Zen Teachings

The following are teachings we feel especially close to.

They are found in the Sutras, the teachings of Shakyamuni,

and the teachings of Dogen.

Atta Dipa

Atta Dipa
Viharatha
Atta Sharana
Ananna Sharana

Dhamma Dipa
Dhamma Sharana
Ananna Sharana

Look within!
You are The Light.
Take refuge in yourself.
Do not take refuge in others.

Look within!
The Light is The Dharma.
Take refuge in The Dharma.
Do not take refuge in anything,
Other than The Dharma.

The Discourse on Loving-Kindness
By Shakyamuni Buddha

What should be done by one who's skilled in wholesomeness
To gain the state of peacefulness is this:
One must be able, upright, straight and not proud,
Easy to speak to, mild and well content,
Easily satisfied and not caught up
In too much bustle, and frugal in one's ways,
With senses calmed, intelligent, not bold,
Not being covetous when with other folk,
Abstaining from the ways that wise ones blame.
And this the thought that one should always hold:

“May all beings all live happily and safe
And may their hearts rejoice within themselves.
Whatever there may be with breath of life,
Whether they be frail or very strong,
Without exception, be they long or short
Or middle-sized, or be they big or small,
Or thick, or visible, or invisible,
Or whether they dwell far or they dwell near,
Those that are here, those seeking to exist—
May beings all rejoice within themselves.
Let no one bring about another's ruin,
And not despise in any way or place.
Let them not wish each other any ill
From provocation or from enmity.”

Just as a mother at the risk of life
Loves and protects her child, her only child,
So one should cultivate this boundless love
To all who live in the whole universe
Extending from a consciousness sublime
Upwards and downwards and across the world
Untroubled, free from hate and enmity,
And while one stands and while one walks and sits
Or one lies down still free from drowsiness
One should be intent on this mindfulness—
This is divine abiding here they say.
But when one lives quite free from any view,
Is virtuous, with perfect insight won,
And greed for sensual desires expelled,
One surely comes no more to any womb.

The Heart Sutra is probably the most chanted sutra of them all.

Here are various versions and translations.

The Great Prajña Paramita Heart Sutra

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva doing deep prajña paramita,
Perceived the emptiness of all
Five conditions,
And was freed of pain.
O Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
Emptiness no other than form
Form is precisely emptiness,
Emptiness precisely form;
Sensation, perception, reaction and consciousness are also like this.
O Shariputra, all things are expressions of emptiness
Not born, not destroyed;
Not stained, not pure;
Neither waxing nor waning
Thus emptiness is not form;
Not sensation, nor perception reaction nor consciousness.
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, thing.
No realm of sight, no realm of consciousness.
No ignorance, no end to ignorance.
No old age and death,
No cessation of old age and death.
No suffering, no cause or end to suffering.
No path, no wisdom and no gain.
No gain--thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajña Paramita
With no hindrance of mind.
No hindrance, therefore no fear.
Far beyond all delusion, Nirvana is already here.
All past, present, and future Buddhas
Live this Prajña Paramita and attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, know that Prajña Paramita is the holy mantra,
The luminous mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra,
By which all suffering is cleared.
This is no other than truth.
Therefore, set forth the Prajña Paramita mantra,
Set forth this mantra and proclaim:
Gate, Gate Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!

Maka Haññya Haramita Shingyo

KAN JI ZAI BO SA GYO JIN HAN NYA HA RA MI TA JI SHO KEN GO ON KAI KU DO IS SAI KU YAKU SHA RI SHI SHIKI FU I KU KU FU I SHIKI SHIKI SOKU ZE KU KU SOKU ZE SHIKI JU SO GYO SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE SHA RI SHI ZE SHO HO KU SO FU SHO FU METSU FU KU FU JO FU ZO FU GEN ZE KO KU CHU MU SHIKI MU JU SO GYO SHIKI MU GEN NI BI ZES SHIN NI MU SHIKI SHO KO MI SOKU HO MU GEN KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI KAI MU MU MYO YAKU MU MU MYO JIN NAI SHI MU RO SHI YAKU MU RO SHI JIN MU KU SHU METSU DO MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK KO BO DAI SAT TA E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA KO SHIN MU KE GE MU KE GE KO MU U KU FU ON RI IS SAI TEN DO MU SO KU GYO NE HAN SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN NYA HA RA MI TA KO TOKU A NOKU TA RA SAM MYAKU SAM BO DAI KO CHI HAN NYA HA RA MI TA ZE DAI JIN SHU ZE DAI MYO SHU ZE MU JO SHU ZE MU TO TO SHU NO JO IS SAI KU SHIN JITSU FU KO KO SETSU HAN NYA HA RA MI TA SHU SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU GYA TEI! GYA TEI! HA RA GYA TEI HARA SO GYA TEI BO JI SOWA KA HAN NYA SHIN GYO.

Maka Haññya Haramita Shingyo
The Great Prajña Paramita Heart Sutra

Kan ji zai bo sa gyo jin han-nya ha ra mi ta ji
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva doing deep Prajña paramita,

Sho ken go on kai ku do is-sai ku yaku.
Perceived the emptiness of all five conditions, and was freed of pain.

Sha ri shi shiki fu i ku ku fu i shiki
O Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form

Shiki soku ze ku ku soku ze shiki
Form is precisely emptiness, emptiness precisely form;

Ju so gyo shiki yaku bu nyo ze
Sensation, perception, reaction and consciousness are also like this.

