A Commentary on Heart Sūtra Part 4

By Wong Weng Hon

This is the continuation of the previous part 3 of the commentary on the Heart Sūtra. In the previous exposition of the Heart Sūtra, the repeated emphasis is on the negation or deconstruction all phenomena. The negation or deconstruction unveils that the multiplicity of the empirical world is a cosmic illusion. The multiplicity (all phenomena), perceived by the ordinary worldlings as signs, marks or characteristics, is ultimately unreal. It is only conventionally real. There is only one absolute Truth : The Emptiness (Śūnyatā) of all phenomena of inherent existence. The multiplicity is like the impermanent waves whilst Emptiness or Unity is the permanent borderless Ocean. Whoever intuitively discerns Emptinesss or Signlessness truly comprehends the ultimate Truth of Unity, Non-duality of Insubstantiality governed by the natural principle of Dependent Co-arising (Pratītyasamutpāda). Whoever intuitively apprehends Unity develops the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajñāpā̄ramitā). When the Liberated One perceives the world with the perfection of Wisdom, the waves (all phenomena of the multiplicity) merges with the borderless Ocean (Principle of eternal Truth). The complete calmness of the borderless Ocean without the disturbance of the waves is akin to the state of complete appeasement or silence of the human mind called Nirvāṇ̣a. The union between the Waves and the borderless Ocean corresponds with the right vision of non-duality or oneness between the perceiver and the perceived. At this apex of spirituality, the notion of I or Mine vanishes totally. In short, the illusive and unreal Self or Ego is completely annihilated. This consummates the state of salvation or liberation of Man. The annihilation of superimposed Self or Ego is the universal principle of salvation applicable to all esoteric religions,such as Zoroastrianism, Vedānta or Hinduism, Taoism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity and Sufism or Islam. Heart Sūtra expounds the universal Truth of Dharma realm of Unity or the Ocean of Unity expounded by all esoteric religions.

1. 以無所得故, 菩提薩陀, 依般若波羅蜜多故, 心無掛礙.

Since there is no attainment, Bodhisattva, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, the mind is unobstructed or unimpeded.

Commentary :

The ‘Wisdom Being’ (Bodhisattva), which is the subject, is empty of inherent existence (空無自性niḥsvabhāva). ‘Attainment’ (得), which is an object, is also empty of self-nature. Both the subject and object are empty of permanent, immutable intrinsic natures. In short, they are insubstantial. The dualistic view between subject and object is an illusion as both subject and object are Conventional Truth (世俗諦). Emptiness of all phenomena, including subjects and objects, is perceived intuitively in the ultimate sense. Since all phenomena are signless(無相) and dependently co-arisen(緣起) without any permanent substance (恒常不變之個體) or self-nature or other natures, both the Wisdom Being (Bodhisattva) and his or attainment of Wisdom are empty of self-nature and other-nature respectively. Thus, there is neither ‘Wisdom Being’ nor ‘Attainment’ in the ultimate analysis. Since all phenomena or multiplicity are non-dualistic (不二) and empty of self-natures, there is neither absolute existence (有) nor non-existence (無). The same Truth of Emptiness is applied to the mental phenomenon of ‘Attainment’. Whoever perceives Emptiness as the Ultimate Truth develops the Perfection of Wisdom(般若波羅蜜多). When the Perfection of Wisdom is developed, the illusion of the multiplicity (萬象) of the empirical world, including the human personalities and objects they perceive, is penetrated into. The Perfection of Wisdom liberates the Wisdom Being mentally from the bondage(縛) of suffering and transmigration. Consequently, there is a total cessation of suffering or vexation (滅苦/斷煩腦). Discernment of Emptiness of inherent existence liberates the sentient beings. Ignorance of the Truth of Emptiness entangles the sentient beings in bondage and engenders vexation or suffering.

2. 無掛礙故,無有恐怖, 遠離顛倒夢想, 究竟涅盤.

