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般若心経
Hannya Shingyō
知恵の心 — The Heart of Wisdom
般若心経

The Heart Sutra

A Pocket Guide to the Essence of Wisdom

序文

Introduction

The Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra, commonly known as the Heart Sutra, is one of the most famous and beloved texts in Mahayana Buddhism. Though it is only 260 characters long in its Chinese translation, it encapsulates the profound heart of Buddhist wisdom.

The sutra is a teaching given by the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara to Shariputra, a senior disciple of the Buddha. Its core message is the teaching of Shunyata, or “emptiness.” This is not a nihilistic “nothingness,” but a revelation that all things, concepts, and phenomena lack a fixed, independent, and permanent self. They are interconnected and ever-changing.

This short book presents the sutra in Japanese and English, followed by brief explanations of its key concepts to help you on your journey of understanding.

経文

摩訶まか般若はんにゃ波羅蜜多はらみった心経しんぎょう

Reading aids

観自在かんじざい菩薩ぼさつ Kan jizai bosatsu

行ぎょう深じん般若はんにゃ波羅蜜多はらみった時じ gyō jin Hannya Haramitta ji

照見しょうけん五蘊ごうん皆空かいくう shōken go'un kai kū

度ど一切いっさい苦厄くやく do issai ku yaku

舎利子しゃりし Sha-ri-shi

色しき不異ふい空くう shiki fu i kū

空くう不異ふい色しき kū fu i shiki

色しき即是そくぜ空くう shiki soku ze kū

空くう即是そくぜ色しき kū soku ze shiki

受じゅ想そう行ぎょう識しき亦復如是やくぶにょぜ ju sō gyō shiki, yaku bu nyoze

舎利子しゃりし Sha-ri-shi

是ぜ諸法しょほう空相くうそう ze shohō kū sō

不生ふしょう不滅ふめつ fu shō fu metsu

不垢ふく不浄ふじょう fu ku fu jō

不増ふぞう不減ふげん fu zō fu gen

是故ぜこ空中くうちゅう Ze ko kū chū

無む色しき無む受じゅ想そう行ぎょう識しき mu shiki, mu ju sō gyō shiki

無む眼耳鼻舌身意げんにびぜっしんい mu gen ni bi zesshin i

無む色声香味触法しきしょうこうみそくほう mu shiki shō kō mi soku hō

無む眼界げんかい乃至ないし無む意識界いしきかい mu gen kai nai shi mu i shiki kai

無む無明むみょう亦やく無む無明むみょう尽じん mu mumyō, yaku mu mumyō jin

乃至ないし無む老死ろうし亦やく無む老死ろうし尽じん nai shi mu rōshi, yaku mu rōshi jin

無む苦く集しゅう滅めつ道どう mu ku shū metsu dō

無む智ち亦やく無む得とく mu chi, yaku mu toku

以い無所得むしょとく故こ I mu shotoku ko

菩提薩埵ぼだいさった bodaisatta

依え般若波羅蜜多はんにゃはらみった故こ e Hannya Haramitta ko

心しん無む罣礙けいげ shin mu keige

無む罣礙けいげ故こ mu keige ko

無有むう恐怖くふ mu u kufu

遠離おんり一切いっさい顛倒てんどう夢想むそう on-ri issai tendō musō

究竟くぎょう涅槃ねはん kugyō Nehan

三世さんぜ諸仏しょぶつ Sanze shobutsu

依え般若波羅蜜多はんにゃはらみった故こ e Hannya Haramitta ko

得とく阿耨多羅あのくたら三藐さんみゃく三菩提さんぼだい toku Anokutara Sanmyaku Sanbodai

故こ知ち般若波羅蜜多はんにゃはらみった Ko chi Hannya Haramitta

是ぜ大神呪だいじんしゅ ze dai jin shū

是ぜ大明呪だいみょうしゅ ze dai myō shū

是ぜ無上呪むじょうしゅ ze mu jō shū

是ぜ無等等呪むとうどうしゅ ze mu tō dō shū

能除のうじょ一切いっさい苦く nō jo issai ku

真実しんじつ不虚ふこ shinjitsu fuko

故こ説せつ般若波羅蜜多呪はんにゃはらみったしゅ Ko setsu Hannya Haramitta shū

即説そくせつ呪曰しゅわつ soku setsu shū watsu

羯諦ぎゃてい羯諦ぎゃてい Gyatei gyatei

波羅はら羯諦ぎゃてい hara gyatei

波羅僧はらそう羯諦ぎゃてい harasō gyatei

菩提ぼじ薩婆訶そわか boji sowaka

般若心経 Hannya Shingyō

英訳

The Heart Sutra

English Translation

When the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara was practicing the profound Perfection of Wisdom, he perceived that all five aggregates are empty and was saved from all suffering and distress.

“Shariputra, form does not differ from emptiness, emptiness does not differ from form. That which is form is emptiness, that which is emptiness is form. The same is true of feelings, perceptions, impulses, and consciousness.

Shariputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness; they do not appear or disappear, are not tainted or pure, do not increase or decrease.