Sha ri shi ze sho ho ku so fu sho fu metsu
O Shariputra, all things are expressions of emptiness not born, not destroyed;

Fu ku fu jo fu zo fu gen
Not stained, not pure; neither waxing nor waning

Ze ko ku chu mu shiki mu ju so gyo shiki
Thus emptiness is not form; not sensation, nor perception reaction nor consciousness.

Mu gen-ni bi zes-shin ni
No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;

Mu shiki sho ko mi soku ho
No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, thing.

Mu gen kai nai shi mu i shiki kai
No realm of sight, no realm of consciousness.

Mu mu myo yaku mu mu myo jin
No ignorance, no end to ignorance.

Nai shi mu ro shi yaku mu ro shi jin
No old age and death, no cessation of old age and death.

Mu ku shu metsu do
No suffering, no cause or end to suffering, no path.

Mu chi yaku mu toku i mu sho tok ko
No wisdom and no gain. No gain

Bo dai sat ta e hañ-ñya ha ra mi ta
—Thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajña Paramita

Ko shin-mu ke ge mu ke ge ko mu u ku fu
With no hindrance of mind. No hindrance, therefore no fear.

On ri is-sai ten do mu so ku gyo ne han
Far beyond all delusion, Nirvana is already here.

San ze sho butsu e hañ-ñya ha ra mi ta
All past, present, and future Buddhas live this Prajña Paramita

Ko toku a noku ta ra sam-myaku sam-bo dai
And attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.

Ko chi hañ-ñya ha ra mi ta
Therefore, know that Prajña Paramita

Ze dai jin shu ze dai myo shu
Is the holy mantra, the luminous mantra,

Ze mu jo shu ze mu to to shu
The supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra,

No jo is-sai ku shin jitsu fu ko
By which all suffering is cleared. This is no other than truth.

Ko setsu han-nya ha ra mi ta shu
Therefore, set forth the Prajña Paramita mantra,

Soku setsu shu watsu
Set forth this mantra and proclaim:

Gya tei gya tei ha ra gya tei hara so gya tei
Gate, Gate Paragate, Parasamgate,

Bo ji sowa ka hañ-ñya shin gyo!
Bodhi Svaha!

The Perfection of Wisdom in Eight Thousand Lines
& its Verse Summary
Translated by Edward Conze

Thereupon the Lord, in order to gladden the four assemblies, and to further lighten up this perfection of wisdom,

preached at that time the following verses:

Chapter 1
Preliminary Admonition

“Call forth as much as you can of love, of respect and of faith!
Remove the obstructing defilements, and clear away all your taints!
Listen to the Perfect Wisdom of the gentle Buddhas,
Taught for the weal of the world, for heroic spirits intended!

The rivers all in this Roseapple Island
Which cause the flowers to grow, the fruits, the herbs and trees,
They all derive from the might of the king of the Nagas,
From the Dragon reside in Lake Anopatapta, his magical power.

Just so, whatever Dharmas the Jina’s disciples establish,
Whatever they teach, whatever adroitly explain—
Concerning the work of the holy which leads to the fullness of bliss,
And also the fruit of this work—it is the Tathagata’s doing.

For whatever the Jina has taught, the Guide to the Dharma
His pupils, if genuine, have well been trained in it.
From direct experience, derived from their training, they teach it,
Their teaching stems but from the might of the Buddhas, and not their own power.

The Basic Teachings

No wisdom can we get hold of, no highest perfection,
No Bodhisattva, no thought of enlightenment either.
When told of this, if not bewildered and in no way anxious,
A Bodhisattva courses in the Well-Gone’s wisdom.

In form, in feeling, will, perception and awareness
Nowhere in them they find a place to rest on.
Without a home they wander, dharmas never hold them,
Nor do they grasp at them—the Jina’s Bodhi they are bound to gain.

The wanderer Srenika in his gnosis of the truth
Could find no basis, though the skandhas had not been undone.
Just so the Bodhisattva, when he comprehends the dharmas as he should
Does not retire into Blessed Rest. In wisdom then he dwells.

What is this wisdom, whose and whence, he queries,
And then he finds that all these dharmas are entirely empty.
Uncowed and fearless in the face of that discovery
Not far from Bodhi is that Bodhi-being then.

To course in the skandhas, in form, in feeling, in perception.
Will and so on, and fail to consider them wisely;
Or to imagine these skandhas as being empty;
Means to course in the sign, the track of non-production ignored.

10.

But when he does not course in form, in feeling, or perception
In will or consciousness, but wanders without home,
Remaining unaware of coursing firm in wisdom,
His thoughts on non-production—then the best of all the calming trances cleaves to him.

11.

Through that the bodhisattva now dwells tranquil in himself,
His future Buddhahood assured by antecedent Buddhas.
Whether absorbed in trance, or whether outside it, he minds not.
For of things as they are he knows the essential original nature.

12.

Coursing thus he courses in the wisdom of the Sugatas,
And yet he does not apprehend the dharmas in which he course.
This coursing he wisely knows as a no-coursing,
That is his practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.

13.

What exists not, that non-existent the foolish imagine;
Non-existence as well as existence they fashion.
As dharmic facts existence and non-existence are both not real.
A bodhisattva goes forth when wisely he knows this.

14.

If he knows the five skandhas as like an illusion,
But makes not illusion one thing, and the skandhas another;
If, freed from the notion of multiple things, he courses in peace—
That this is his practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.

15.

Those with good teachers as well as deep insight,
Cannot be frightened on hearing the Mothers’ deep tenets.
But those with bad teachers, who can be misled by others,
Are ruined thereby, as an unbaked pot when in contact with moisture.

