The Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic of Mahayana Buddhism

by Kazuaki Tanahashi, Roshi Joan Halifax (Contributor)

An illuminating in-depth study of one of the most well-known and recited Buddhist texts, by a renowned modern translator

The Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra is among the best known of all the Buddhist scriptures. Chanted daily by many Zen practitioners, it is also studied extensively in the Tibetan tradition, and it has been regarded with interest more recently in the West in various fields of study—from philosophy to quantum physics. In just a few lines, it expresses the truth of impermanence and the release of suffering that results from the understanding of that truth with a breathtaking economy of language.

Kazuaki Tanahashi’s guide to the Heart Sutra is the result of a life spent working with it and living it. He outlines the history and meaning of the text and then analyzes it line by line in its various forms (Sanskrit, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Tibetan, Mongolian, and various key English translations), providing a deeper understanding of the history and etymology of the elusive words than is generally available to the non-specialist—yet with a clear emphasis on the relevance of the text to practice. This book includes a fresh and meticulous new translation of the text by the author and Roshi Joan Halifax.

Genres: Buddhism, Spirituality, Philosophy, Religion, Zen, Nonfiction, History

288 pages, Paperback

Published March 1, 2016

About the author

Kazuaki Tanahashi, born and trained in Japan and active in the United States since 1977, has had solo exhibitions of his calligraphic paintings internationally. He has taught East Asian calligraphy at eight international conferences of calligraphy and lettering arts. Also a peace and environmental worker for decades, he is a Fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science.

Reviews

[withdrawn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m certain that there are editions of The Heart Sutra more suited to my needs and tastes. I should be more careful in choosing. This edition is too Zen, too touchy-feely, and too California for my liking. I’ll try again some time in the future with a different edition.

I should note that my “good” rating is due to some interesting historical stuff included in the book.

[retroj · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a new English translation and in-depth exposition of the Heart Sutra, a foundational work of Mahayana Buddhism and a major work of human thought on the Buddhist concept of emptiness. In a scholarly, thorough, and loving treatment of the topic, Tanahashi guides us through the history of the sutra, theories of its shrouded origin, the history of its many translations and translators, its spread throughout Asia and the world, and its role in contemporary Buddhism. We learn the context of its expressions and how to interpret its ambiguities. Tanahashi analyzes the text at different levels and from different cultural and linguistic perspectives, down to a comprehensive word by word analysis of the major translations, including the present one. This last part was admittedly a little tedious, but having read it (and it didn't take all that long, really) it becomes a valuable reference to the sutra.

Especially fascinating for me were the deep etymological connections between English and Sanskrit, like how jna in prajna relates to gnosis, to know, or how hridaya relates to kardia, heart. Knowing a bit of Chinese helped me get more out of the translation sections than I otherwise would have. I am deeply impressed with Tanahashi's knowledge of Sanskrit, Chinese, English, and other languages. He and Joan Halifax have worked a marvelous translation and backed every choice with evidence, sensibility, and grace.

[Jampa · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful and thorough addition to the body of work on this profound text. I have studied and recited this text for many years and there is always a new revelation, whether intellectually or through a glimpse of wisdom beyond wisdom. Kazuaki Tanahashi's collection of the different translations is remarkable and a tremendous gift. His line by line, word for word translation is invaluable and a tremendous addition to understanding the sutra. Deeply grateful to Kazuaki Tanahashi.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite reference to the Heart Sutra. It is not only my favorite translation of the sutra, but the writing was surprisingly engaging. I was expecting a dry or academic translation of the sutra but what I found was a highly engaging and --yes-- warm re-telling and explanation of the sutra.

It was not clear if Joan H was his wife, if she translated the entire book or just gave help with the sutra. Maybe I missed the explanation but I was not clear about her role.

This book makes the sutra come alive. It is filled with details not available in other books.... and yes, I love this version of the translation. I probably prefer the "emptiness" to boundlessness --only because it feels familiar to me, but making the change to boundlessness, I think captures the spirit of what was conveyed by the Sanskrit term. I notice that Thich Nhat Hahn kept "emptiness" but changed "form" to "body" --which I think, to me seems closer to the Japanese 色 but I don't know enough about the sanskrit. I also love Thich Naht Hahn's new title for the sutra.

If you could only buy one book on the sutra--this is hands down the best.For so many reasons... it is thorough, filled with evocative historical details and most of all it is loving.

And yes, I agree with others that the chapter on scientific connections is not to be missed.

I listened on audible as I walked and then re-read the entire book again in paperback. Will cherish this volume forever!