Therefore, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perception, no impulse, no consciousness. No eye, no ear, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind; no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch, no object of mind; no realm of eyes and so forth until no realm of mind consciousness. No ignorance and also no extinction of it, and so forth until no old age and death and also no extinction of them. No suffering, no origination, no stopping, no path, no cognition, also no attainment with nothing to attain.

The Bodhisattva depends on Prajnaparamita and the mind is no hindrance; without any hindrance no fears exist. Far apart from every perverted view one dwells in Nirvana.

All Buddhas in the past, present, and future depend on Prajnaparamita and attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.

Therefore, know that Prajnaparamita is the great transcendent mantra, is the great bright mantra, is the utmost mantra, is the supreme mantra, which is able to relieve all suffering and is true, not false. So proclaim the Prajnaparamita mantra, proclaim the mantra which says:

Gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā.”

解説

Explanations

形は空に溶ける

Form is Emptiness, Emptiness is Form

色しき即是そくぜ空くう、空くう即是そくぜ色しき

Shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki

This is the sutra’s most famous and paradoxical statement. “Form” refers to the physical world, our bodies, and material objects. The sutra asserts that these forms have no permanent, inherent existence. They are “empty” because they are constantly changing and dependent on other conditions to exist.

A wave is distinct, yet it is just water. The wave is “empty” of a separate self; it is the water. Conversely, this “emptiness” is not apart from the physical world; it manifests as form.

The Five Aggregates are Empty

五蘊ごうん皆空かいくう

Goun kai kū

The Buddha taught that what we call a “self” is just a temporary combination of five parts, or aggregates:

  1. Form — The physical body.
  2. Feeling — Sensations of pleasant, unpleasant, or neutral.
  3. Perception — Recognizing and labeling things.
  4. Mental Formations — Thoughts, volitions, and emotions.
  5. Consciousness — Awareness itself.

Avalokiteshvara sees that none of these parts constitute a permanent “I”. When we realize our “self” is empty, we are freed from the suffering that comes from clinging to it.

彼岸への門

The Great Mantra

羯諦ぎゃてい羯諦ぎゃてい…

Gyatei gyatei…

The sutra concludes with a powerful mantra, a chant that encapsulates the energy of the teaching. It is often left untranslated to preserve its power, but its meaning is approximately:

“Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, O awakening, hail!”
  • Gate — Gone from the shore of suffering and ignorance.
  • Paragate — Gone to the other shore of enlightenment.
  • Parasamgate — Gone completely, together with all beings.
  • Bodhi — Awakening.
  • Svāhā — An expression of delight, like “So be it!” or “Hallelujah!”

Reciting the mantra is a practice to help us let go of our conceptual thinking and cross over from the world of suffering to the shore of liberation.

A timeless guide to the essence of Buddhist wisdom.

This pocket-sized edition contains the complete text of the Heart Sutra in Japanese and English, along with concise explanations of its most profound teachings on emptiness, non-duality, and liberation.

A perfect companion for meditation and daily reflection.

般若心経