When the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara was practising prajnia-paramita, (a profound form of contemplation) he clearly saw that the Five Skandha* are Sunya* and thereby became free from all suffering.

 

0 Sariputra,* form is sunyata, sunyata is form; form is none other than sunyata, sunyata is none other than form.  The same can be said of sensation, conception, predisposition and consciousness.

 

0 Sariputra, all dharmas * are characterised by dependence upon causation; they are neither born nor do they perish; they are neither tainted nor immaculate; they neither increase nor decrease.

 

Therefore, in sunyata there is no form, no sensation, no conception, no predisposition, no consciousness; no eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body or mind; no form, sound, odour, taste, tangibleness or objects of thought; no realm of the eyes, ... no realm of consciousness. *  There is no ignorance, no extinction of old age and death.  There is no suffering, no origination of suffering, no extinction, no path.  There is no wisdom and no attainment because there is no object to be attained.

 

The Bodhisattva, because of his reliance on Perfect Wisdom, has no obstacle in mind; because he has no obstacle, he has no fear.  Being free from all delusions he reaches ultimate Nirvana.  All the Buddhas of the past, present, and future, relying on Perfect Wisdom, attain perfect Awakening.  One should, therefore, know that the prajna-paramita is the great mantra, the mantra of great wisdom, the highest mantra, the incomparable mantra, which is capable of relieving all suffering; it is true and not false.  Thus, the prajna-paramita mantra is:

 

Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

(Gone, gone gone beyond, gone together, perfectly beyond, 0 Awakening. hail').

1. Five Skanda: form, sensation, conception, predisposition and consciousness.

2. Sunya or Sunyata: state of interdependent causation.

3. Sariputra - one of the ten great disciples of the Buddha.

4. Dharmas: Law, truth, things non things, Buddha’s Teachings, the universe as an object of thoughts.

5. No realm of eyes… no realm of consciousness - The Eighteen Realms of sensory means (eyes, ears, nose tongue body mind), objects (form, sound, odour, taste, tangibleness/touch, objects of thoughts) and consciousness (visual, auditory, olfactory, gustatory, tactile, nonsenuous).

6. The Heart Sutra of Perfect Wisdom is Buddha’s word to Sariputra.