Mantra Box: Methods for Practicing the Heart Sutra Mantra

Mantra recitation can help focus and collect the mind. In the practice of Esoteric Buddhism, the recitation of mantras has long been regarded as a skillful means for awakening wisdom. Indeed, the recitation of the Heart Sutra mantra is viewed by the Dalai Lama as "preparation for the journey toward Buddhahood." In “The Essence of the Heart Sutra”, the Dalai Lama not only elucidates the esoteric significance of the five-line mantra (Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha) but also establishes a correspondence between the mantra and the text of the sutra:

In addition to reciting the Heart Sutra mantra in isolation, Esoteric Buddhist practice typically treats the entire Heart Sutra as a mantra to be recited. Mantra expert Lin Guangming (林光明) points out that the complete structure of a mantra typically comprises five main components: 1. Homage, 2. Introductory Phrase ("Thus is the Mantra Spoken"), 3. Core Content, 4. Prayer and Invocation, and 5. Concluding Phrase. If the entire Heart Sutra is treated as a mantra for recitation, it can be deconstructed as follows (the Prayer and Benediction section and the Concluding Phrase section may be combined):


Whether one recites a short mantra or chants the entire sutra as a mantra, the ultimate aim is to "reach the Other Shore"—to realize the Prajna (wisdom) of Ultimate Reality and attain Great Liberation. (Tsui-Ku Hsu 許翠谷)




Related articles: 

The Ever-Popular Prajnaparamita

​How to Practice the Heart Sutra

Mantra Section: Unraveling the Mantra of the Heart Sutra

Mantra Box: Methods for Practicing the Heart Sutra Mantra


Resource: Issue 325 of Humanity Magazine, Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation
Photo: 常鐸法師
Translation: Christina  
Editing: Keith Brown, Patricia Yang