Buddha Sutras |
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Mantras Sanskrit |
Sūtra no. 17 (posted 04/2008, updated 05/2008)
Sūtra of the All-encompassing Knowledge Store, the Heart of Prajñā-Pāramitā
普遍智藏般若波羅蜜多心經
Translated from Sanskrit into Chinese in the Tang Dynasty
by
The Tripiṭaka Śramaṇa Dharmacandra from Magadha
Thus I have heard:
At one time the Buddha was staying on the Vulture Peak Mountain near the great capital city [Rājagṛha], together with a multitude of 100,000 great bhikṣus and 77,000 Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas. At their head were Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, Mañjuśrī Bodhisattva, Maitreya Bodhisattva, and others. They all had acquired the Samādhi of Total Retention, abiding in the inconceivable liberation.
At that time Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, seated there in the multitude, rose from his seat and came to the place where the Buddha was. Facing the Buddha, he joined his palms and bent over respectfully. Gazing deferentially at the venerated visage, he said to the Buddha, "World-Honored One, I would like to pronounce in this assembly the Bodhisattvas' all-encompassing knowledge store, the heart of prajñā-pāramitā. I pray only that the World-Honored One will permit me to pronounce to the Bodhisattvas the secret tenets of the Dharma."
At that time the World-Honored One said to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva in the Brahma tone: "Very good! Very good! Great Compassionate One, you have my permission to speak and to be the great bright light to sentient beings."
Then Avalokiteśvara Bodhisttva, having received the Buddha's approval and considerate protection, entered the right experience in the Samādhi of Wisdom Light. After he entered this Samādhi, with its power, he acted upon the profound prajñā-pāramitā and saw that the self-nature of the five aggregates is all empty. With the understanding that the self-nature of the five aggregates is all empty, he peacefully rose from that Samādhi. Forthwith, he told Śāriputra the Wise, "Good man, this Bodhisattva has the heart of prajñā-pāramitā, called the All-encompassing Knowledge Store. Now hearken and ponder well! I will explicate it to you."
That having been said, Śāriputra the Wise responded to Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva, "Yes, Great Pure One, I pray that you will pronounce it. Now is the right time."
Thereupon, he told Śāriputra, "Bodhisattva-Mahāsattvas should learn in this way. The nature of form is emptiness; the nature of emptiness is form. Form is no different from emptiness; emptiness is no different from form. Sensory reception, perception, mental processing, and consciousness are the same way. The nature of consciousness is emptiness; the nature of emptiness is consciousness. Consciousness is no different from emptiness; emptiness is no different from consciousness. Consciousness is in effect emptiness; emptiness is in effect consciousness. Śāriputra, dharmas, with the appearance of emptiness, are neither born nor perishing, neither defiled nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing.
"Therefore, in emptiness, there is no form, nor sensory reception, perception, mental processing, or consciousness; no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or mental base, nor sights, sounds, scents, tastes, tactile sensations, or mental objects; and no spheres, from eye sphere to mental-consciousness sphere. There is neither ignorance nor ending of ignorance; and neither old age and death nor ending of old age and death. There is no suffering, cause of suffering, cessation of suffering, or the path. There is neither knowledge nor attainment because there is nothing to attain.
"Bodhisattvas, because of relying on prajñā-pāramitā, have no hindrances in their minds. Without any hindrance, they have no fear. Staying far from inverted dreaming and thinking, they will ultimately attain nirvāṇa. Buddhas of the past, present, and future, because of relying on prajñā-pāramitā, all attain anuttara-samyak-saṁbodhi.
"Hence, we know that prajñā-pāramitā is the great spiritual mantra, the great illumination mantra, the unsurpassed mantra, the unequaled mantra, which can remove all sufferings. It is true, not false. Hence the Prajñā-Pāramitā Mantra is pronounced. Then the Mantra goes:
gate gate pāragate pāra-saṅgate bodhi svāhā ||"
After the Buddha had pronounced this Sūtra, the multitude of bhikṣus and Bodhisattvas as well as all the gods, humans, asuras, gandharvas, and others in the world, having heard what the Buddha had said, greatly rejoiced. They all believed in, accepted, and reverently carried out the teachings in the Sūtra of the All-encompassing Knowledge Store, the Heart of Prajñā-Pāramitā.
—Sūtra of the All-encompassing Knowledge Store, the Heart of Prajñā-Pāramitā
Translated from the Chinese Canon, Volume 8, Text no. 252