The Heart of Perfect Understanding [Bell]

              Plum Village Chanting Book

The Bodhisattva Avalokita
While moving in the deep course of perfect understanding
Shed light on the Five Skandhas and found them equally empty
After this penetration, he overcame ill-being
[Bell]

Listen Shariputra, form is emptiness and emptiness is form.
Form is not other than emptiness, emptiness is not other than form
The same is true with feelings, perceptions, mental formations and consciousness.
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Listen Shariputra, all Dharmas are marked with emptiness.
They are neither produced nor destroyed,

neither defiled nor immaculate,
neither increasing nor decreasing.
Therefore in emptiness there is neither form, nor feelings, nor perceptions,

nor mental formations, nor consciousness;
No eye, or ear, or nose, or tongue, or body or mind;
No form, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind;
No realms of elements (from eyes to mind consciousness);
No interdependent origins and no extinction of them

(from ignorance to death and decay);
No ill-being, no cause of ill-being, no end of ill-being, and no path;
No understanding and no attainment.
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Because there is no attainment, the Bodhisattva grounded in perfect understanding.
Find no obstacles for their mind.

Having no obstacles they overcome fear.
Liberating themselves forever from illusion, realising perfect nirvana.
All Buddhas in the past, present and future,

thanks to this perfect understanding.
Arrive at full and right universal enlightenment.
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Therefore one should know that perfect understanding is the highest mantra,
The unequalled mantra, the destroyer of ill-being, the incorruptible truth.

A mantra of prajnaparamita should therefore be proclaimed:

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha

[Bell, bell]