The best known Buddhist scripture 般若波罗蜜多心经 Bo re bo luo mi duo xin jing The Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita: pinyin, English translation

The Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita is the shortest of all the sutras, only 260 characters in the Chinese translation. However, the sutra explains the core teaching of Buddhism — Emptiness. The realization of nothingness is not a negative zero-ness. It conveys the importance of not attached to anything, especially one’s own perceptions, judgements, feelings, desires etc., so that one can see the world wisely and clearly and be able to embrace the joyful and eternal life. The Heart Sutra is very profound and hard to understand, and one can always get better understanding as one keeps observing and practicing it.

般若波羅密多心經唱頌 (Heart Sutra) – 黃慧音 (Imee Ooi)

般若波羅蜜多心經（輕快版）

般若波羅蜜多心經 (國語)

Dalai Lama reciting prajna paramita heart sutra mantra – gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
般若波罗蜜多心经
bō rě bō luó mì duō xīn jīng

The Heart Sutra of Prajna Paramita
or
The Heart Sutra of the perfection of wisdom
or
The heart Sutra of Great Wisdom

般若(Sanskrit prajña:direct insight into the truth taught by the Buddha, as a faculty required to attain enlightenment. wisdom / great wisdom / wondrous knowledge)波罗蜜多(Paramita: Paramita is a Sanskrit word, which means to cross over to the other shore. It implies crossing over from the Sea of suffering to the Shore of happiness, from the Samsara of birth and death to Nirvana and from ignorance to enlightenment.)心经(the heart sutra)

观自在菩萨，行深般若波罗蜜多时，照见五蕴皆空，度一切苦厄。
guān zì zài pú sà , xíng shēn bō rě bō luó mì duō shí，zhào jiàn wǔ yùn jiē kōng, dù yī qiē kǔ è。
When Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara deeply practices Prajna Paramita (the wisdom of life and death transcendence), he clearly sees all emptiness of the Five Aggregates and is able to cross beyond all sufferings and distressed situations.

观自在菩萨(Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara)，行(practice)深(deeply)般若波罗蜜多(see the annotation of the title)时(time)，照(brightly)见(see)五蕴(Skandhas-the Five Aggregates:In Buddhist phenomenology and soteriology, the skandhas (Sanskrit) or khandhas (Pāḷi), aggregates in English, are the five functions or aspects that constitute the sentient being: matter, sensation, perception, mental formations and consciousness.)皆(all)空(empty)，度（transcend)一切(everything)苦(bitterness/sufferings)厄(disasters／difficult situation)。

舍利子，色不异空，空不异色，色即是空，空即是色。
shè lì zǐ, sè bù yì kōng ，kōng bù yì sè , sè jí shì kōng , kōng jí shì sè。
Shariputra,substance does not differ from emptiness; emptiness doesn’t differ from substance; substance exactly is emptiness and emptiness exactly is substance.

舍利子(Shariputra – Śāriputra or Sāriputta was one of two chief male disciples of the Buddha)，色(substance/appearance)不(not)异(different from)空(emptiness)，空(emptiness)不(not)异(different from)色(substance)，色(substance)即(exactly)是(is)空(emptiness)，空(emptiness)即(exactly)是(is)色(substance)。

受想行识，亦复如是。
shòu xiǎng xíng shí，yì fù rú shì。
Perception, thinking, doing and knowledge are also like this (Perception, thinking, doing and consciousness don’t differ from emptiness; Perception, thinking, doing and consciousness exactly are emptiness).

受(perception)想(thinking)行(doing)识( consciousness)，亦(also)复(again)如(like)是(this)。

舍利子，是诸法空相，
shè lì zǐ, shì zhū fǎ kōng xiāng,
Shariputra, the appearances of emptiness of all ways are

舍利子(Shariputra – Śāriputra or Sāriputta was one of two chief male disciples of the Buddha)，是(is)诸(all)法(law/way/principles)空(empty)相(appearance)，

不生不灭，不垢不净，不增不减，
bù shēng bù miè, bù gòu bù jìng, bù zēng bù jiǎn ,
(They) do not produce, not extinguish, not become filthy, not become pure, not increase and not decrease.

