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Thus have I heard at one time.
The Lord was dwelling at
Rajagriha, on Vulture-peak mountain,
together with a great host of monks and a great host of Bodhisattvas.
At that time the Lord was composed in the concentration on
the
course of dharmas called 'Profound Illumination.'
At that time also the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva
and Mahasattva, in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom,
looked down; he beheld but five skandhas and that in their own-being
they were empty.
Then, through the inspiration of the Buddha, the Venerable
Sariputra said to the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and
Mahasattva: "How should any child of good family train, who wishes
to
engage in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom?"
And the noble Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and
Mahasattva, spoke
to the venerable Sariputra as follows.
"Sariputra, any son or daughter of good family who
wishes to engage
in the practice of the profound Perfection of Wisdom should look upon
it thus: he or she beholds but five skandhas and that in their own-
being they are empty.
Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is form.
Emptiness does not differ from form, and form does not
differ from Emptiness.
Likewise feelings, recognitions, volitions and
consciousnesses are
empty.
So, Sariputra, all dharmas are Emptiness, without
differentiating
marks; they are not produced or stopped, not defiled and not
immaculate, not deficient and not complete.
Therefore, Sariputra, in Emptiness there is no form, no
feeling, no recognition, no volitions, no consciousness; no eye, no ear,
no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no visible form, no sound, no
smell, no taste, no tangible, no mental object; no eye-element, and so
forth, up to no mind-element and no mental consciousness element; no ignorance and no extinction of
ignorance, and so forth, up to no aging and death and no extinction of
aging and death; likewise there is no Suffering, Origin, Cessation or
Path, no wisdom-knowledge, no attainment and non- attainment.
Therefore Sariputra, because there is no attainment,
Bodhisattvas
abide relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, without obscurations of
thought, and so are unafraid.
Transcending perverted views, they attain the end, Nirvana.
All Buddhas existing in the three times, relying on the Perfection of
Wisdom, fully awaken to the highest, perfect Enlightenment.
Therefore one should know that the mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is
the mantra of great knowledge, the highest mantra, the unequalled
mantra, the mantra that allays all suffering, the Truth, since it has
nothing wrong.
The mantra of the Perfection of Wisdom is proclaimed:
TAD-YATHA; GATE GATE PARAGATE PARASAMGATE BODHI SVAHA!
In this way, Sariputra, should a Bodhisattva and Mahasattva
train
in the profound Perfection of Wisdom."
Then the Lord rose from that concentration and commended
the noble
Lord Avalokita, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, saying: "Well said,
well said, O son of good family!
So it is, O son of good family, so it is.
Just as you have taught should the profound Perfection of
Wisdom be
practiced, and the Tathagatas will rejoice.
Thus spake the Lord.
The Venerable Sariputra, the noble Lord Avalokita, the
Bodhisattva
and Mahasattva, and the whole world, that assembly with devas, human
beings, asuras and gandharvas, were delighted and applauded the Lord's
speech.
Suggested Further Reading
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