Three Key Terms Defined

16.

What is the reason why we speak of ‘Bodhisattvas?’
Desirous to extinguish all attachment, and to cut it off,
True non-attachment, or the Bodhi of the Jinas is their future lot.
‘Beings who strive for Bodhi’ are they therefore called.

17.

What is the reason whey ‘Great Beings’ are so called?
They rise to the highest place above a great number of people;
And of a great number of people they cut off mistaken views.
That is why we come to speak of them as ‘Great Beings.’

18.

Great as a giver, as a thinker, as a power,
He mounts upon the vessel of the Supreme Jinas.
Armed with the great armor he’ll subdue Mara the artful.
These are the reasons why ‘Great Beings’ are so called.

19.

This gnosis shows him all beings as like an illusion,
Resembling a great crowd of people, conjured up at the crossroads,
By a magician, who then cuts off many thousands of heads;
He knows this whole living world as a mock show, and yet remains without fear.

20.

Form, perception, feeling, will and awareness
Are ununited, never bound, cannot be freed.
Uncowed in his thought he marches on to his Bodhi,
That for the highest of men is the best of all armors.

21.

What then again is ‘the vessel that leads to the Bodhi?’
Mounted upon it one guides to Nirvana all beings.
Great is that vessel, immense, vast like the vastness of space.
Those who travel upon it are carried to safety, delight and ease.

The Transcendental Nature of Bodhisattvas

22.

Thus transcending the world, he eludes our apprehensions.
‘He goes to Nirvana,’ but no one can say where he went to.
A fire’s extinguished, but where, do we ask, has it gone to?
Likewise, how can we find him who has found the Rest of the Blessed?

23.

The Bodhisattva’s past, his future and his present must elude us,
Time’s three dimensions nowhere touch him.
Quite pure he is, free from conditions, unimpeded.
That is his practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.

24.

Wise Bodhisattvas, coursing thus, reflect on non-production,
And yet, while doing so, engender in themselves the great compassion,
Which is, however, free from any notion of being.
Thereby they practice wisdom, the highest perfection.

25.

But when the notion of suffering and beings leads him to think:
‘Suffering I shall remove, the weal of the world I shall work!’
Beings are then imagined, a self is imagined,—
The practice of wisdom, the highest perfection, is lacking.

26.

He wisely knows that all that lives in unproduced as he himself is;
He knows that all that is no more exists than he or any beings.
The unproduced and the produced are not distinguished,
That is the practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.

27.

All words for things in use in this world must be left behind,
All things produced and made must be transcended—
The deathless, the supreme, incomparable gnosis is then won.
That is the sense in which we speak of perfect wisdom.

28.

When free from doubts the Bodhisattva carries on his practice,
As skilled in wisdom he is knows to swell.
All dharmas are not really there, their essential original nature is empty.
To comprehend that is the practice of wisdom, perfection supreme.

Chapter II
Where Bodhisattvas Stand

He does not stand in form, perception or in feeling,
In will or consciousness, in any skandha whatsoever.
In Dharma’s true nature alone he is standing.
Then that is his practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.

Change and no change, suffering and ease, the self and not-self,
The lovely and repulsive—just one Suchness in this Emptiness they are.
And so he takes not his stand on the fruit which he won, which is threefold—
That of an Arhat, a Single Buddha, a Buddha fully enlightened.

The Leader himself was not stationed in the realm which is free from conditions,
Nor in the things which are under conditions, but freely he wandered without a home:
Just so, without a support of a basis a Bodhisattva is standing.
A position devoid of a basis has that position been called by the Jina.

Wherein Bodhisattvas Train

Those who wish to become the Sugata’s Disciples,
Or Pratyekabuddhas, or likewise, Kings of the Dharma—
Without resort to this patience they cannot reach their respective goals.
They move across, but their eyes are not on the other shore.

Those who teach dharma, and those who listen when it is being taught;
Those who have won the fruit of an Arhat, a Single Buddha, or a world-savior;
And the Nirvana obtained by the wise and the learned—
Mere illusions, mere dreams—so has the Tathagata taught us.

Four kinds of persons are not alarmed by this teaching:
Sons of the Jina skilled in the truths; saints unable to turn back,
Arhats free from defilements and taints, and rid of their doubts;
Those whom good teachers mature are reckoned the fourth kind.

Coursing thus, the wise and learned Bodhisattva,
Trains not for Arhatship, nor on the level of Pratyekabuddhas.
In the Buddha-dharma alone he trains for the sake of all-knowledge.
No training is his training, and no one is trained in this training.

Increase or decrease of forms is not the aim of this training,
Nor does he set out to acquire various dharmas.
All-knowledge alone he can hope to acquire by this training.
To that he goes forth when he trains in their training, and delights in its virtues.

The Facts of Existence

9. Forms are not wisdom, nor is wisdom found in form,
In consciousness, perceptions, feeling, or in will.
They are not wisdom, and no wisdom is in them.
Like space it is, without a break or crack.

10.

Of all objective supports the essential original nature is boundless;
Of beings likewise the essential original nature is boundless.
As the essential original nature of space has no limits,
Just so the wisdom of the World-knowers is boundless

11.

‘Perceptions’—mere words, so the Leaders have told us;
Perceptions forsaken and gone, and the door is open to the Beyond.
Those who succeed in ridding themselves of perceptions,
They, having reached the Beyond, fulfill the Teacher’s commandments.

12.

