A Heart Sutra Journey | Part Three

"DOING DEEP PRAJNA PARAMITA"

We discussed the term prajna paramita on day one:

Prajna - what comes before knowledge, a transcendent wisdom.
Paramita - perfection or highest point, gone beyond.

Today, we find Avalokitesvara engaged in the deep practice of prajna paramita. Transcendent wisdom, in its perfection, coming before common knowledge. In its truest sense, this is the state of enlightenment - a state without the delusion of separation. This is a state free of the construct of self and other, and thus perfect compassion is manifested.

The word deep is 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.

Paramita is often also used in the sense of perfection in the six paramitas: generosity (dana), morality (sila), forbearance (kshanti), vigor (virya), meditation (dhyana), and wisdom (prajna). The practice of these is meant to produce non-attachment. In the Perfection of Wisdom in Eight-Thousand Lines, Buddha tells Ananda: “The paramita of wisdom incorporates the other five paramitas by means of practices that are based on all-embracing knowledge. Thus does the paramita of wisdom include the other five paramitas. The ‘paramita of wisdom’ is simply a synonym for the fruition of all six paramitas.” (Red Pine Translation)

This raises the question of how one 'does' deep prajna paramita. Clearly 'practicing' compassion is an element here - and it is the true embodiment of an enlightened being. This is wisdom. From a state of enlightenment the bodhisattva acts to manifest compassion.

Bernie Glassman in Infinite Circle says it this way:

"Because they are enlightened, they practice; because they're in a state of no-separation, which is wisdom, they practice compassion, the functioning of that state."

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