Water and Wave

I've just finished reading a book titled "The Heart of Understanding - Commentaries on the Prajnaparamita Heart Sutra" by Thich Nhat Hanh last night. The Prajnaparamita Sutra, or also known as the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra is probably my favourite Buddhist text. And I truly enjoyed reading this subtle yet profound interpretation of the Sutra by Thich Nhat Hanh! :)

I think I blogged about this sutra before. In Chinese it is called the 心经 or literally, the heart sutra. We chant it everytime at the temple, and it is a very famous Mahayana sutra. The sutra basically talks about the nature of emptiness in everything in life. The sutra talks about how Boddhisatva Avalokitesvara, while practising Prajnaparamita, discovered that the 5 skandhas are equally empty.

Maybe I should share with you the English version of the sutra here!

PS: This is a new translation by Thich Nhat Hanh, which is different from the book. But so far this one of the most beautiful translation of the Sutra that I've come across with!

Avalokiteshvara
while practicing deeply with
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore,
suddenly discovered that
all of the five Skandhas are equally empty,
and with this realisation he overcame all Ill-being.

Listen Sariputra,
this Body itself is Emptiness
and Emptiness itself is this Body.
This Body is not other than Emptiness
and Emptiness is not other than this Body.
The same is true of Feelings, 

Perceptions, Mental Formations, and Consciousness.

Listen Sariputra,
all phenomena bear the mark of Emptiness;
their true nature is the nature of
no Birth no Death, no Being no Non-being,
no Defilement no Purity, no Increasing no Decreasing.

That is why in Emptiness,
Body, Feelings, Perceptions,
Mental Formations and Consciousness
are not separate self entities.

The Eighteen Realms of Phenomena
which are the six Sense Organs,
the six Sense Objects, and the six Consciousnesses
are also not separate self entities.

The Twelve Links of Interdependent Arising 

and their Extinction
are also not separate self entities.

Ill-being, the Causes of Ill-being,
the End of Ill-being, the Path,
insight and attainment, are also not separate self entities.

Whoever can see this
no longer needs anything to attain.

Bodhisattvas who practice
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
see no more obstacles in their mind,
and because there are no more obstacles in their mind,
they can overcome all fear, destroy all wrong perceptions
and realize Perfect Nirvana.

All Buddhas in the past, present and future
by practicing the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
are all capable of attaining Authentic and Perfect Enlightenment.

Therefore Sariputra,
it should be known that
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore
is a Great Mantra, the most illuminating mantra,
the highest mantra, a mantra beyond compare,
the True Wisdom that has the power
to put an end to all kinds of suffering.

Therefore let us proclaim
a mantra to praise
the Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore.

Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!

To me this is a very important sutra in Buddhism. It teaches about emptiness, impermanence and the nature of things, which is something the Buddha always taught about. The 2nd and 3rd stanza is already such a powerful reminder to us. That everything in life bears the mark of emptiness. In the book, Thich Nhat Hanh talks about this emptiness. Sure they are empty. But empty of what? He explains that they are empty of a separate self. Nothing in this world and truly exist on its own!

There are a lot of things the book explain but I really recommend you to buy the book and read it for yourself. In fact, I'm going to read the book again to highlight my favourite quotes haha. It is a pretty subtle yet profound interpretation of the sutra and that's how I find the book so beautiful. I love Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings. They feel like a wonderful breeze that blows gently in springtime.

To end today's post, I'm going to quote a passage from the book: 

"A wave on the ocean has a beginning and an end, a birth and a death. But Avalokitesvara tells us that the wave is empty. The wave is full of water, but it is empty of a separate self. A wave is a form that has been made possible, thanks to the existence of wind and water. If a wave only sees its form, with its beginning and end, it will be afraid of birth and death. But if the wave sees that is is water and identifies itself with the water, then it will be emancipated from birth and death. Each wave is born and is going to die, but the water is free from birth and death."

Be the water, not a wave!