If for eons countless as the sands of the Ganges
The Leader would himself continue to pronounce the word ‘being’:
Still, pure from the very start, no being could ever result from his speaking.
That is the practice of wisdom, the highest perfection.”

Conclusion

13.

And so the Jina concludes his preaching, and finally tells us:
“When all I said and did at last agreed with perfect wisdom,
Then this prediction I received from Him who went before me:
‘Fully enlightened, at a future time thou shalt a Buddha be!’ ”

The Heart of the 25,000-line Perfection of Wisdom.
Om Homage to the Omniscient One!

Thus have I heard at one time. The Lord was staying at Rajagrha, on Vulture Peak mountain, together with a great assembly of monks and a great assembly of bodhisattvas. At that time once again the Lord, having pronounced the Dharma-explication called “The Manifestation of the Profound”, entered into samadhi. On that same occasion Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, who was carrying out [his] practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom, regarded [things] as follows:He regarded the five skandhas as empty of own-being.
At that time the venerable Shariputra, through the power of the Buddha, said this to the Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva. “That gentleman or lady who wishes to carry out a practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom—how should he study?” When [Shariputra] had spoken thus, Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, said this to the venerable Shariputra: “O Shariputra, that gentleman or lady who wishes to carry out a practice in this profound Perfection of Wisdom—he should regard [things] as follows: He saw the five skandhas as empty of own-being. Here, O Shariputra form is empty; emptiness itself is form. From form, emptiness is not distinct; from emptiness, form is not distinct. Whatever is form, that is emptiness; whatever is emptiness, that is form. And the same goes for sensation, concept, conditioning force and consciousness.

In that way, Shariputra, all dharmas have the mark of emptiness. They are not arisen, not stopped, not defiled, not pure, not less [than complete], not complete.

Therefore, O Shariputra, in emptiness [there is] no form, no sensation, no concept, no conditioning force, no consciousness, no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body [or] mind, no form, sound, scent, taste, touch-object [or] mind-object, no realm of the eye and so on up to no realm of mind-consciousness, no ignorance, nor destruction of ignorance and so on up to no old age and death, no destruction of old age and death, no suffering, arising [of suffering], [or] path, no knowledge, no attainment and no non-attainment.

Therefore, O Shariputra, since there is no attainment the bodhisattva dwells in reliance on the Perfection of Wisdom, without mental obstruction[s] Because of the absence of mental obstruction[s]., [the bodhisattva] is unafraid, has passed beyond error, [and] is assured of nirvana. All the Buddhas situated in the three times have awakened to unequaled complete perfect enlightenment in reliance on the Perfection of Wisdom.

Therefore the great mantra [of] the Perfection of Wisdom is to be known—the great spell mantra, the supreme mantra, the mantra which is equal to the unequaled, the mantra which appeases all suffering, [which is] truth, the mantra which—because of [its] non-falsehood—is spoken in the Perfection of Wisdom. It [goes] like this tadyatha: Om Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. Thus, O Shariputra, is the bodhisattva to study in the profound Perfection of Wisdom.

At that time the Lord arose from that samadhi, and approved of what Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, [had said]: “Good, good, sir! So it is, sir, so it is. One should carry out [one’s] practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom as you have made it known. And by the Tathagata-Arhats there will be rejoicing.”

So spoke the Lord. The venerable Shariputra, Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, and those monks and bodhisattva-mahasattvas, and the world with its whole assembly [of] gods, men, asuras, garudas and gandharvas, rejoiced at what the Lord had said.

The Heart of the 25,000-line Perfection of Wisdom.
Draft Translation of the Heart Sutra
(By Jan Nattier)

Om Homage to the Omniscient One!

Thus have I heard at one time.

The Lord (bhagavan) was staying at Rajagrha, on Vulture Peak mountain, together with a great assembly (samgha) of monks and a great assembly (samgha) of bodhisattvas. At that time once again the Lord, having pronounced the Dharma-explication (dharmaparyaya) called “The Manifestation of the Profound” (gambhira-avabhasa), entered into samadhi.

On that same occasion Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, who was carrying out [his] practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom, regarded [things] as follows: he regarded the five skandhas as empty of own-being (svabhava).

At that time the venerable (ayusman) Shariputra, through the power (anubhava) of the Buddha, said this to the Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva. “That gentleman or lady who wishes to carry out a practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom—how should he study?”

When [Shariputra] had spoken thus, Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, said this to the venerable Shariputra: “O Shariputra, that gentleman or lady who wishes to carry out a practice in this profound Perfection of Wisdom—he should regard [things] as follows: he saw the five skandhas as empty of own-being (svabhava).

Here, O Shariputra form is empty; emptiness itself (eva) is form. From form, emptiness is not distinct (prthag); from emptiness, form is not distinct. [Whatever is form, that is emptiness; whatever is emptiness, that is form.]

And the same goes for sensation (vedana), concept (samjña), conditioning force (samskara) and consciousness (vijñana).

In that way, Shariputra, all dharmas have the mark (lakshana) of emptiness (shunyata). They are not arisen (anutpanna), not stopped (aniruddha), not defiled (amala), not pure (avimala), not less [than complete] (anuna), not complete (aparipurna).

10.

Therefore, O Shariputra, in emptiness [there is] no form, no sensation, no concept, no conditioning force, no consciousness, no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body [or] mind, no form, sound, scent, taste, touch-object (sparstavya) [or] mind-object (dharma), no realm of the eye (cakshur-chatu) (and so on up to) no realm of mind-consciousness (manovijñana-dhatu), no ignorance, nor destruction of ignorance (and so on up to) no old age and death, no destruction of old age and death, no suffering, arising [of suffering], [or] path, no knowledge (jñana), no attainment (prapti) and no non-attainment (aprapti).

