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Chinese Buddhism

The Heart Sutra in Buddhist Sanskrit...
plus a glossary of Zen terms

Part One: A Brief Comment

Part Two: The Buddhist Sanskrit Text with Interlinear Vocabulary

Part Three: A Glossary of Zen Buddhist Terms

Part One: A Brief Comment

The title of The Heart Sutra appears to refer to the use of perfect wisdom (prajnaparamita) to cleanse error from the heart (hridaya). There are numerous variations of the sutra in Sanskrit and many other classical, Asian languages. Edward Conze did extensive work in this field, although his methods are now challenged by contemporary scientific philologists. The search for an ur-text is probably always going to be inconclusive, although some evidence points to the existence of a single, original version. This is of no consequence for people whose interest in the Sanskrit text is based on a desire to inspect the Sanskrit vocabulary of the concepts in The Heart Sutra or to draw spiritual nourishment from the elegantly poetic repetitions of the Sanskrit text that follows. A spiritual friend provided me with the materials I have used to prepare this version of the text in Buddhist Sanskrit.

This text is modified from:

Hurtz, Leon. Hsuan-tsang (602-664) and the Heart Scripture in Prajnaparamita and Related Systems: Studies in Honor of Edward Conze (University of California at Berkeley Press). 103-113.

Hurtz describes this text as "brahmanical" and reports that Hsuan-tsang transcribed it in Chinese characters from a wall of a cave at Ta hsing-shan-ssu in Lo-yang, China, apparently on the Silk Road, during the 7th century A.D. The context in which the Chinese scholar presented the Hridaya Sutra makes it clear that he considered it a magical text. Although this text is not precisely identical with existing English translations of "The Heart Sutra," it is obviously consistent with the Hridaya textual tradition. The Sanskrit scans metrically and by sense into mostly four line verses, a classical verse form that suggests a strong literary value in the text. Repetitions and thematic emphasis on the pervasiveness of emptiness (sunyata) characterize the text. I found that in order to preserve the sense of the verses it was necessary to shorten one verse to three lines, to lengthen another verse to five lines.

I modified the Hurtz text by eliminating all Sanskrit diacritical marks, regularizing the spacing of the Sanskrit words and their spelling, and adjusting the lines of the text according to sense and (in some cases) meter. I used Hurtz's interlinear vocabulary as a base and added to it. The difficulties in this text are partly due to the obscurities of Buddhist Sanskrit, partly to the awkardness of the transcription into Roman letters from Chinese phonological equivalents by Hurtz, and mostly to my radically imperfect knowledge of Sanskrit. I accept full responsibility for the errors experts in the Sanskrit language will find here.

May the merit of this effort benefit all sentient beings.

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Part Two: The Buddhist Sanskrit Text with Interlinear Vocabulary

prajnaparamita hridaya sutra
(perfect wisdom heart sutra)

aryavalokitesvaro bodhisattvo
(Avalokateshvara bodhisattva)
gambhiram prajnaparamita caryam caramano vyavalokayati
(deep perfect wisdom action perform luminously)
sma panca skandhas tams ca sva bhava sunyam
(saw five bundles them own nature empty)
pasyati sma iha sariputra
(? saw oh Sariputra)

rupam sunyata va rupam rupan na prithak
(form emptiness evidently form form not different)
sunyata sunyataya na prithag rupam
(emptiness emptiness not different form)
yad rupam sa sunyata ya sunyata sa rupam
(this form that emptiness this emptiness that form)
evam eva vedana samjna samskara vijnanam
(like this feeling thought choice consiousness)

iha sariputra sarva dharma sunyata
(oh Sariputra all dharmas emptiness)
laksana anutpanna anruddha avmala anuna aparpurna
(mark not born not pure not increase not decrease ?)
ta sariputra sunyatayam
(therefore Sariputra in the middle of emptiness)

na rupam na vedana na samjna na samskara na vijnana
(no form no feeling no thought no choice no consciousness)
na caksuh srotam na ghrana jihva kaya manah
(no eye ear no nose tongue body mind)
na rupa sabda gandha rasa spistavya dharmah
(no form sound smell taste touch dharmas)
na caksur dhatur ya van na mano vijnanam dhatur
(no eye-area up to no mind-consciousness area)

na vidya na vidya na vidya ksayo va vidya ksayo
(no clarity no clarity no clarity exhaustion no clarity exhaustion)
ya van jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo
(up to old age no old age exhaustion)
na duhkha samudaya nirdoha margajna
(no suffering end of suffering path)
na jnanam na prapti na bhismaya tasmai na prapti
(no knowledge no ownership no witnessing no thing to own)

