Kobun's Talks on the Heart Sutra

KOBUN CHINO OTOGAWA KOBUN’S TALKS ON THE HEART SUTRA EDITED BY ANGIE BOISSEVAIN AND JUDY COSGROVE Calligraphy by Hathaway Barry Cover image by Gerow Reece Typesetting by Russell Cosgrove using tufte-latex First printing, December 2015 Second printing, October 2016 5 Editor’s Note In the early 70’s Kobun taught a class on Monday mornings, at various people’s houses, where he talked about three important Buddhist sutras. Perhaps the most well-known of these is the Heart Sutra. Angie Boissevain wrote down Kobun’s discussions, at first from listening to his slow speaking, and later from tape record- ings. The version of the sutra which Kobun introduced at Haiku Zendo is included here. Sanskrit words are explained. When somewhat unfamiliar Japanese terms and Sanskrit words are included in the dis- cussion, these are presented in quotes or italics. Two very personal stories from Kobun’s life are also included, in the belief that they help us put these teachings into practice in our own personal lives. Judy Cosgrove Contents The Heart Sutra 11 Introduction to Heart Sutra 13 On Chanting 17 The First Lines 21 “. form does not differ from emptiness” 25 8 “. all dharmas are marked with emptiness ...” 29 “. do not appear nor disappear . ” 35 “Therefore in emptiness, no form, no feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness;” 41 “No ignorance and also no extinction of it, ...” 45 “No suff’ring, no origination, no stopping, no path; . ” 49 “The Bodhisattva depends on Prajna Paramita and his mind is no hindrance. he dwells in Nirvana.” 53 Karma 57 9 Prajna Paramita 61 Annutara-samyaksambodhi 63 Buddha Nature 69 “Gate - gate - paragate - parasamgate! Bodhi! Svaha!” 71 The Heart Sutra THE MAHA PRAJNA PARAMITA HRIDAYA SUTRA Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva When practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita Perceived that all five skandhas are empty And was saved from all suff’ring and distress. Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness; Emptiness does not differ from form. That which is form is emptiness; That which is emptiness is form. The same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, consciousness. Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; They do not appear nor disappear, Are not tainted nor pure, Do not increase nor decrease. Therefore in emptiness, no form, No feelings, perceptions impulses, consciousness; No eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; No color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, 12 kobun’stalksontheheartsutra no object of mind; No realm of eyes and so forth until no realm of mind-consciousness; No ignorance and also no extinction of it, and so forth until no-old-age-and-death and also no extinction of them; No suff’ring, no origination, no stopping, no path; No cognition, also no attainment. With nothing to attain The Bodhisattva depends on Prajna Paramita And his mind is no hindrance. Without any hindrance no fears exist; Far apart from every perverted view he dwells in Nirvana. In the three worlds all Buddhas depend on Prajna Paramita And attain Anuttara-samyaksambodhi. Therefore know the Prajna Paramita Is the great transcendent mantra, Is the great bright mantra, Is the utmost mantra, Is the supreme mantra, Which is able to relieve all suff’ring And is true, not false. So proclaim the Prajna Paramita mantra, Proclaim the mantra that says: ‘‘Gate - gate - paragate - parasamgate ! Bodhi ! Svaha ! ’’ Introduction to Heart Sutra The Heart Sutra is one of the most representative and ba- sic Buddhist texts. Yet, when you compare this sutra with other religious materials, you find very different character- istics, different feelings. Unfortunately, none of the English translations is very satisfactory, but basically we understand all the translations, in their choice of words and style, as a somewhat slight interpretation by each translator. The original authors of sutras, we cannot find, although translators’ names appear. With literal translation and literal word order in the translation, it would be impossible to make a readable text, so it is not word-by-word translating. Each translator has made great effort to make it meaningful, as is true with all kinds of religious materials. They cannot be read like novels or magazine articles, because, without exception, in the beginning you don’t understand them. Somehow, the nature of a sutra is like a mirror. It is empty, actually, and whoever reads it sees a mirror of their own figure, so the mirror is one of the best metaphors to explain the nature of a sutra. Consciously or unconsciously, the ac- tion of reading a