “heal,” it means to “calm.”

  It has become a commonplace to say “the truth will set you free.” But no one has ever been freed by the truths of this world. Thus, this mantra does not represent a conventional truth or a provisional truth of some lesser path that only applies under certain conditions to certain persons. Rather it represents a truth beyond which we need no further instruction. Such a claim borders on the presumptuous. Hence, Avalokiteshvara insists on its validity.

  Deva says, “This sutra can put an end to the turning wheel of birth and death. It is like a bright lamp that can dispel darkness, like a wonderful medicine that can eliminate poison, and like tweezers that can extract a cataract from the eye. Essentially, it is like a magic pearl that grants to its possessor whatever they seek or wish for.”

  Fa-tsang says, “Because there is no doubt that it eliminates suffering, it is said to be ‘true, not false.’”

  Hui-chung says, “By relying on this mantra, the minds of all buddhas transcend the Three Realms and are not subject to the round of existence. Thus it says it can ‘heal all suffering.’ Because it points directly to your mind as absolutely the buddha and as not requiring cultivation or realization, it says it is ‘true.’ Because the mind is not an incarnated body and is free of confusion and always at peace, it says it is ‘not false.’”

  34. THE MANTRA IN PRAJNAPARAMITA SPOKEN THUS: prajnaparamitayam ukto mantrah tadyatha

  The operative term here is “in.” This mantra is in Prajnaparamita because it is her womb, which she creates through its sound and which we enter through sympathetic harmonics when we chant it. Some mothers sing lullabies. Prajnaparamita sings this mantra. The reason Avalokiteshvara knows this mantra is that he is a subsequent incarnation of Maya, the mother of Shakyamuni, and thus a manifestation of Prajnaparamita, the Mother of All Buddhas. In Vajrayana Buddhism, Avalokiteshvara is also known as the vidya-adhipati, “bestower of spells.”

  In ancient India, cosmic order was maintained by the practice of rita, or ritual, and the heart of every ritual involved the incantation of a series of potent sounds, sometimes meaningful, sometimes not, but invariably directed toward a deva whose assistance was sought. In this case, we are not directing this mantra toward a deva but toward reality itself, as personified by the goddess Prajnaparamita. David Kinsley says, “It is not that the mantra belongs to the goddess, which is the way one is often tempted to understand the relationship between the deity and the mantra; the situation, rather, is that the mantra is the goddess” (Tantric Visions of the Divine Feminine, p. 58). In this case I would say that the mantra is not the goddess per se but her womb.

  Hui-chung says, “A mantra is simply a person’s own mind. Because these words point to the mind, it is called the mantra of ‘Prajnaparamita.’”

  Te-ch’ing says, “The foregoing text is exoteric prajna. This mantra is esoteric prajna. There’s no place for an intellectual understanding, only silent repetition. The speed of its effectiveness depends upon the inconceivable power of forgetting f
eelings and putting an end to understanding. But the reason behind the speed of its effectiveness is the light inherent in everyone’s mind. Buddhas realize it and use it to perform miraculous feats and wonders. Ordinary beings mistake it and use it to create delusion and trouble. They use it without being aware of it because they remain blind to what is real. Thus, they suffer in vain. Is this not a pity? But if they could wake up right now to what they already possess and turn their light inward and focus their minds on cultivation, the barrier of birth and death would suddenly break apart, just as a single lamp dispels the gloom in a room that has been dark for a thousand years. One doesn’t need any other method. If we resolve to escape from birth and death and then abandon this, we will be without a boat or raft. Thus it is said that in the ever-surging sea of suffering, prajna serves as our raft. And during the long night of ignorance, prajna serves as our lamp. People race down precipitous paths, or they drift in a perilous sea and are content in their oblivious-ness. Who knows where they will end up? Prajna is also like a miraculous sword. It cuts people in two without them even feeling it. Who but the wise can use it? Certainly not those with small minds.”

  35. ‘GATE GATE, PARAGATE, PARASANGATE, BODHI SVAHA’