When the Wisdom Being (Bodhisattva) is mentally liberated from vexation or suffering, there is no fear whatsoever. Perversion (顛倒) and false imaginations or erroneous conceptualizations (妄想) are eliminated from his mind because of non-reification of objects. Consequently, the Wisdom Being self-actualizes absolute Nirvāṇa (究競涅盤). Nirvāṇa is the complete appeasement (心平) of the human mind which is completely silenced by the discernment of Emptiness. The complete silence of the mind is the state of Nirvāṇa. The mind is completely silenced if and only if Self or Ego has been annihilated. The chatter of the ordinary mind is completely eliminated as his illusive Self or Ego is annihilated. He enjoys the supreme bliss of inner peace of mind while he is still living on Earth. This is true application of Saddharma in daily lives. His Original -nature (本性) of the Buddha-mind (佛心) is manifested. The Buddha-mind is the pure consciousness (淨心) or infinite consciousness (無量心). This is the liberated consciousness of all religious saints or sages irrespective of the dissimilar paths or vehicles which they have selected as the expedient devices or means of spiritual development (adherence to dissimilar religions). Upon death, The Wisdom Being is completely emancipated (解脫) as he or she has successfully disentangled himself or herself from the incessant bondage of transmigration(輪回). He or she becomes a Tathāgata (如來) which neither exists nor does not exist after parinirvāṇa.In the present, he becomes the Man of Perfection called Bodhisattva. The Tathāgata refers to the Dharmabody or the infinite consciousness which is ineffable or can not expressed with words or language. This is the highest soteriological goal sought by all earnest spiritual or religious aspirants in all esoteric religions which only differ exoterically or outwardly. The interior life of salvation is identical for all liberated persons. The common goal of all esoteric religions is to seek this Absolute Truth (勝義諦) of infinite consciousness concealed by the ordinary consciousness (起心動念) since time immemorial. A mind devoid of illusive Self or Ego is called the Buddha-mind or Dharmabody. This is called the Holy Spirit in Christianity when Jesus Christ sits in the throne of life of a saved Christianity. Self or Ego has been removed from the throne of a saved Christian’s life. Likewise, when Kṛṣṇa dominates in the heart of a delivered Hindu, Krisna consciousness is manifested and operates in the life of a delivered Hindu. Both the Vedas and the Buddha promulgate that Truth is one and not two (Ekaṃ saccaṃ na dutiyaṃ). The founder of Bahai religion declares similarly. Dissimilar religions are merely different expedient devices (upāyas) to reach the same final esoteric destination of soteriology - the pure and infinite consciousness. In monotheistic, the state of gnosis or God-realization is known as the union with God. The union of the saved believer (Lover) with God (the Beloved) is actuality the self-actualization of the non-duality between the Lover and Beloved. In Mahāyāna Sūtras, this state of Self-realization of the discernment of the non-duality between the perceiver and the perceived. Vedānta or Hinduism also advocates non-duality as the path to Nirvāṇa. This confirms that Truth is one and not two (Ekaṃ saccaṃ na dutiyaṃ.)

3. 三世諸佛,依般若波羅蜜多故,得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提.

The Buddhas of the tri-temporal existence, relying on the Perfection of Wisdom, they attain the unsurpassed supreme enlightenment.

The Enlightened Ones of the tri-temporal existence (三世), contigent upon the Perfection of Wisdom which is manifested as the Buddha-mind or pure and infinite Consciousness, attain the maximal state of complete Self-enlightenment - the highest state of human self-awakening which is unsurpassed by any other from of enlightenment. The summit of enlightenment is Nirvāṇa, the obsolute silence of the Mind in which the illusive Self or Ego has been annihilated. Nirvāṇa is the primodial state of great perfection of all sentient beings. Heart Sūtra admonishes all Buddhist practitioners to abandon all signs to annihilate Self or Ego to redeem to this original state of great perfection of all sentient beings.

In the Mahāyāna tradition, unsurpassed perfect Self-enlightenment is the self-realization that all phenomena are ultimately empty of self-natures and other natures.They are known respectively as Emptiness of Self and Emptiness of phenomena. The perfect knowledge of Emptiness is realized only by a Wisdom Being who has relinquished four signs (離四相). The signs connote individual marks, characteristics or self-natures.