11.

Therefore, O Shariputra, since there is no attainment (prapti) the bodhisattva dwells in reliance (ashritya) on the Perfection of Wisdom, without mental obstruction[s]. Because of the absence of mental obstruction[s], (cittavarana), [the bodhisattva] is unafraid (atrasta), has passed beyond error (viparyasa-atikranta), [and] is assured of nirvana (nishtha-nirvana). All the Buddhas situated in the three times have awakened (abhisambuddha) to unequaled complete perfect enlightenment (anuttara-samyaksambodhi) in reliance (ashritya) on the Perfection of Wisdom.

12.

Therefore the great mantra (mahamantra) [of] the Perfection of Wisdom is to be known (jñatavyam)—the great spell (vidya) mantra, the supreme (anuttara) mantra, the mantra which is equal to the unequaled (asama-sama), the mantra which appeases (prashamana) all suffering, [which is] truth (satya), the mantra which—because of [its] non-falsehood (amithyatvat)—is spoken (ukta) in the Perfection of Wisdom. It [goes] like this (tadyatha): Om Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha. Thus (evam), O Shariputra, is the bodhisattva to study (shikshitavyam) in the profound Perfection of Wisdom.

13.

At that time the Lord arose from that samadhi, and approved of what Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, [had said]: “Good, good (sadhu, sadhu), sir (kulaputra)! So it is, sir, so it is. One should carry out [one’s] practice in the profound Perfection of Wisdom as you have made it known (nirdista). And by the Tathagata-Arhats there will be rejoicing (anumodyate).”

14.

So spoke the Lord. The venerable Shariputra, Noble Avalokiteshvara, the bodhisattva-mahasattva, and those monks and bodhisattva-mahasattvas, and the world with its whole assembly[of] gods, men, asuras, garudas and gandharvas, rejoiced at what the Lord had said.

15.

So (iti) is completed (samaptam) The Heart of the 25,000-line Perfection of Wisdom (Pañcavimsatika-prajñaparamita-hrdaya).

El Grande Prajña Paramita Sutra del Corazón

Avalokiteshvara el Bodisattva de la compasión practicando
el prajña paramita profundo claramente
Vió que los cinco condiciones son vacío
Tracendiendo a si in fortunio y su frimiento
O Shariputra forma es sín otro que la vacía
El vacía es sin otro que forma
Forma es exactamente la vacía.
La vacía es exactamenta forma.
Sensación, pensameiento, voluntad y conciencia son tam bién a si.
O Shariputra todas las coses son expressiónes de la vacía
No nacimento, no destrucción
No es corrupto, nada es puro
Nada pue de aumentar, nada pue de aumentar, nada pue es de disminuir
Por lo tanto la vacía no es forma
No sensación, no pensamiento, no voluntad, no conciencia,
No ojos, no oidss, no naris, no lengua, no cuerpo, no mente;
No ver, no escuchar, no oler, no de gustar, no tocar, no pensar;
No mundo de la visión, no mundo de la conciencia;
No ignorancia, no fin de la ignorancia,
No vejez y muerte
No fin de la vejez y muerte
No sufrimiento, no codicia, no extinción,
No senda, no sabiduria, no lograr
En verdad no hay qué lograr; el Bodisattva confia el Prajña Paramita
Sin obstáculo mental.
No obstáculo por lo tanto no miedo.
Le jos de una visión trastornada, finalmenta Nirvana.
Pasado, presenta, futuro todas Los Buddhas
Viven este Prajña Paramita e asi alcanzan la iluminación suprema.
Por eso sábelo: Prajña Paramita es el supremo mantra,
El más lúcido mantra, el más elevado mantra, el incomparable mantra
Despeja complementa el sufrimiento
Esto es verdad, no mentira
Por eso proclama el mantra Prajña Paramita
Proclama esta mantra y di
Gate, Gate Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!

The Great Prajña Paramita Heart Sutra
El Grande Prajña Paramita Sutra del Corazón

Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva doing deep Prajña paramita,
Avalokiteshvara el Bodisattva de la compasión practicando
el Prajña paramita profundo claramente

Perceived the emptiness of all Five conditions,
Vió que los cinco condiciones son vacío

And was freed of pain.
Tracendiendo a si in fortunio y su frimiento

O Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
O Shariputra forma es sín otro que la vacía

Emptiness no other than form
El vacía es sin otro que forma

Form is precisely emptiness,
Forma es exactamente la vacía.

Emptiness precisely form;
La vacía es exactamenta forma.

Sensation, perception, reaction and consciousness are also like this.
Sensación, pensameiento, voluntad y conciencia son tam bién a si.

O Shariputra, all things are expressions of emptiness
O Shariputra todas las coses son expressiónes de la vacía

Not born, not destroyed;
No nacimento, no destrucción

Not stained, not pure;
No es corrupto, nada es puro

Neither waxing nor waning
Nada pue de aumentar, nada pue de aumentar, nada pue es de disminuir

Thus emptiness is not form;
Por lo tanto la vacía no es forma

Not sensation, nor perception reaction nor consciousness.
No sensación, no pensamiento, no voluntad, no conciencia,

No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind;
No ojos, no oides, no naris, no lengua, no cuerpo, no mente;

No color, sound, smell, taste, touch, thing.
No ver, no escuchar, no oler, no de gustar, no tocar, no pensar;

No realm of sight, no realm of consciousness.
No mundo de la visión, no mundo de la conciencia;

No ignorance, no end to ignorance.
No ignorancia, no fin de la ignorancia,

No old age and death,
No vejez y muerte

No cessation of old age and death.
No fin de la vejez y muerte

No suffering, no cause or end to suffering.
No sufrimiento, no codicia, no extinción,

No path, no wisdom and no gain.
No senda, no sabiduria, no lograr

No gain—thus Bodhisattvas live this Prajña Paramita
En verdad no hay qué lograr; el Bodisattva confia el Prajan Paramita

With no hindrance of mind.
Sin obstáculo mental.

