Hannya Shingyo: The Heart Sutra

This is one of the most important sutras in Mahayana Buddhism. I chanted it frequently on my pilgrimage, as part of my prayer routine. I will be writing much more about it, but when I was on my Aki Meguri, I carried a beautiful copy lovingly handwritten by my friend and former student Mikako Saito, with wishes for safety and success.

Click the image to see the full-sized version

Below I have added a Roman alphabet transliteration of this prayer, as well as a translation. (You can find a version that includes the pronunciation of the Japanese kanji characters here.)

MAKA HANNYA HARAMITA SHIN GYO
The Great Prajna-Paramita Heart Sutra

KAN JI ZAI BO SA GYO- JIN HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA JI
Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva, while meditating deeply in the Prajñaparamita,

SHO- KEN GO ON KAI KU- DO IS-SAI KU YAKU.
clearly perceived that all five skandhas are equally empty, overcoming all suffering.

SHA RI SHI SHIKI FU I KU- KU- FU I SHIKI
"Listen, Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, nor emptiness from form.

SHIKI SOKU ZE KU- KU- SOKU ZE SHIKI
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form.

JU SO- GYO- SHIKI YAKU BU NYO ZE
The same thing is true with feelings, perception, mental functioning, and consciousness.

SHA RI SHI ZE SHO HO- KU- SO- FU SHO- FU METSU
"Shariputra, all things are marked with emptiness; they are neither produced nor destroyed;

FU KU FU JO- FU ZO- FU GEN
neither stained nor pure, neither increasing nor decreasing.

ZE KO KU- CHU- MU SHIKI MU JU SO- GYO- SHIKI
"Therefore, in emptiness there is neither form, nor feeling, nor perception, nor mental functioning, nor consciousness;

MU GEN-NI BI ZES-SHIN I
no eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind;

MU SHIKI SHO- KO- MI SOKU HO-
no form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touchable, no object of mind;

MU GEN KAI NAI SHI MU I SHIKI KAI
no realm of eyes, and so forth until no realm of mind consciousness.

MU MU MYO- YAKU MU MU MYO- JIN
"No ignorance and also no extinction of ignorance,

NAI SHI MU RO- SHI YAKU MU RO- SHI JIN
no old age and death, and so forth until no extinction of old age and death.

MU KU SHU METSU DO-Y
"No suffering, no origination of suffering, no extinction of suffering, and no path.

MU CHI YAKU MU TOKU I MU SHO TOK'KO
No wisdom and also no attainment.  With nothing to attain,

BO DAI SAT-TA E HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA KO
 the bodhisattva, relies on Prajñaparamita,

SHIM-MU KEI GE MU KEI GE KO MU U KU FU
has no hindrance in his mind. Without any hindrance in his mind, there is no fear.

ON RI IS-SAI TEN DO- MU SO- KU GYO- NE HAN
Liberating himself forever from illusion and dream, realizing perfect Nirvana.

SAN ZE SHO BUTSU E HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA KO
"All Buddhas in the past, present, and future, rely on Prajñaparamita,

TOKU A NOKU TA RA SAM-MYAKU SAM-BO DAI
attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.

KO CHI HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA
"Therefore, one should know that Prajñaparamita

ZE DAI JIN SHU ZE DAI MYO- SHU
is the great sacred mantra, is the great vivid mantra,

ZE MU JO- SHU ZE MU TO- TO- SHU
is the supreme mantra, is the unequaled mantra,

NO- JO IS-SAI KU SHIN JITSU FU KO
that can liberate all suffering truly and indeed.

KO SETSU HAN-NYA HA RA MI TA SHU SOKU SETSU SHU WATSU
A mantra of Prajñaparamita should therefore be proclaimed:

GYA TEI GYA TEI HA RA GYA TEI HARA SO- GYA TEI BO JI SOWA KA
Gate, gate, paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha.

HAN-NYA SHIN GYO
The Heart Sutra.