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Heart Sutra audio

An audio recording of the chanting of the Heart Sutra can be downloaded here in MP3 or Real Audio format. Real Player, a free download, will play either format.

[Very special thanks to The Kwan Um School of Zen for hosting this and for adding the MP3 version at our request!]

Commentaries on The Heart Sutra

Thich Nhat Hanh (also here) has published an excellent volume on the Heart Sutra which is slim and very accessible. Its title is "The Heart of Understanding: Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra", and can be purchased from Amazon.com by clicking on the link provided.

The Heart Sutra Home Page contains links to various translations of the Heart Sutra.

BuddhaNet provides a commentary along with an alternate (and somewhat awkward) translation.

David McClanahan provides a commentary on his personal website. Click on the link that says "Click here for a line-by-line commentary on the Heart Sutra", then continue to click on "next page" to step through the entire sutra.

The Heart Sutra

[Maha...Prajna...Paramita...Hridaya...Sutra]

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita
perceives that all five skandhas are empty
and is 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 form.

The same is true of feelings,
perceptions, impulses, 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 no form, no feelings,
perceptions, impulses, consciousness.

No eyes, no ears, 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 Prajna Paramita
and the mind is no hindrance;
without any hindrance no fears exist.
Far apart from every distorted view one dwells in Nirvana.

In the three worlds
all Buddhas depend on Prajna Paramita
and attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.

Therefore know that Prajna Paramita
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 Prajna Paramita mantra,
proclaim the mantra which says:

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha

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