Two Shunryu Suzuki “Translations” of the Heart Sutra

The basic English meaning printed beneath the Sino-Japanese on Sokoji chant cards.

Allen Ginsberg liked it so much that he received Suzuki's permission to sing it in public. Audio of  in the CD-ROM Haight-Ashbury in the Sixties on the Rokument site. Rokument page for AG

#1 (#2 below)

Two Page Chant Card (4 pages) – English Only, no corrections

A two page, four sided chant card of the Heart Sutra with FOR THE MEMORY OF SHINSANSHIKI ZEN CENTER written on the bottom was created for this ceremony held on May 20, 1962. [Shinsanshiki is the Mountain Seat Ceremony in which Suzuki was officially installed as abbot.

View the two page chant card which also includes the kanji, Chinese characters, above the Romanized words to be chanted. Line divisions same as on card

Great Prajna Paramita Sutra

Avalokitesvara bodhisattva practice deep prajna paramita
when perceive five skandas all empty. relieve every suffering.
Sariputra, form not different (from) emptiness. Emptiness not
different (from) form. Form is the emptiness. Emptiness is the form.
Sensation, thought, active substance, consciousness, also like this.
Sariputra, this everything original character; not born, not
annihilated not tainted, not pure, (does) not increase, (does) not decrease.
Therefore in emptiness no form, no sensation, thought, active substance,
consciousness. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no color, sound,
smell, taste, touch, object; no eye, world of eyes until we come to also no
world of consciousness; no ignorance, also no ignorance annihilation,
until we come to no old age, death, also no old age, death annihilation of
no suffering, cause of suffering, nirvana, path; no wisdom, also no
attainment because of no attainment. Bodhisattva depends on
prajna paramita because mind no obstacle
Because of no obstacle no exist fear; go beyond all
(topsy-turvey views) attain Nirvana. Past, present and future every
Buddha depend on prajna paramita therefore
attain supreme, perfect, renlightenment.
Therefore I know Prajna paramita (is) the great holy
mantram, the great untainted mantram, the supreme mantram, the
incomparable mantram. Is capable of assuaging all suffering.
True not false. Therefore he proclaimed Prajna paramita
mantram and proclaimed mantram says gone, gone, to the other shore
gone, reach (go) enlighten-ment accomplish
What we pray (is that), this merit (with) universally all existence
Pervade, we and sentient being all with Buddhism
achieve (what we pray is) this

(What I pray is that this merit pervade universally and we Buddhists and all
sentient beings achieve Buddhism.)

Ten directions past, present and future all Buddhas The world honoured one.
Bodhisattva, great Bodhisattva, great Prajna – paramita.

The line in parentheses, “(What I pray…” is the dedication chanted by the chant leader and the next, “Ten directions…” is the dedication chanted by all.

#2

One Page Two-sided Chant Card  – English Only, no corrections

The basic English meaning printed beneath the Sino-Japanese on the two sided chant card that was in use when I arrived at Sokoji in the late summer of 1966. - DC.

View the one page two-sided chant card which also includes the kanji, Chinese characters, above the Romanized words to be chanted. Line divisions and indentations same as on card

Great Prajna Paramita Sutra

        Avalokitesvara bodhisattva practice deep prajna paramita when perceive five
skandas all empty, relieve every suffering.
        Sariputra, form not different (from) emptiness. Emptiness not different (from) form. Form
is the emptiness. Emptiness is the form. Sensation, thought, active substance, consciousness, also
like this.
        Sariputra, this everything original character; not born, not annihilated not tainted, not pure,
(does) not increase, (does) not decrease. Therefore in emptiness no form, no sensation, thought, active substance,
consciousness. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, object; no eye,
world of eyes until we come also to no world of consciousness; no ignorance, also no ignorance
annihilation, until we come to no old age, death, also no old age, death, annihilation of no suffering, cause of suffering,
nirvana, path; no wisdom, also no attainment because of no attainment. Bodhisattva depends on
prajna paramita because mind no obstacle. Because of no obstacle no exist fear; go beyond
all (topsy-turvey views) attain Nirvana. Past, present and future every Buddha depend on prajna
paramita therefore attain supreme, perfect, enlightenment.
        Therefore I know Prajna paramita (is) the great holy mantram, the great untainted mantram,
the supreme mantram, the incomparable mantram. Is capable of assuaging all suffering. True not false.
Therefore he proclaimed Prajna paramita mantram and proclaimed mantram says
gone, gone, to the other shore gone, reach (go) enlightenment accomplish.
What we pray, this merit with universally all existence Pervade,
we and sentient being all with Buddhism achieve

        (What I pray is that this merit pervade universally and we Buddhists and all sentient being achieve
this Buddhism.)

Ten directions past, present and future all buddhas The world honoured one. Bodhisattva, great Bodhisattva,
great Prajna - paramita

The line in parentheses, “(What I pray…” is the dedication chanted by the chant leader and the next, “Ten directions…” is the dedication chanted by all.

(Handwritten on the one page two-sided card scanned here after the dedication is the English used later:
May the merit of this penetrate into each thing in all places
So that we and every sentient being together can realize the Buddha’s Way.)

Variations in English between the two cards

Two-sided Chant Card (2 pages) – English Only – With variations from original 1962 card in (red).

Great Prajna Paramita Sutra

        Avalokitesvara bodhisattva practice deep prajna paramita when perceive five
skandas all empty, (.) relieve every suffering.
        Sariputra, form not different (from) emptiness. Emptiness not different (from) form. Form
is the emptiness. Emptiness is the form. Sensation, thought, active substance, consciousness, also
like this.
        Sariputra, this everything original character; not born, not annihilated not tainted, not pure,
(does) not increase, (does) not decrease. Therefore in emptiness no form, no sensation, thought, active substance,
consciousness. No eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, mind; no color, sound, smell, taste, touch, object; no eye,
world of eyes until we come also to no world of consciousness; no ignorance, also no ignorance
annihilation, until we come to no old age, death, also no old age, death, annihilation of no suffering, cause of suffering,
nirvana, path; no wisdom, also no attainment because of no attainment. Bodhisattva depends on
prajna paramita because mind no obstacle. Because of no obstacle no exist fear; go beyond
all (topsy-turvey views) attain Nirvana. Past, present and future every Buddha depend on prajna
paramita therefore attain supreme, perfect, enlightenment (renlightenment).
        Therefore I know Prajna paramita (is) the great holy mantram, the great untainted mantram,
the supreme mantram, the incomparable mantram. Is capable of assuaging all suffering. True not false.
Therefore he proclaimed Prajna paramita mantram and proclaimed mantram says
gone, gone, to the other shore gone, reach (go) enlightenment (enlighten-ment) accomplish.
What we pray ((is that)), this merit ((with)) with (with) universally all existence Pervade,
we and sentient being all with Buddhism achieve ((what we pray is) this)

(Handwritten: May the merit of this penetrate into each thing in all places
So that we and every sentient being together can realize the Buddha’s Way.)

(What I pray is that this merit pervade universally and we Buddhists and all sentient being achieve
this (this) Buddhism.)

Ten directions past, present and future all buddhas The world honoured [sic] one. Bodhisattva, great Bodhisattva,
great Prajna - paramita

The only person I know of who chanted the English was Allen Ginsberg though I think he used the one page version. Also don't know when the second version started. Maybe Mel Weitsman or Bill Kwong will remember. - DC

 Thanks Chris Modec-Halverson for getting all this on disc so accurately April 2013. (posted 5-13)

Shunryu Suzuki Lectures etc in Progress 2012-3

Cuke Heart Sutra Center