A Heart Sutra Journey | Part Sixteen

"...WITH NO HINDRANCE IN THE MIND;
NO HINDRANCE, THEREFORE NO FEAR."

Within prajna paramita there are no hindrances or walls of any kind. As all is empty, there are no dividing concepts or barriers. Thus everything is experienced directly - as there is no distinction between observer and observed. There is just this: this very moment of the infinite present.

In such a place, the concept of fear no longer operates. As there are no hindrances in the mind - there is nothing separate or other to fear.

It is hard to imagine such a place, as we use our minds to dissect reality and often quite necessarily make a mess of things. But can we practice emptiness and see that side, too?

"With big mind we accept each of our experiences as if recognizing the face we see in a mirror as our own. For us there is no fear of losing this mind. There is nowhere to come or to go; there is no fear of death, no suffering from old age or sickness. Because we enjoy all aspects of life as an unfolding of big mind, we do not care for any excessive joy. So we have imperturbable composure, and it is with this imperturbable composure of big mind that we practice zazen." -Shunryu Suzuki Roshi

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