heart sutra

Avalokiteshavara Bodhisattva,
practicing deep Prajna Paramita,
clearly saw that all five skandhas are empty,
transforming anguish and distress.
Shariputra, form is no other than emptiness,
emptiness no other than form;
form is eactly emptiness,
emptiness exactly form;
sensation, perception, formulation, consciousness are also like this.
Shariputra, all things are essentially empty-
not born, not destroyed;not stained, not pure; without loss, without gain.
Therefore in emptiness there is no form,
no sensation, perception, formulation, consciousness;
no eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind,
no color, sounds, scent, taste, touch, thought;
no seeing and so on to no thinking
no ignorance and also no ending of ignorance,
and so on to no old age and death
and also no ending of old age and death;
no anguish, no cause of anguish,
cessation, path, no wisdom and no attainment.
Since there is nothing to attain,
the Bodhisattva lives by Prajna Paramita
with no hindrance in the mind; no hindrance
and therefore no fear;
far beyond delusive thinking,
right here is Nirvana.
All Buddhas of past, present, and future
live byPrajna Paramita
attaining Anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.
Therefore know that Prajna Paramita
is the great sacred mantra, the great vivid mantra,
the unsurpassed mantra, the supreme mantra
which completely removes all anguish.
This is truth not mere formality.
Therefore set forth the Prajna Paramita mantra,
set forth this mantra and proclaim:
Gate gate paragate parasamgate*Bodhi svaha!


Translated by Diasetz Suzuki as "Gone, Gone, gone to the other shore, landed at the other shore."

Sometimes when you are looking for a new mantra you find it in the drawer of your bedside table where you put it eight years ago.