No hindrance, therefore no fear.
No obstáculo por lo tanto no miedo.

Far beyond all delusion, Nirvana is already here.
Le jos de una visión trastornada, finalmenta Nirvana.

All past, present, and future Buddhas
Pasado, presenta, futuro todas Los Buddhas

Live this Prajña Paramita and attain supreme, perfect enlightenment.
Viven este Prajña Paramita e asi alcanzan la iluminación suprema.

Therefore, know that Prajña Paramita is the holy mantra,
Por eso sábelo: Prajña Paramita es el supremo mantra,

The luminous mantra, the supreme mantra, the incomparable mantra,
El más lúcido mantra, el más elevado mantra, el incomparable mantra

By which all suffering is cleared.
Despeja complementa el sufrimiento

This is no other than truth.
Esto es verdad, no mentira

Therefore, set forth the Prajña Paramita mantra,
Por eso proclama el mantra Prajña Paramita

Set forth this mantra and proclaim:
Proclama esta mantra y di

Gate, Gate Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Prajñaparamita hridaya sutra

(Heart Sutra: The Sanskrit Text)

Prajñaparamita Hridaya Sutra

Aryavalokitesvaro bodhisattvo
Gambhiram prajñaparamita caryam caramano vyavalokayati
Sma panca skandhas tams ca sva bhava shuñyam
Pasyati sma iha Shariputra
Rupam shuñyata va rupam rupam na prithak
Shuñyata shuñyataya na prithag rupam
Yad rupam sa shuñyata ya shuñyata sa rupam
Evam eva vedana samjña samskara vijñanam
Iha Sariputra sarva dharma shuñyata
Lakshana anutpanna anruddha avmala anuna aparpurna
Ta Shariputra shuñyatayam
Na rupam na vedana na samjna na samskara na vijñana
Na caksuh shrotam na ghrana jihva kaya manah
Na rupa sabda gandha rasa spistavya dharmah
Na caksur dhatur ya van na mano vijñanam dhatur
Na vidya na vidya na vidya ksayo va vidya ksayo
Ya van jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo
Na duhkha samudaya nirdoha margajña
Na jnanam na prapti na bhismaya tasmai na prapti
Tvad bodhisattva prajñaparamita asritya
Viha ratya citta varano vidya ksayo na vidya ksayo
Ya van jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo
Na duhkha samudaya nirodha margajña
Na jnanam na prapti na bhismaya tasmai na prapti
Tvad bodhisattvanam prajñaparamita asritya
Viha ratya chitta varano chitta varano
Na shiddhitvad atrasto vipa ryasa ti kranto
Ni stha nirvana tya dha vyava sthitah
Sarva Buddhah prajñaparamitam ashritya
Añuttaram samyaksambodhim abdhisambuddhah
Ta smai jñata vyam
Prajñaparamitamahamantram mahavidyamantram
Añuttaramantram asamasama mantram
Sarva duhkha prasa manam sa tyam ami thyatvat
Prajñaparamitayam ukto mantrah tadyatha
GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA

The Sanskrit Text with Interlinear Vocabulary

Prajñaparamita Hridaya Sutra
Perfect Wisdom Heart Sutra

Aryavalokitesvaro bodhisattvo
Avalokateshvara bodhisattva

Gambhiram prajñaparamita caryam caramano vyavalokayati
Deep perfect wisdom action perform luminously

Sma panca skandhas tams ca sva bhava shuñyam
Saw five bundles them own nature empty

Pasyati sma iha Shariputra
? Saw oh Shariputra

Rupam shuñyata va rupam rupam na prithak
Form emptiness evidently form form not different

Shuñyata shuñyataya na prithag rupam
Emptiness emptiness not different form

Yad rupam sa shuñyata ya shuñyata sa rupam
This form that emptiness this emptiness that form

Evam eva vedana samjña samskara vijñanam
Like this feeling thought choice consiousness

Iha Shariputra sarva dharma shuñyata
Oh Shariputra all dharmas emptiness

Lakshana anutpanna anruddha avmala anuna aparpurna
Mark not born not pure not increase not decrease ?

