Heart Sutra

Originally posted by member "John Formosa" on December 5, 2011.
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« Thread started on: Dec 5th, 2011, 07:46am »

This thread is for "Heart Sutra" resources.

The text of this sutra was almost certainly composed first in Chinese (and not Sanskrit or Pali) by Buddhist monks/scholars.

Have a look at this image of the oldest copy -- from 7th century; it is also therefore one of oldest extent manuscripts of any text in any language. If you can read some Kanji, you will see that it is still quite the same text now as ever. How cool is that


(Source: "Heart Sutra," Wikipedia)

Originally posted by member "John Formosa" on December 5, 2011.
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« Reply #1 on: Dec 5th, 2011, 07:50am »

Here's the text in romanized Japanese --

Maka Hannya Haramita Shingyo

Kan ji zai bo za tsu
Gyo jin han ya ha ra mi ta
Ji sho ken go on kai ku
Do i sai ku
Yaku sha ri shi

Shiki fu i ku
Ku fu i shiki
Shiki soku ze ku
Ku soku ze shiki
Ju so gyo shiki

Yaku bu nyo ze
Sha ri shi
Ze sho ho ku so
Fu sho fu metsu
Fu ku fu jo
Fu zo fu gen

Ze ko ku chu
Mu shiki mu ju so gyo shiki
Mu gen ni bi ze shin i
Mu shiki sho ko mi soku ho
Mu gen kai nai shi mu i shiki kai
Mu mu myo yaku mu mu myo jin
Nai shi mu ro shi yaku mu ro shi jin
Mu ku shu metsu do mu chi yaku mu toku i

Mu sho toku ko bo dai sa ta e
Han ya ha ra mi ta ko
Shin mu ke ge mu ke ge ko
Mu u ku fu on ri i sai ten do mu so ku gyo ne

Han san ze sho butso e
Han ya ha ra mi ta ko
Toku a noku ta ra san myaku san bo dai
Ko chi han ya ha ra mi ta
Ze dai jin shu ze dai myo shu
Ze mu jo shu ze mu to do shu
No jo i sai ku shin jitsu fu ko
Ko setsu han ya ha ra mi ta shu
Soku setsu shu watsu

Gya tei gya tei
Ha ra gya tei
Hara so gya tei
Bo ji so wa ka

Hannya Shingyo

(Source: "Hannya Shingyo," Buddhadharma, http://heartofus.wordpress.com/chants/hannya-shingyo/)

Originally posted by member "John Formosa" on December 5, 2011.
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« Reply #2 on: Dec 5th, 2011, 07:53am »

I haven't found a good Youtube (or other vid) reading of the text in Japanese, but here is a chanted version which is pretty good --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6RwDTy6sSw&feature=related

Question for Dave: Is there a way to post the videos here?

Originally posted by member "John Formosa" on December 5, 2011.
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« Reply #3 on: Dec 5th, 2011, 07:56am »

This is a sung version in Chinese (Mandarin) by the deva of Buddhist devotional music, Imee Ooi --

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ciYO7mWq3Og

This is of the Heart Sutra mantra only and in Sanskrit --

Tayata Om
Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gke_NSoldrc

Originally posted by member "Shikoku Henro Trail" (me) on December 7, 2011.
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« Reply #4 on: Dec 7th, 2011, 10:13am »

John,
I looked through the support forum and don't see anyway to add video here. It appears that our only option is as you have already done -- links to movies elsewhere, like YouTube.


As for the Japanese romanization you posted, i find it bizarre. Lines are broken in the weirdest of places from time to time.


I'm shocked that the kanji (actually Chinese hanzi) in the above Heart Sutra does so closely match today's version. If that is really from the 7th century, i would expect a great many more differences.

Originally posted by member "John Formosa" on December 12, 2011.
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« Reply #5 on: Dec 12th, 2011, 02:32am »

I don't know why the romanized Japanese was arranged in that way. I don't read Japanese well at all.

However, the Chinese text of the Heart Sutra is indeed from the Tang Dynasty. The writing of traditional Chinese has been preserved quite faithfully over the centuries. It is of course precisely the same text as is read in Japanese.

