The Heart Sutra as recited in the Triratna Buddhist Community

The Bodhisattva of Compassion, No withering, no death, When he meditated deeply, No end of them. Saw the emptiness of all five skandhas Nor is there pain, or cause of pain, And sundered the bonds that caused Or cease in pain, or noble path him suffering. To lead from pain; Not even wisdom to attain! Here then, Attainment too is emptiness. Form is no other than emptiness, Emptiness no other than form. So know that the Bodhisattva Form is only emptiness, Holding to nothing whatever, Emptiness only form. But dwelling in Prajna wisdom, Is freed of delusive hindrance, Feeling, thought, and choice, Rid of the fear bred by it, Consciousness itself, And reaches clearest Nirvana. Are the same as this. All Buddhas of past and present, All things are by nature void Buddhas of future time, They are not born or destroyed Using this Prajna wisdom, Nor are they stained or pure Come to full and perfect vision. Nor do they wax or wane Hear then the great dharani, So, in emptiness, no form, The radiant peerless mantra, No feeling, thought, or choice, The Prajnaparamita Nor is there consciousness. Whose words allay all pain; No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, Hear and believe its truth! mind; No colour, sound, smell, taste, Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate touch, Bodhi Svaha Or what the mind takes hold of, Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Nor even act of sensing. Bodhi Svaha Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate No ignorance or end of it, Bodhi Svaha Nor all that comes of ignorance;

The Heart Sutra in Sanskrit

prajnaparamita hrdaya sutra om namo bhagavatyai aryaprajnaparamitayai aryavalokitesvaro bodhisattvo gambhiiram prajnaparamitacaryam caramano vyavalokayati sma pancaskandhas tams ca svabhavasunyan pasyati sma iha sariputra rupam sunyata sunyataiva rupam rupan na prthak sunyata sunyataya na prthag rupam yad rupam sa sunyata ya sunyata tad rupam evam eva vedanasamjnasamskaravijnanam iha sariputra sarvadharmah sunyatalaksana anutpanna aniruddha amala avimala anuna aparipurnah tasmac chariputra sunyatayam na rupam na vedana na samjna na samskarah na vijnanam na caksuhsrotraghranajihvakayamanamsi na rupasabdagandha rasasprastavyadharmah na caksurdhatur yavan na manovijnanadhatuh navidya navidyaksayo yavan na jaramaranam na jaramaranaksayo na duhkhasamudayanirodhamarga na jnanam na praptir napraptih tasmac chariputra apraptitvad bodhisattvasya prajnaparamitam asritya viharaty acittavaranah cittavarananastitvad atrasto viparyasatikranto nisthanirvanapraptah tryadhvavyavasthitah sarvabuddhah prajnaparamitam asrityanuttaram samyaksambodhim abhisambuddhah tasmaj jnatavyam prajnaparamita mahamantro mahavidyamantro nuttaramantro samasamamantrah sarvaduhkhaprasamanah satyam amithyatvat prajnaparamitayam ukto mantrah tadyatha gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha iti prajnaparamitahrdayam samaptam

pronunciation guide

In Pali and Sanskrit every letter is pronounced and there are no diphthongs. The short vowels a, i and u, are voiced more briefly than the others which are known as long vowels. An approximate guide to pronunciation is as follows:

Vowels: Nasal sounds: a as in `cut' Before a consonant make the natural a as in `cart' sound associated with that ai as in `high' consonant: au as in `out' e as in `veil' nk as in `trunk' i as in `kick' ng as in `sang' i as in `bee' nc as in `crunch' o as in `low' nj as in `hinge' u as in `put' nt or nt, as in `tent' u as in `too' nd or nd, as in `bend' r as the ri in `trip' with with some mp as in `limp' rolling of the sound mb as in `limbo'

Consonants Before vowels: as in English, with the following n as ny in `banyan' qualifications: m at the end of a word nasalizes the g hard as in `good' preceding vowel, as in the French c soft as in `chat' bon. d and t as in English, but with the n as in `nit' but with the tongue tip tongue tip against the back of the against the back of the upper front upper front teeth teeth. d and t as in as t and d, but with the n as in `nit', but with the tongue tip tongue tip curled up and backwards curled up and backwards against the against the roof of the mouth h at roof of the mouth. the end of a word has a slight echo of the preceding vowel Aspirated consonants are shown j as in `jay' unless followed by n followed immediately by the letter h, when it may be hard as in `signal' and should be pronounced with an s and s soft as in `shin' audible out-breath. Note that `th' is v is pronounced somewhere between always pronounced as in English v and w `shorthand', `ph' is always pronounced as in `haphazard'. Doubled consonants are pronounced as such, e.g. sadda as in `midday', ks as in `bookshop'.