sutra contains the courageous mind to face to yourself. When you pick up the sutra there is already a strong inner need to see yourself. It doesn’t have the sense 14 kobun’stalksontheheartsutra of seeking enjoyment, though maybe in a deeper sense there is enjoyment. A sincere interest in your own reality, a clear eye to see your world, is necessary. You think, “If I have made a mistake, I won’t ignore it,” or if I see goodness, I can say to myself, “I am good.” You see these things without judgement, allowing them to be as they are, keeping a strict attitude. There has to be some kind of tension in the author and in the reader. If the sutra is not written with this attitude, you cannot stand to continue to read, because the tension of the reader and the tension of the author has to come together. If the author wrote each word with a tear, the reader really sees that tear in reading the words. If the author writes with cigarette in hand, the reader discovers it. This is how we face the sutra. Between the sutra and ourselves, we cannot tell which is new, which is old. Hopefully, we are the same age. If it was written ten centuries ago, you don’t face it as old stuff. You don’t read it as a twentieth century person. You have to go beyond that sense of old and new. This is a point to test whether you can really meet with yourself and whether you can open to meeting with ancient people. So if you understand the sutra as the footsteps of old people, it is the sound of your foot- step, too. In Chinese and Japanese, “old” points to long, long life, throughout many criticisms and many disastrous occa- sions. This “oldness” has the same feeling as “old friend.” Even if you are twenty years old, you say, “This is my old friend.” It has the feeling that this man is closer to me than I am to myself. An old mirror is like that. Instead of writing a new sutra, your own sutra, you read the old sutra. You read it as your sutra. You chant it as your sutra. For this reason the old manuscript doesn’t have a name. It can be anyone’s when someone is ready to make it their own. The sutra was written by blood, so if you really see what introduction to heart sutra 15 was written, it is the same as your body. It is not a matter of believing what they are talking about, it’s a matter of making it yours, finding yourself in it. Many novels have a similar nature, because some authors avow their whole life in their novel. Even though the people are fictitious, each person in the novel is part of the author’s body and mind. Sutras have a similar nature. When you read them, you really see how the authors lived, how they saw things. This Heart Sutra is very short, and is strange in that the whole sutra is one little dream of the Buddha. There is no mention of Shakyamuni Buddha. In another original San- skrit text, in Tibetan translation, there is a different set-up: Shakyamuni Buddha meditated, and in his meditation this Avalokiteshvara and Shariputra appear and speak to each other. Avalokiteshvara is teaching something to Shariputra, and at the end of this sutra Shakyamuni Buddha says, “Aval- okiteshvara, you did a good job. Wisdom is spoken in this way.” Since the Buddha was usually meditating, our text omits that part, and begins with Avalokiteshvara having a conversation with Shariputra. Strangely, Avalokiteshvara is a bodhisattva, and Shariputra is an actual historical figure, the most intelligent, intellectual disciple of Shakyamuni Bud- dha. Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva is beyond a historical figure - this “beyond” also means “beneath, below, within” a living person. On Chanting If no one listens to it, the sutra goes alone. Even if someone is not interested in knowing the truth, and even if they do not know what is truth, where is truth, how truth is, truth is always with them, even when they do not pay any attention to it. This sutra is the sound of truth, so unless you are ready to listen to it, the sutra is not understood. The voice is very important when we chant because the sound of our voice is the sound of our mind. So when you hear the voice of sutra chanting, you understand what kind of mind makes this sound. The important thing is that chanting is not for showing it to others, it is just the doing and expressing of your momentary life. Each word basically has no meaning but what is expressed is your whole life in each word and sound. Sutra chanting is the full expression of samadhi - the samadhi of sutra chanting! Many times, instead of making various sounds, you make just one sound, and lengthen it for a couple of minutes. It goes high and low, strong and weak.

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