A Heart Sutra Journey | Part Eighteen

"ALL PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE BUDDHAS LIVE PRAJNA PARAMITA AND THEREFORE ATTAIN ANUTTARA- SAMYAK-SAMBODHI."

Yesterday we saw the path of the Bodhisattva cuts through the delusion of Nirvana and instead leads to prajnaparamita, the transcendent wisdom of emptiness that envelops past, present, and future.

The word rendered 'live' here is akin to abide, or taking refuge. So the path to Buddhahood is by taking refuge in prajnaparamita. As we spoke about on Day 3, the prajnaparamita is 'deep' - translated from gambhira, an adjective also used in Sanskrit to describe the naval and entrance to the womb. This is suggestive of birth or manifestation. Thus it is like a womb of awakening, as Buddha is Sanskrit for awakened.

Anuttara- samyak-sambodhi is the result of this rebirth: or unexcelled perfect enlightenment. The action word used here is abisambuddha, or to reach complete awareness.

Thus, the womb of the transcendent wisdom of emptiness gives birth to the attainment of perfect, unexcelled, enlightenment. This is the abode of the awakened of all ages: this present infinite moment.

See the full text of the Heart Sutra at: https://oneriverzen.org/heart-sutra