HANNYA SHINGYO
The Great Perfection of Transcendent Wisdom Teaching
The bodhisattva
(influence leading to enlightenment) Kannon practiced deep prajna
paramita (perfection of wisdom) and perceived the five aggregates as empty
(of inherent existence), and that this knowledge could relive all suffering.
Shariputra form is not different from emptiness (‘the
Void’). Emptiness is not different
from form. Form is (the manifestation
of) emptiness. Emptiness is
(experienced through manifestation of) form.
Feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness are likewise.
Shariputra, this is the original character of everything. No birth, nor annihilation, (no appearing or
disappearing) no being tainted, nor (need for) being purified, no increasing,
or decreasing. Therefore, in emptiness
there is no form, feelings, perceptions, impulses, or consciousness. There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, or
mind (to sense). No color, sound,
smell, taste, touch, or object (to be sensed).
No realm of eyes, and so forth (through the eighteen constituents) until
no realm of mental consciousness. No
ignorance, as well as no (need for) extinction of ignorance, and so forth
(through the twelvefold chain of dependent arising) until no old age or death,
as well as no (need for) elimination of old age or death. No suffering, origin, cessation, or path
(“Four noble truths”). No wisdom, also
no attainment because of nothing needing to be attained. A bodhisattva can rely on (the truth
of) prajna paramita (perfection of transcendent wisdom) because the mind
is no longer an obstacle. Because there
is no obstacle, there is the absence of fear.
On beyond the realms of limiting erroneous views, they dwell in nirvana
(“enlightened realization of ‘emptiness’”). In the three times (past, present,
future) all enlightened forces have relied on prajna paramita (perfection
of transendent wisdom) to attain supreme unsurpassed perfect enlightenment.
Therefore, I know the prajna
paramita mantra (“essence slogan”)
is the great spiritual
mantra,
the great bright mantra,
the incomparable mantra.
It is the mantra that
assuages all suffering.
It is all truth and no
falsehood.
Therefore, the prajna
paramita mantra was proclaimed, and that mantra states:
“Gone, gone, gone beyond,
gone completely beyond, enlightenment”.
PREVIOUS