The Lord and a great assembly of monks were meditating on the vulture’s peak in Rajagrha. The Arya Avalokitesvara, the Bodhisattva, treading the path of the perfection of wisdom, which is profound and unfathomable, beheld only the five aggregates, which in themselves were empty of an independent self-existence.Inwardly prompted by the Lord, the venerable Sariputra asked the Bodhisattva: ‘‘How should we understand the prajnaparamita? (perfection of wisdom)’’Arya Avalokitesvara replied: O Sariputra, form is emptiness and the very emptiness is form; form is non-different (or non separate) from emptiness and emptiness is non-different from form; that which is form is emptiness and that which is emptiness is form; even so are feelings, perceptions, psychological impressions or tendencies and consciousness.Here, O Sariputra, all dharma (phenomena or elements) are characterised by emptiness; they are not given rise to nor are they restrained; they are neither impure nor immaculate; neither inadequate nor complete.Thus, O Sariputra, in emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no perfection, no mental impressions of tendencies, no consciousness; no eye, ear, tongue, body, mind; no form, sound, smell, taste, tactile sensation or psychological objects (thoughts and so on); nothing known as the element of sight and so on, up to the element on the mind.There is no ignorance and hence no cessation, no sorrow nor its arising nor its arising nor its cessation nor a path to such cessation. There is no wisdom, attainment or non-attainment.Thus, because there is no attainment, the Bodhisattva dwells solely in perfect wisdom, without the least veil of mental activity. Because of the absence of this veil, nothing makes him tremble (fear), he has transcended whatever is capable of disturbing him and he attains nirvana in which he remains firmly established.All the Buddhas in the three periods of time are established in the perfection of wisdom and are therefore fully awake to the right and perfect enlightenment.Therefore one should know the prajnaparamita mahamantra, which is supreme knowledge and supreme mantra and which remedies all sufferings and sorrow in truth, for it is true. Here is the mantra declared in prajnaparamita: Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha (Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone totally beyond, the Awakening, svaha).Extracted from the ‘Festival of Sacred Chanting and Singing’ publication, Tibet House-India International Centre