Ta Sariputra shuñyatayam
Therefore Shariputra in the middle of emptiness

Na rupam na vedana na samjna na samskara na vijñana
No form no feeling no thought no choice no consciousness

Na caksuh srotam na ghrana jihva kaya manah
No eye ear no nose tongue body mind

Na rupa sabda gandha rasa spistavya dharmah
No form sound smell taste touch dharmas

Na caksur dhatur ya van na mano vijñanam dhatur
No eye-area up to no mind-consciousness area

Na vidya na vidya na vidya ksayo va vidya ksayo
No clarity no clarity no clarity exhaustion no clarity exhaustion

Ya van jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo
Up to old age no old age exhaustion

Na duhkha samudaya nirdoha margajña
No suffering end of suffering path

Na jñanam na prapti na bhismaya tasmai na prapti
No knowledge no ownership no witnessing no thing to own

Tvad bodhisattva prajñaparamita asritya
Therefore Bodhisattva perfect wisdom dwells

Viha ratya chitta varano vidya ksayo na vidya ksayo
in dwell thought no obstacle clarity exhaustion not clarity exhaustion

Ya van jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo
Up to old age no old age exhaustion

Na duhkha samudaya nirodha margajña
No suffering end of suffering path

Na jñanam na prapti na bhismaya tasmai na prapti
No knowledge no property no witnessing no thing to own

Tvad bodhisattvanam prajñaparamita asritya
Therefore Bodhisattva perfect wisdom dwells

Viha ratya chitta varano chitta varano
In dwell thought no obstacle thought no obstacle

Na shiddhitvad atrasto vipa ryasa ti kranto
No existence fear fright inverse reverse ? separate

Ni stha nirvana tya dha vyava sthitah
Perfectly stands nirvana three worlds thing experiences

Sarva Buddhah prajñaparamitam ashritya
All Buddhas perfect wisdom dwell

Añuttaram samyaksambodhim abdhisambuddhah
Unexcelled ultimate perfect insight together ? Buddhas

Ta smai jñata vyam
Therefore should know?

Prajñaparamitamahamantram mahavidyamantram
Perfect wisdom great charm great clear charm

Añuttaramantram asamasama mantram
Unexcelled charm unequalled equal charm

Sarva duhkha prasa manam sa tyam ami thyatvat
All suffering stop terminate genuine real not vain

Prajñaparamitayam ukto mantrah tadyatha
Perfect wisdom declared charm saying

GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
Gone gone totally gone totally completely gone enlightened so be it

(Sanskrit text prepared by: Dr. Michael E. Moriarty Communication Arts Department Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota 58072 Redistribution permitted. Southwest Chogye International Zen Academeia / 10/27/95)

The Fire Sermon of Shakyamuni Buddha

Then the Blessed One having dwelt in Uruvela as long as he wished, proceeded on his wanderings in the direction of Gaya Head, accompanied by a great congregation of monks, a thousand in number, who had all of them been monks with matted hair.

And there in Gaya, on Gaya Head, the Blessed One dwelt, together with the thousand monks.
And there the Blessed One addressed the monks:

All things, O monks, are on fire.
And what, O monks are all these things which are on fire?
The eye, O monks, is on fire;
forms are on fire;
eye-consciousness is on fire;
impressions received by the eye are on fire;
and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent, originates in dependence on impressions received by the eye, that also is on fire.And with what are these on fire?

With the fire of passion, say I,
with the fire of hatred,
with the fire of infatuation;
with birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief, and despair are they on fire.

The ear is on fire;
sounds are on fire;
the nose is on fire,
odors are on fire;
the tongue is on fire;
tastes are on fire;
the body is on fire;
things tangible are on fire;
the mind is on fire;
ideas are on fire;
mind-consciousness is on fire;
impressions received by the mind are on fire;
and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent, originates in dependence on impressions received by the mind, that also is on fire.And with what are these on fire?

With the fire of passion, say I,
with the fire of hatred,
with the fire of infatuation;
with birth, old age, death, sorrow, lamentation, misery, grief, and despair are they on fire.

Perceiving this, O monks, the learned and noble disciple conceives an aversion for the eye,
conceives an aversion for forms,
conceives an aversion for eye-consciousness,
conceives an aversion for the impressions received by the eye;
and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent, originates in dependence on impressions received by the eye,
for that also the disciple conceives an aversion.

Conceives an aversion for the ear,
conceives an aversion for sounds,
conceives an aversion for the nose,
conceives an aversion for odors,
conceives an aversion for the tongue,
conceives an aversion for tastes,
conceives an aversion for the body,
conceives an aversion for things tangible,
conceives an aversion for the mind,
conceives an aversion for ideas,
conceives an aversion for mind-consciousness,
conceives an aversion for the impressions received by the mind;
and whatever sensation, pleasant, unpleasant, or indifferent, originates in dependence on impressions received by the mind, for this also the disciple conceives an aversion.

And in conceiving this aversion, the disciple becomes divested of passion,
and by the absence of passion the disciple becomes free,
and when free the disciple becomes aware that he or she is free;
and knows that rebirth is exhausted,
that she or he has lived the holy life,
and has done what it behooved him or her to do,
and that she or he is no more for this world.

Genjo Koan
Manifesting Absolute Reality

by Dogen Zenji

When all things are just what they are (apart from discrimination), delusion and enlightenment exist, religious practice exists, birth exists, death exists, Buddhas exist, and ordinary beings exist. When the myriad things are without self, there is no delusion, no enlightenment, no Buddhas, no ordinary beings, no birth, no extinction. Since the Buddha Way from the beginning transcends fullness and deficiency, there is birth and extinction, delusion and enlightenment, beings and Buddhas. However, though this is the way it is, it is only this: flowers scatter in our longing, and weeds spring up in our loathing.

Delusion and Enlightenment

Conveying the self to the myriad things to authenticate them is delusion; the myriad things advancing to authenticate the self is enlightenment. It is Buddhas who greatly enlighten delusion; it is ordinary beings who are greatly deluded within enlightenment. Moreover, there are those who are enlightened within enlightenment and those who are deluded within delusion. When Buddhas are truly Buddhas, there is no need for the self to understand that it is Buddha. Yet we are Buddhas and we come to authenticate this Buddha. Mustering the [whole] mind-body and hearing forms, we understand them intimately, but it is not like shapes reflected in a mirror or like the moon being reflected in water. When one side is enlightened, the other side is dark.