The relinquishing of four signs leads to complete annihilation of illusive Self or Ego and the intuitive discernment of the illusion of multiplicity. The four signs are sign of self (我相), sign of person(人相), the sign of sentient beings (眾生相) and the sign of tri-temporal existence in terms of time and space (壽者相).Even the notion of Emptiness is also empty (空亦空). A true Wisdom Being also ceases grasping (不執) upon the notion of Emptiness. He discerns the Emptiness of Emptiness. Most importantly, while a true Wisdom Being acknowledges the Absolute Truth of Emptiness, he does not deny the Conventional Truth. The Perfection of Wisdom is the acceptance of the Middle Path (中觀) of admitting both the Conventional Truth of multiplicity and Ultimate Truth of Emptiness simultaneously.

The true power of renunciation is the renunciation of Self or Ego amid the world of materialism. The Wisdom Being may acquires, possesses and utilizes material wealth for his or her interest and the interest of others, but he has abandoned the notion of personal proprietorship of both his personality and his private material wealth. All esoteric religions teach the Truth of non-proprietorship of material wealth in order to receive God. In monotheistic religions, the saved devotee receives God and submits totally to God’s commands if and only if the illusive Self or Ego known as lower or animal Self is destroyed. In Christianity, Destruction of Self or Ego is the destruction of sinful life. With the destruction of Self or Ego, God or Holy Spirit dwells in the heart of the saved believer. This is the true meaning of loving God. This establishes the intimate relationship between the Lover and the Beloved. Lover refers to discerner of Truth by the Certanty’s eye (called Dhamma eye ). The Beloved refers to God which is the eternal Truth of Unity or Non-duality. The same Principle is applied by Hindus to manifest the Kṛṣṇa consciousness by which Ātman unites With Brahman. This is how the sinful life of Christians and Hindus cease and how their saved believers dwell in fellowship with God. When God commands His believers to love their neighbours like they love themselves and love the enemies too, their Lord commands them to abandon their Notion of Self or Ego. Letting go Self or Ego is a rapid way to gain salvation. Please contemplate this profound advice very seriously.

Non-proprietorship is the ownership of material wealth with absolute detachment. Detachment is the annihilation of illusive Self or Ego. This is the real meaning of inner renunciation. The lay devotee renounces internally but not externally as material life is part and parcel of mundane living for the lay devotees. This is where is non-religious people conflict with the ardent religious believers who are wrongly accused to be anti-materialism by non-believers or pure materialists.

The cause of the clash of civilizations lies here. Spirituality and secularity do not clash but synergize. The persecutions of ardent religious saints since time immemorial was or is the perversion of sheer ignorance and folly. With the advancement of religious education led by universities worldwide and Buddhist institutions, such persecution mirrors ignorance and perversion highlighted by the saints – the ‘Men of Perfection’. How could the ‘Men of perfection’, such as Messengers, Apostles, Prophets or Tathāgatas be possibly wrong ? A wrong person can never emerge as a ‘Man of Perfection’.

The core of Buddhist teaching is Anattā formulated by Gotama Buddha As This is not I ; This is not Mine ; This does not belong to Me.Likewise; If the Hindus or Christians conceives This is I and This is Mine, Kṛṣṇa consciousness or Holy Spirit will not dwell in their hearts respectively. Thus it is evident, pure consciousness, Holy Spirit and Kṛṣṇa consciousness are synonymous. They refer to the infinite consciousness of human beings located at the Centre of the human heart. This infinite consciousness is the temple of Brahman, Buddha or God. It is the spirit of Truth sought by all major esoteric religions, such as Vedānta, or Hinduism, Taoism, Confuciansim, Judaism, Christianity and Islam or Sufism. Like the Vedānta, Tao Te Ching, Bible and Koran, Heart Sūtra, teaches universality of esoteric religions - the Ultimate Truth of interior life of Wisdom which saves Man. For those who discern, all religious scriptures expound the one and only Truth – multiplicity is untruth and Unity is Truth. The common Truth discerned by all religious saints is: One in many; many in One. The clash of religious civilizations is the ignorance of the fact that all esoteric religions teach the universal brotherhood of mankind. Many know it but can not practice it because of absence of religious intuition. The philosophy of Theosophy evokes such intuition.