The Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamitahrdaya) is one of the most important sutras in the Mahayana Buddhist tradition. Its central teaching is, “Form is emptiness; emptiness is also form.” Here, emptiness (shunyata) does not mean non-existence but rather that things don’t exist independently of the way we think. Everything is dependent upon something else, and is constantly shifting and changing. Therefore, things lack a fixed, separate identity.

The Heart Sutra belongs to a category of Buddhist teachings called “prajnaparamita,” (perfection of wisdom), which range from short and simple to long and elaborate. The Heart Sutra is one of the shortest and most condensed of this category. The text is a conversation between the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara and the Buddha’s disciple, Shariputra. Avalokiteshvara explains how the five aggregates (skandhas)—form, feeling, volition, perception, and mind—are all empty of self-nature, or dependently originated. This conversation, and therefore this sutra, took place at Vulture’s Peak, where many of the prajnaparamita teachings are said to have taken place. It is found in modern-day Bihar, India.

The wisdom of the Heart Sutra can help dispel our attachment to things and ourselves as if they are truly existing and real. It isn’t that we don’t exist at all; rather, we do not exist as a solid, eternal, or independent. We exist in relation to everything around us, created by countless causes and conditions. We can leverage this insight to gain wisdom and benefit others.

It’s important not to confuse the central point about emptiness with nihilism—the belief that nothing exists, nothing matters, and values are arbitrary. It is taught that the realization of shunyata comes organically after considerable diligent practice and study. The Heart Sutra can help us develop an accurate view of the way things really are, which is then brought into one’s own experience through practice. It’s beneficial to maintain humility regarding one’s own understanding of this concept, recognizing that as we keep practicing, our comprehension will deepen.

“The Heart Sutra is not meant to be understood intellectually; it is meant to be lived, to be embodied in every moment.” —Shunryu Suzuki

Reflect on the experience of chanting the Heart Sutra or listening to it being chanted aloud.

• What feeling do you get when listening to or reciting the Heart Sutra?

Describe the conversation between Avalokiteshvara and Shariputra; recite key passages from the sutra, Analyze how the Heart Sutra’s central teaching “form is emptiness, emptiness is form” differs from nihilism; identify the many ways the heart sutra has been related to across cultures, create a piece of art using the text of the heart sutra.