Heart Sutra

Heart Sutra is known to be the shortest sutra which presents the purest essence of Buddha's Teachings. In the Heart Sutra, there are several lines that we may have come across quite often in our lives,

"Form Does not Differ From Emptiness, And Emptiness Does Not Differ From Form. Form is Emptiness and Emptiness is Form."

When we refer to emptiness in Buddhism, we are referring to being empty of an independent self. All phenomenon are interdependent, they cannot exist independently. No phenomenon, be it mental or physical, is independent. If it is, there will be no awareness of such phenomenon since the very awareness of such a phenomenon is dependent on our consciousness to acknowledge its existence itself is a mental phenomena. A classic exemplary question is when we see an object, does it exist externally or does it exist internally within our mind? By reflecting on this question, we already have a glimpse of the understanding of interdependence.

"Emptiness of All Dharmas Are Non-Arising, Non-Ceasing, Non-Defiled, Non-Pure, Non-Increasing, Non-Decreasing."

Imagine all the dhamma to be an ocean. A wave in its rise and fall is like individual phenomena (dhamma), each born and cease in its own time when the conditions rippens. Some waves are big and strong while some are small and weak. Although most of them will be like the little waves, your day to day ordinary life phenomenon but there are some who rises above the rest, phenomenon that affects the communities or the world, even the entire universe.

But we need to look beyond the waves, not to lose sight of the ocean itself. A wave is ocean. Although a wave itself is a distinct individual event, it cannot be separated from ocean. When the conditions ripens enough to cause a wave, nothing has been added to ocean. When the activity of wave ceases, the ocean is not lessen in anyway as well. The ocean remains the ocean.

"There is no suffering, no cause of suffering, no cessation of suffering, and no path. There is no wisdom, there is no attainment."

In contrast to the fourth noble truths that we know - There is suffering, there is cause of suffering, there is cessation of suffering and there is a path leading to the cessation of suffering, the heart sutra appears to have stated the exact opposites. Truly that is not so, as they refer to the Buddha nature that is ever present in all sentient beings. The ability to experience nibbana here and now. We are like a piece of diamond that is covered in mud and through careful washing, the diamond will shine forth, such is the nature of our mind. A diamond covered in mud is still a diamond, its value no lessen, just waiting to be discovered. That is the reason why there is no wisdom, no attainment, for what has to be attained has always been ever present, just covered up at the moment.

In the heart sutra, the last line Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha is actually a mantra. Mantra can be defined as a word or group of words that are capable of creating transformation, generating miracles. In most cases when an effort is made to chant a mantra continuously, it can help to calm and focus the mind which is in line with the Buddhist teachings to master the mind. To this effect, we can safely say that the mantra does generate transformation and that itself is already a miracle. A miracle does not have to be something beyond this world, it can be quite ordinary and the most ordinary miracles are truly the ones worth treasuring.

The meaning of the line Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha as defined by Master Sheng Yen is Go, Go, Go to the shore beyond (nibbana), All together to the shore beyond, And complete the bodhi path. Let's start the journey to cross over, shall we? =)