不(not)生(produce)不(not)灭(extinguish)，不(not)垢(become filthy)不(not)净(become pure)，不(not)增(increase)不(not)减(decrease)，

是故空中无色，无受想行识，
shì gù kōng zhōng wú sè, wú shòu xiǎng xíng shí,
Therefore, within emptiness, there is no substance (as well as) no perception, thinking, doing and consciousness.

是故(therefore)空(emptiness)中(within)无(without)色(substance)，无(without)受(perception)想(thinking)行(doing)识(consciousness)，

无眼耳鼻舌身意，无色声香味触法，无眼界，
wú yǎn ěr bí shé shēn yì, wú sè shēng xiāng wèi chù fǎ, wú yǎn jiè,
There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue,body and consciousness; there is no color, sound, fragrance, smell, sense of touching and Buddhist teaching; there is no boundary of eyes.

无(no)眼(eye)耳(ear)鼻(nose)舌(tongue)身(body)意(consciousness)，无（no)色(color)声(sound)香(fragrance)味(smell)触(sense of touching)法( Buddhist teaching)，无(no)眼(eye)界(boundary)

乃至无意识界，无无明，亦无无明尽，
nǎi zhì wú yì shí jiè, wú wú míng , yì wú wú míng jìn,
It goes as far as to the involuntary(unconscious ) boundary, without ignorance, and also without the extremity of ignorance.

乃至(go as far as)无(no/without)意识(conscious)界(boundary)，无(no)无(not)明(bright/understand)，亦(also)无(no)无(not)明(bright/understand)尽(the end/extremity/limit)，

乃至无老死，亦无老死尽。
nǎi zhì wú lǎo sǐ, yì wú lǎo sǐ jìn。
It goes as far as to no aging and dying, as well as no extremity of aging and dying.

乃至(go as far as/and even)无(without)老(aging)死(dying)，亦(also)无(without)老(aging)死(dying)尽(limit/extremity)。

无苦集灭道，无智亦无得，以无所得故。
wú kǔ jí miè dào, wú zhì yì wú dé, yǐ wú suǒ dé gù。
There is no accumulation of suffering, no extinguish of the Way; there is no wisdom as well as no gains because of none to attain.

无(no)苦(bitterness/suffering)集(accumulate)灭(extinguish)道(the way)，无(no)智(wisdom)亦(also)无(no)得(obtain/gain)，以(for)无(no)所得(something to attain)故(reason)。

菩提萨埵，依般若波罗蜜多故，心无挂碍。
pú tí sà duǒ yī bō rě bō luó mì duō gù xīn wú guà ài。
Bodhisattva, due to Prajna Paramita , has no worries in his heart.

菩提萨埵(Bodhisattva),依(according to)般若(Sanskrit prajña:direct insight into the truth taught by the Buddha, as a faculty required to attain enlightenment. wisdom / great wisdom / wondrous knowledge)波罗蜜多(Paramita: Paramita is a Sanskrit word, which means to cross over to the other shore. It implies crossing over from the Sea of suffering to the Shore of happiness, from the Samsara of birth and death to Nirvana and from ignorance to enlightenment.)故(reason)，心(heart)无(without)挂碍(worry)。

无挂碍故，无有恐怖，远离颠倒梦想，究竟涅槃。
wú guà ài gù, wú yǒu kǒng bù, yuǎn lí diān dǎo mèng xiǎng, jiū jìng niè pán。
Because of no worrying, there is nothing that can frighten him. Therefore, he is able to keep away from distorted dreams, and is able to achieve Nirvana after all.

