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The Sutra on the Essence of Transcendent Knowledge
The
Bodhisattva-Mahasattva, looking at the profound practice of transcendent
knowledge, saw the five skandhas and their natural emptiness.
Then through the
inspiration of the Buddha, Shariputra said to Avalokiteshvara: “How should those noble ones learn, who wish
to follow the profound practice of transcendent knowledge?” And Avalokiteshvara answered: “Shariputra, whoever wishes to follow the
profound practice of transcendent knowledge should look at it like this, seeing
the five skandhas and their natural emptiness.
Form is emptiness, emptiness itself is form; emptiness is no other than
form, form is no other than emptiness; in the same way feeling, perception,
concept and consciousness are emptiness.
Thus all the dharmas are emptiness and have no characteristics. They are unborn and unceasing, they are not
impure or pure, they neither decrease nor increase. Therefore since there is emptiness there is no form, no feeling,
no perception, no concept, no consciousness; no eye, no ear, no nose, no
tongue, no body, no mind, no quality of sight, no quality of hearing, no
quality of smelling, no quality of tasting, no quality of sensing, no quality
of thought, no quality of mind-consciousness; there are no nidanas, from
ignorance to old age and death, nor their wearing out; there is no suffering,
no cause of suffering, no ending of suffering and no path; no wisdom, no
attainment and no non-attainment.
Therefore since there is no attainment, the Bodhisattvas abide by means
of transcendent knowledge; and since there is no obscurity of mind they have no
fear, they transcend falsity and pass beyond the bounds of sorrow. All the Buddhas who dwell in the past, present
and future, by means of transcendent knowledge fully and clearly awaken to
unsurpassed, true, complete enlightenment.
Therefore the mantra of transcendent knowledge, the mantra of deep insight, the unsurpassed mantra, the
unequalled mantra, the mantra which calms all suffering, should be known as
truth, for there is no deception. In
transcendent knowledge the mantra is proclaimed:
Om gate gate paragate
parasamgate bodhi svaha
O Shariputra, this is how a Bodhisattva-Mahasattva
should learn profound transcendent knowledge.”
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