Thich Nhat Hanh’s new translation of Heart Sutra

Thich Nhat Hanh on Sept. 11 released a new English translation of the Heart Sutra, titled “The Insight That Brings Us to the Other Shore.”

Lion’ s Roar15 September 2014

Thich Nhat Hanh on Sept. 11 released a new English translation of the Heart Sutra, titled “The Insight That Brings Us to the Other Shore.”

In a letter to his students explaining the necessity of the new translation, he states, “the patriarch who originally compiled the Heart Sutra was not sufficiently skillful enough with his use of language. This has resulted in much misunderstanding for almost 2,000 years.” Among other changes, Thich Nhat Hanh as added the words “no being, no non-being” immediately after “no birth, no death” in the hopes that “these four words would help us transcend the notion of being and non-being, and we would no longer get caught in such ideas as ‘no eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue…’”

Click here to read the letter in full. Here’s the full translation:

The Insight That Brings Us to the Other Shore

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 Immaculacy,
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!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!
Gate, Gate, Paragate, Parasamgate, Bodhi Svaha!

Lion s Roar Staff

Lion’ s Roar

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