无(no)挂碍(worry)故(reason)，无(not)有(have)恐怖(terror/fearful things)，远离(far away from)颠倒(upside down)梦想(dream)，究竟(after all)涅槃((in Buddhism) a transcendent state in which there is neither suffering, desire, nor sense of self, and the subject is released from the effects of karma and the cycle of death and rebirth. It represents the final goal of Buddhism.)。

三世诸佛，依般若波罗蜜多故，得阿耨多罗三藐三菩提。
sān shì zhū fó, yī bō rě bō luó mì duō gù, dé ā nuò duō luó sān miǎo sān pú tí。
Buddhas of the past, present and future, due to Prajna Paramita , obtains Supreme Perfect Enlightenment.

三世(past/present/future three generation)诸(all)佛(buddhas)，依(due to)般若(Sanskrit prajña:direct insight into the truth taught by the Buddha, as a faculty required to attain enlightenment. wisdom / great wisdom / wondrous knowledge)波罗蜜多(Paramita: Paramita is a Sanskrit word, which means to cross over to the other shore. It implies crossing over from the Sea of suffering to the Shore of happiness, from the Samsara of birth and death to Nirvana and from ignorance to enlightenment.)故(reason)，得(obtain)阿耨多罗三藐三菩提(Anuttara-Samyak-Sambodhi/Supreme Perfect Enlightenment)。

故知般若波罗蜜多，是大神咒，是大明咒，
gù zhī bō rě bō luó mì duō, shì dà shén zhòu, shì dà míng zhòu,
Therefore, we understand that Prajna Paramita is the great wondrous mantra, is the great bright mantra.

故(so)知(understand)般若(Sanskrit prajña:direct insight into the truth taught by the Buddha, as a faculty required to attain enlightenment. wisdom / great wisdom / wondrous knowledge)波罗蜜多(Paramita: Paramita is a Sanskrit word, which means to cross over to the other shore. It implies crossing over from the Sea of suffering to the Shore of happiness, from the Samsara of birth and death to Nirvana and from ignorance to enlightenment.)是(is)大(great)神(wondrous)咒(mantra)，是(is)大(great)明(bright)咒(mantra)，

是无上咒，是无等等咒。能除一切苦，真实不虚。
shì wú shàng zhòu, shì wú děng děng zhòu。néng chú yī qiē kǔ, zhēn shí bù xū。
It is the supreme manta, the unparalleled mantra that can get rid of all sufferings, and it is real and not false.

是(is)无上(supreme)咒(mantra)，是(is)无等等(unparalleled)咒(mantra)。能(able to)除(get rid of)一切(every/all)苦(bitter/suffering)，真实(real)不(not)虚(false)。

故说般若波罗蜜多咒。
gù shuō bō rě bō luó mì duō zhòu。
Therefore, he utters Mantra of the Prajna Paramita

故(therefore)说(say)般若(Sanskrit prajña:direct insight into the truth taught by the Buddha, as a faculty required to attain enlightenment. wisdom / great wisdom / wondrous knowledge)波罗蜜多(Paramita: Paramita is a Sanskrit word, which means to cross over to the other shore. It implies crossing over from the Sea of suffering to the Shore of happiness, from the Samsara of birth and death to Nirvana and from ignorance to enlightenment.)咒(mantra)。

即说咒曰：
jí shuō zhòu yuē：
The mantra is recited:

即(then/immediately)说(say)咒(mantra)曰(to say)：

揭谛揭谛，波罗揭谛，波罗僧揭谛，菩提萨婆诃。
jiē dì jiē dì, bō luó jiē dì, bō luó sēng jiē dì, pú tí sà pó hē。
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.
Go, go, go beyond and transcend, go utterly beyond, awakened, well said.

Gate(go) gate(go) paragate(go beyond and transcend) parasamgate(go utterly beyond) bodhi(awakened) svaha (is a denouement indicating the end of the mantra. Literally, it means “well said”).

Annotated and translated by Shu