Self and Others

To study the Buddha Way is to study the self. To study the self is to forget the self. To forget the self is to be authenticated by the myriad things. To be authenticated by the myriad things is to drop off the mind-body of oneself and others. There is [also] remaining content with the traces of enlightenment, and one must eternally emerge from this resting. When persons first turn to the Dharma, they separate themselves from its boundary. [But] when the Dharma is already internally transmitted, one is immediately the Original Man.

No Self

A person rides in a boat, looks at the shore, and mistakenly thinks that the shore is moving. If one looks carefully at the boat, one sees that it is the boat that is moving. In like manner, if a person is confused about the mind-body and discriminates the myriad things, there is the error of thinking that one's own mind or self is eternal. If one becomes intimate with practice and returns within [to the true self], the principle of the absence of self in all things is made clear.

Life and Death

Firewood becomes ashes and cannot become firewood again. However, you should not think of ashes as the subsequent and firewood as the prior [of the same thing]. You should understand that firewood abides in its own state as firewood, and has [its own] prior and subsequent. Although it has [its own] prior and subsequent, it is cut off from prior and subsequent. Ashes are in their own state as ashes and have a prior and subsequent. Just as firewood does not become firewood again after turning to ash, so a person does not return to life again after death. Thus, it is the fixed teaching of the Buddha Dharma that life does not become death, and therefore we call it "nonlife." It is the fixed sermon of the Buddha that death does not become life, and therefore we call it "non-death." Life is situated in one time and death is situated in one time. For instance, it is like winter and spring. We do not think that winter becomes spring or that spring becomes summer.

Nonobstruction of Beings and Enlightenment

A person's becoming enlightened is like the reflection of the moon in water. The moon does not get wet nor is the water ruffled. Though the moonlight is vast and far-reaching, it is reflected in a few drops of water. The entire moon and heavens are reflected in even a drop of dew on the grass, or in a drop of water. Our not being obstructed by enlightenment is like the water's not being obstructed by the moon. Our not obstructing enlightenment is like the nonobstruction of the moonlight by a dewdrop. The depth [of the water] is equal to the height [of the moon]. As for the length or brevity [of the reflection], you should investigate the water's vastness or smallness and the brightness or dimness of the moon.

Knowing and Non Knowing

When the Dharma does not yet completely fill the mind-body, we think that it is already sufficient. When the Dharma fills us, on the other hand, we think that it is not enough. For instance, when we are riding in a boat out of sight of land and we look around, we see only a circle [of ocean], and no other characteristics are visible. However, the great ocean is neither circular nor square, and its other characteristics are inexhaustible. It looks like a palace [to a fish] or a jewel ornament [to beings in the sky]. It just looks round to our eyes when we briefly encounter it. The myriad things are the same. Although things in this world or beyond this world contain many aspects, we are capable of grasping only what we can through the power of vision, which comes from practice. In order to perceive these many aspects, you must understand that besides being round or square, oceans and rivers have many other characteristics and that there are many worlds in other directions. It is not like this just nearby; it is like this right beneath your feet and even in a drop of water.

Nonduality of Persons and Dharma

When a fish swims in water, there is no end of the water no matter how far it swims. When a bird flies in the sky, fly though it may, there is no end to the sky. However, no fish or bird has ever left water or sky since the beginning. It is just that when there is a great need, the use is great, and when there is a small need, the use is small. In this way, no creature ever fails to realize its own completeness; wherever it is, it functions freely. But if a bird leaves the sky, it will immediately die, and if a fish leaves the water, it will immediately die. You must understand that the water is life and the air is life. The bird is life and the fish is life. Life is the fish and life is the bird. Besides these [ideas], you can probably think of others. There are such matters as practice-authentication and long and short lives.

However, if a bird or fish tries to proceed farther after reaching the limit of air or water, it cannot find a path or a place. If you find this place, then following this daily life is itself the manifesting absolute reality. If you find this path, following this daily life is itself the manifesting absolute reality. The path and the place are neither large nor small. They are neither self nor other, and they neither exist from the beginning nor originate right now. Therefore, they are just what they are. Being just what they are, if one practice-authenticates the Buddha Way, then when one understands one thing, one penetrates one thing; when one takes up one practice, one cultivates one practice. Because the place is right here and the path is thoroughly grasped, the reason you do not know the entirety of what is to be known is that this knowing and the total penetration of the Buddha Dharma arise together and practice together. Do not think that when you have found this place that it will become personal knowledge or that it can be known conceptually. Even though the authenticating penetrating manifest immediately, that which exists most intimately does not necessarily manifest. Why should it become evident?

The Need to Practice

Priest Pao-ch'e of Mount Ma-ku was fanning himself. A monk came by and asked, "The wind's nature is eternal and omnipresent. Why, reverend sir, are you still fanning yourself?" The master replied, "You only know that the wind's nature is eternal, but you do not know the reason why it exists everywhere." The monk asked, "Why does it exist everywhere?" The master just fanned himself. The monk made a bow of respect.

The authenticating experience of the Buddha Way and the vital way of correct transmission are like this. Those that say that because [the nature of wind] is eternal there is no need for a fan, and we can experience the wind without one, understand neither the meaning of its eternity nor its nature. Because the wind is eternal, the wind of Buddhism manifests the yellow gold of the earth and turns its long rivers into sweet cream.

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