The
Heart Sutra is one of the most well-known texts in all of Buddhism. In less than 250 words, one can read the account of the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara's experience of profound meditation. The
Heart Sutra is also one of the most elegant expressions of the Buddha's teachings. It captures the essence of the
The Four Noble Truths,
The Noble Eightfold Path and
The Doctrine of Dependent Arising in its verses. The
Heart Sutra is more than just a record of the Prajnaparamita experience of the Bodhisattva. If we so choose, it can serve as a guide, a "finger pointing at the moon", for us, as we struggle to make sense of the senselessness of today's society. The Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, in his narration, is telling us that the state of Prajnaparamita is available to all human beings. It is said: "We are all, in essence, Buddhas. We only need to wake up to that fact." The
Heart Sutra can be our wake-up call.
Form is... EMPTINESS ...is Form introduces the reader to: - the Buddha, Avalokiteshvara and Shariputra in a way that is a bit out of the ordinary - the Buddha's core teachings as found in;
The Four Noble Truths,
The Noble Eightfold Path and
The Doctrine of Dependent Arising - the
Heart Sutra using the Buddha's teachings as corroboration of the profound wisdom expressed in its verses. - a radical world view that "
Form is emptiness, emptiness is form" with a number of not-so-radical examples of how one can begin one's own journey of self-discovery.