Am I Empty
(By Tsem Rinpoche)
Heart Sutra
Body is nothing more than emptiness,
emptiness is nothing more than body.
The body is exactly empty, and emptiness is exactly body.The other four aspects of human existence –
feeling, thought, will, and consciousness –
are likewise nothing more than emptiness,
and emptiness nothing more than they.All things are empty:
Nothing is born, nothing dies,
nothing is pure, nothing is stained,
nothing increases and nothing decreases.So, in emptiness, there is no body,
no feeling, no thought,
no will, no consciousness.
There are no eyes, no ears,
no nose, no tongue,
no body, no mind.
There is no seeing, no hearing,
no smelling, no tasting,
no touching, no imagining.
There is nothing seen, nor heard,
nor smelled, nor tasted,
nor touched, nor imagined.There is no ignorance,
and no end to ignorance.
There is no old age and death,
and no end to old age and death.
There is no suffering, no cause of suffering,
no end to suffering, no path to follow.
There is no attainment of wisdom,
and no wisdom to attain.The Bodhisattvas rely on the Perfection of Wisdom,
and so with no delusions,
they feel no fear,
and have Nirvana here and now.All the Buddhas,
past, present, and future,
rely on the Perfection of Wisdom,
and live in full enlightenment.The Perfection of Wisdom is the greatest mantra.
It is the clearest mantra,
the highest mantra,
the mantra that removes all suffering.This is truth that cannot be doubted.
Say it so:Gaté,
gaté,
paragaté,
parasamgaté.
Bodhi!
Svaha!Which means…
Gone,
gone,
gone over,
gone fully over.
Awakened!
So be it!
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Rinpoche had precisely summarised the meaning of emptiness, which is none other than truth. Thank you Rinpoche
Thank you, Rinpoche for this sharing. The Heart Sutra is a popular sutra in Mahayana Buddhism. Reading this heart sutra looks deep which paints a thousand words even though i do not understand the deeper meaning of it. All I can say reciting it daily and gradually has a great deal of wonderful effects. But without reflection upon the meaning and significance of the teachings will not bring us any closer to emptiness. It is good to understand as it will make a difference in our life and nothing will be the same again. Body is nothing more than emptiness, emptiness is nothing more than body. The body is exactly empty, and emptiness is exactly body. Well said by Rinpoche. Nothing is permanent, we are born in this world with nothing. Nothing belongs to us at the moment of death.
Beautiful and very deep meaning behind it. Even though I do not understand fully but its something teaches us that form may be empty of self but full of beautiful things if we look deeply into it.
Our body is exactly empty…..thats very true. We do not own it. Nothing is permanent and nothing is totally independent of everything. When we appreciation idea of emptiness ,we will let go all attachment thus saves us from the suffering caused by our egos and our resistance to change.
Thank you Rinpoche for this beautiful Heart Sutra.
This seems so very profound. From a very simplistic view is that I am not to trust what my physical sense tell me. That it is tainted with this chemical soup that is flowing in my physical body. But, alas, that is about the only thing that I have experienced so far.
It sounds like what I’ve been taught while growing, that I have to put myself in other’s shoes to see the other side of the coin and reconcile whatever situation I may be facing.
I would really have to read more about this Heart Sutra.
Thank you, Rinpoche for this sharing. The Heart Sutra is a very beautiful writing even without understanding fully the deeper meaning. May the many people who have had a connection with Heart Sutra continue their spiritual journey with stronger faith in Buddhism.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for sharing this simpler version of the Heart Sutra. It brings another level of understanding to me. Emptiness is one of the criteria to be enlightened and the other is compassion. If we are able to grasp just abit of the concept of emptiness, we are able to reduce the ego in us.
Humbly,
Chris
“Gone,
gone,
gone over,
gone fully over.
Awakened!
So be it!”
Simple lines, yet it has a much deeper meaning to it. To me, it means that once we are dead, it will be over and whatever we do, we cannot come back, once over, we’re gone. Thats it. End of our lives. But I believe the true meaning of the passage has a much, much different meaning from my simple understanding..
Very good post for us to contemplate on every now and then.
Thank you, Rinpoche!