In fact, I think the pronunciation via Japanese is closer to ancient Chinese in classical texts such as this.

Originally posted by member "WillyM" on February 22, 2012.
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« Reply #6 on: Feb 22nd, 2012, 01:56am »

Hello everyone,

I'm looking on the internet to find the words of some sutra's but i cann't find them.

The words of the Kaigyoge sutra and the Gohonzon Shingon sutra.

Chanting the Gohonzon Shingon sutra is only for in the Daishi Hall ?

Can somebody help me.

Willy Maas

Originally posted by member "Shikoku Henro Trail" (me) on February 23, 2012.
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« Reply #7 on: Feb 23rd, 2012, 07:48am »

Willy,
I don't think you are looking for "Sutras." That was a bad translation and instead of "sutra" it should be "mantra." I have seen this mistranslation before in some very old books.

The Gohonzon Shingon Sutra should be the Gohonzon Shingon Mantra. Which would mean that you are looking for the mantra for the particular honzon (gohonzon, to make it more formal and polite) at each temple. I.E., the mantra will change at each temple because the honzon change between temples.

You can find the Honzon's mantra in the "Temple Information" section of the web site.

The honzon mantra is only chanted at the hondo, not the daishido. The statue in the daishido is always Kobo Daishi. It is the statue (honzon) in the hondo that changes from temple to temple, so would vary.

The Kaigyouge Mantra is chanted at both the honzon and the daishido. It is:

mu jou jin jin mi myou hou
hyakusenman gou nan sou guu
ga kon kenmontoku ju ji
gan ge nyo rai shin jitsu gi

Dave

Originally posted by member "Shikoku Henro Trail" (me) on February 23, 2012.
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« Reply #8 on: Feb 23rd, 2012, 11:04am »

OK, i took the time to update the website in response to this question.

I dug out my Kyohon and the Japanese guidebook that explains the procedures at the temples and rewrote the section on the "What To Do At The Temples" page regarding what to chant and how many times.

The problem is, i don't do all this chanting. I chant the Heart Sutra and that is all. Now that more people look at the web site, i see more detail is needed.

Look it over and let me know if you have any more questions. Sorry i have never bothered to do this before. My bad....

Dave

Originally posted by member "WillyM" on February 26, 2012.
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« Reply #9 on: Feb 26th, 2012, 12:02pm »

Thank you Dave.
No questions yet.

Willy Maas

Originally posted by member "John Formosa" on February 28, 2012.
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« Reply #10 on: Feb 28th, 2012, 05:36am »

Dave,

I think the website info is fine as is, actually. If people want to learn more they always can.

I don't do all the chanting either. I don't do any chanting, actually. I read the Heart Sutra in Chinese, either aloud or softly or to myself as circumstances allow. (I can't read it in Japanese and don't want to disturb others if they are chanting.)

Just my 2 cents, for all you can get with 2 cents nowadays.

John

Originally posted by member "Shikoku Henro Trail" (me) on February 28, 2012.
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« Reply #11 on: Feb 28th, 2012, 12:44pm »

John,
I'll take your two cents anytime. It all adds up.

There will always be people who want all the information up front, before setting foot on the island. There will also always be people who don't care and are willing to learn as they walk. And everything in between. Neither group is right or wrong.

My job, as i see it, is simply to give people the information they want. If they ask and i can provide, i give it. If they don't ask, i don't dig around for esoteric stuff to post just to post something. My goal is to keep the web site practical.

Originally posted by member "johnwalker" on June 22, 2012.
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« Reply #12 on: Jun 22nd, 2012, 10:45pm »

This is absolutely a great site.it contains valuable stuff.

Originally posted by member "Shikoku Henro Trail" (me) on June 29, 2012.
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« Reply #13 on: Jun 29th, 2012, 08:19am »

Thanks.

Originally posted by member "catmiao" on August 20, 2013.
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« Reply #14 on: Aug 29th, 2013, 09:43am »

I do found this in android play store though... It comes with translation:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.flyxapp.heartsutra&hl=en

Well maybe you guys can download and take a look quite nice