tvad bodhisattva prajnaparamita asritya
(therefore bodhisattva perfect wisdom dwells)
viha ratya citta varano vidya ksayo na vidya ksayo
(in dwell thought no obstacle clarity exhaustion not clairty exhaustion)
ya van jaramaranam na jaramarana ksayo
(up to old age no old age exhaustion)
na duhkha samudaya nirodha margajna
(no suffering end of suffering path)
na jnanam na prapti na bhismaya tasmai na prapti
(no knowledge no property no witnessing no thing to own)

tvad bodhisattvanam prajnaparamita asritya
(therefore bodhisattva perfect wisdom dwells)
viha ratya citta varano citta varano
(in dwell thought no obstacle thought no obstacle)
na siddhitvad atrasto vipa ryasa ti kranto
(no existence fear fright inverse reverse ? separate)
ni stha nirvana tya dha vyava sthitah
(perfectly stands nirvana three worlds thing experiences)

sarva buddhah prajnaparamitam asritya
(all buddhas perfect wisdom dwell)
(a?)nuttaram samyaksambodhim abdhisambuddhah
(unexcelled ultimate perfect insight together ? buddhas)
ta smai jnata vyam
(therefore should know ?)
prajnaparamitamahamantram mahavidyamantram
(perfect wisdom great charm great clear charm)

anuttaramantram asamasama mantram
(unexcelled charm unequalled equal charm)
sarva duhkha prasa manam sa tyam ami thyatvat
(all suffering stop terminate genuine real not vain)
prajnaparamitayam ukto mantrah tadyatha
(perfect wisdom declaired charm saying)

GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA
(gone gone totally gone totally completely gone enlightened so be it)

prepared by: Dr. Michael E. Moriarty Communication Arts Department Valley City State University Valley City, North Dakota 58072

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Common Zen Buddhist Terms

by Stan Rosenthal

adharma
irreligion; lack of dutifulness; confusion
Amitabha Buddha
Buddha associated with mercy and wisdom.
Anathapindika's Grove
Jeta grove, site of a monastery built for the history Buddha my Anathapindika.
annuttara samyak sambodhi
Perfection of complete enlightment
Arahat
"worthy one"; one who has attained no more learning.
asura
demon, evil spirit.
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
Great limitless compassionate one.
bhiku
Religious mendicant or friar of the order founded by Gotama Buddha.
bodhi
awakened wisdom
Bodhidharma
28th Indian ancestor, 1st Chinese ancestor
bodhisattva
literally, wisdom-being, one on the way to enlightenment; an enlightened being (Buddha) who renounces Nirvana to aid all human beings to achieve enlightenment
buddhaalso, Butsudo or hondo;
Guatarma Siddharta, the founder of Buddhism
buddha-field
the field of consciousness created by the ideation of an enlightened being
Chinul
Korean Zen master
Chogye
Largest Korean Zen Buddhist Sect
Dharani
Short sutras of symbolic syllables
dharma
element of existence; ultimate nature, reality, truth, existence; sacred law; duty; righteousness; the moral law
Dharmakaya
The true nature of Buddha, transcendental reality, essence of the universe.
enlightenment
awakening
four noble truths
  1. Life is suffering
  2. Suffering is caused by desire
  3. There is a path from desire and suffering
  4. This path is the Eightfold Noble Path.
gatha
A form of four-line verse sutra
good-and-wise ones
Teachers
Hakuin
kalpa
endlessly long period of time
karma
universal law of cause and effect.
Koan
"Public case", a pure presentation of the nature of ultimate reality.
Kshitigarbha Bodhisattva
Savoir from the torments of hell.
mantra
power-laden syllable or series of syllables that manifest certain cosmic forces or aspects of a buddha.
meditation
practice that concentrates and clarifies the mind
Nirmanakaya
the earthly body of a buddha.
nirvana
complete absorption into the undifferentiated ground of being; spiritual bliss
paramita
"perfection", virtues perfected by a bodhisattva: Also including:
prajna
Wisdom of true mind
Roshi
lit, "old teacher", Japanese, a Zen master
samadhi
collectedness of the mind through gradual calming of mental activity.
sambodhi
Sambogakaya
body of buddha-paradise buddha
sangha
the buddhist community - monks, nuns, novices, and lay followers
Sariputra
One of the ten great disciples of Buddha, renowned for his wisdom.
sesshin
days of especially intense, strict practice
Shakyamuni
"Sage of Shayka", epithet of the historical Buddha
skandha
the five aggregates, constituting what is generally known as the personality:
Subhuti
a student of the Buddha, who was known for his loving kindness.
sutra
discourses of the Buddha
Tao
Way
tathagata
nature of a buddha; one who has followed in the steps of his predecessors
Tripitaka
canon of Buddhist scriptures
True mind
Vajrachchedika-Prajnaparamita-Sutra
The Diamond-Cutter sutra
zazen
Sitting meditation, taught in Zen as the most direct way to awakening.
Zen
Meditative absorption in which all dualistic distinctions are eliminated.

Source: Steven E. Newton

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