Heart sutra is one of my favorite prayers, i have learn that since i was 15 yo in mandarin, at a Mahayana temple near my home town Kajang. However, no one guided me that time, i still remember the chanting tune in mandarin. Everybody was chanting and singing out loud at the main prayers hall, after the chanting, we usually have vegetarian food, all cooked by aunties staying nearby the temple.
Dear Rinpoche,
Since reading this post, I have been thinking of Emptiness. I know that I am not Empty, but conceptually Emptiness is attainable but the practice will be very very difficult.
I have so many questions on practising Emptiness. First of all, in my lowly mind, I believe that Emptiness is not a physical condition but rather a state of Being.
In that state of Being, I must be able to let go of the constant dualistic nature of my untrained mind. Untrained in the spiritual level but perfectly trained for the samaric values so created to reinforce my selfishness and ego which create my delusions.
I wish to achieve this state of being but for sure it is going to take many many life times. I have learnt from Rinpoche’s teachings a certain level of letting go and not be attached to my judgement and evaluation of all events and people and to accept what there is and do my best in focusing out and not on my so called experience.
To a certain degree, I can have my judgements and evaluations gained from my experiences but not to hold on to them, because if I do then I will create the same results as I did before, and that will be living in the past not giving the chance to create different results in the present which may be for a better future.
Would Emptiness therefore be the ability to be completely neutral in my mind to permit experience of the moment.
Would Emptiness therefore be not about nothing but about having the space within my mind for thoughts to benefit others.
Wow, I truly sound confused and that is how I am without realisation of a higher level.
Dear Rinpoche
Thank you! it is always enjoyable to listen to the Heart Sutra but i never understood the meaning since it’s sang in pali. Its good to know what it means =)
Thank you for sharing this lovely photo – so serene and beautiful.
Thank you Rinpoche also for sharing this translation of the Heart Sutra – it’s very well written and so evocative. Very short but very meaningful, and the translation is very clear. Can this translation also be used as a part of our sadhanas?
What we perceive we believe, what we hear we think is the truth when its actually the opposite. How do we train our minds to understand emptiness correctly so that we do not become delusioned further and chase after the perceived reality. Listening to the Heart Sutra CD in my car, reciting it at pujas, yet i am still very far from understanding it well. Thank you Rinpoche for the teaching and the beautiful image, i have saved it on my phone!
with folded hands,
janice
Truth is universal. By any language or form – it speaks to the heart and spirit. It can’t be tainted by labels or names or titles.
When the mind finally sees and the heart finally feels – it will be in sync.
The Heart Sutra and Wisdom of Emptiness remain, to me, the hardest to comprehend.
It is so deep, vast and profound.
There are so many layers of meanings and it connects with every aspect of life.
I guess, in my simple way of understanding is that if there is absolutely nothing, then there is also no life and no death, no re-birth, no beginning, no end.
As there is nothing, we do not have to fear and suffer anymore.
The trick is how to understand that there is absolutely nothing,
How do we attune our mind and heart to accept that everything we think we know and what we deemed as reality is actually quite the opposite?
My first gift from Rinpoche is a small little gold pendant given to me in 1992 when Rinpoche was in Malaysia to raise funds for Gaden Monastery. The pendant has Chenresig on one side and the other side has inscription of the words of the Heart Sutra which can only be seen through a magnifying glass. I am still wearing it round my neck until today. I did not know it was so special until people tell me that my Mother Mary pendant glows when my friends see it. They thought I was a Catholic. The goldsmith told me the Heart Sutra was inscribed. I did not understand until I got deeper into Dharma and then understand that the Heart Sutra and Mantra is very powerful as a protection for us.
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for the post. The Heart Sutra mantra has always been one of my favourites. The concept of “emptiness” seems familiar and yet difficult for the mind to grasp or accept. It is like a melody with a familiar tune and yet i cannot remember the lyrics. How should one train one’s mind to understand and apply emptiness in our everyday lives where the world conditions us to think the complete opposite to emptiness.
Much care
Hi Rinpoche thanks so much for your advice, that working well, I like the Heart sutra for my vision that something, Help me alot about clear all attachements.
I’ve see miracle with who apply to see sutra
Thanks so much
Rinpoche wish you longlife
Djinpa
How does a Tibetan Buddhist get 15 hits from North Korea and 14 hits from Iran in only four months? Amazing.