[Natú · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the kind of book you want to have on your shelf as a reference to come back to. It is an interesting combination: a new translation of the Heart Sutra by Tanahashi and Roshi Joan Halifax with commentary from the former, a history of Xuanzang's life and travels, a travelogue detailing the author's pilgrimages surrounding the Heart Sutra, a linguistic anthropological detective case trying to uncover the real story of the Heart Sutra's origin and transmission, and a line-by-line etymological analysis of the Hridaya, shedding light on not only Tanahashi and Halifax's (very approachable) translation, but on some of the other most famous English-language translations thrown in as a bonus. For the lay practitioner or enthusiast, it's a book that keeps on giving, but would certainly be a good buy for even experts on the text.

Tanahashi spends a good chunk of the text exploring the history of the sutra itself, looking at the principal extant sources, and discussing the controversy caused by Nattier's article claiming the Heart Sutra to be a Chinese text translated later into Sanskrit. While some scholars, including Red Pine, take umbrage with Nattier's thesis (though she refutes the claim that her argument implies the text would hold less legitimacy even if apocryphal), Tanahashi largely agrees with it, but uses textual comparison alongside the historical record to forward a possible different chrolonogy of Prajna Paramita literature and the Heart Sutra.

The part of the book that looks at the history of the Heart Sutra's transmission is a charming mix of Tanahashi's personal travels to Korea and Japan visiting places of particular import, and brief histories of figures like Xuanzang and Kumarajiva. Tanahashi's reverence for the Heart Sutra is infectious, and the personal impact of his experiences are palpable. The light-hearted register Tanahashi dips into balances out the high holy vibes of other moments and gives a deep sense of humanity to the monastics and fellow lay practitioners he interacts with along the way. One particularly charming moment to me was:

That afternoon, we climbed up the steep granite stairs in the back of the Buddha Hall. I told him that I was doing research on the Heart Sutra. He smiled and said, “Oh, the Heart Sutra is the most important sutra in Korea. Do you understand the sutra?” “I hope so.” “My teacher says if you understand the Heart Sutra, you understand the entire buddha dharma.” Quickly recalling my previous statement, I said, “In that case I must say I don’t understand the Heart Sutra.” We laughed.

The final textual analysis is perhaps more useful for serious scholars and practitioners, but I eat that stuff up and quite appreciate the quickly-accessible explanations of Sanskrit terms that get bandied about so much, without most of us perhaps having a full grasp of their origins or meanings.

Definitely a great resource that can be read in many ways to suit different readers' wishes. Highly recommended, and while you're at it, check out Sensei Kaz's beautiful ensō as well.

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heart Sutra was always a puzzle to me, hearing multiple Zen teachers say it encapsulates everything you really need to know about (Mahayana) Buddhism, and yet it's pretty much impossible to understand on your first reading and still difficult to understand on your 100th. I read this book to try and resolve that issue.

The author's + editor's alternate translation of the sutra (which can be easily found online) was pretty mindblowing in helping me with that. Of course, it's still hard to understand and perhaps can't really be 100% understood. The first chapters of the book also do a great job of explaining the sutra, followed by some chapters about its history which may seem optional, but I think it's important when approaching ANY written work to understand the context where it was written.

The middle of the book is mostly about specific translations, whether or not the sutra was first written in Chinese and backtranslated to Sanskrit, and details about particular editions or printings. I would skip this part if this doesn't excite you.

The chapter about the scientific significance of the sutra should not be skipped, in fact I would have preferred it to be in the front of the book.

Finally, the end goes through the sutra line-by-line and compares various translations. This was worthwhile but you could probably skip it if you aren't a big language nerd, or aren't devoted to the sutra in a way where this comparative study would help you.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Hmm. I listened to the audio book. In my view definitely not the best way to "read" this type of book. I would have helped to have a pdf of the author's translation so it could be considered in depth.

Anyway, I didn't get the feeling that there was a personal understanding of the Heart Sutra. I am not suggesting the author isn't familiar with the message of the Heart Sutra, just that it didn't come across for me. In short, I felt the book was a bit light. As was the description of why some words/expressions were used in translation rather than others.

There was some good moments, and the scholarship regarding the background of the sutra seemed comprehensive, but that is not an area I am knowledgeable about. Overall, it was ok, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[hoffnarr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice to have as a reference text if the text is important in your religious practice and the terms and concepts section is handy, but a rather strange book in terms of structure. The new translation of the sutra provided is informative but I’m not sure “boundless” is necessarily an improvement over “emptiness” and certainly reads less smoothly than either Suzuki or Conze translations. Still, I learnt a fair deal.

[Jason Gregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the most thorough on the background of the Heart Sutra. Tanahashi goes to great lengths to trace the history of the Heart Sutra and explain the lives of its authors and many translations. It is quite amazing how Tanahashi put this all together, but somehow he did. If you are a student of Mahayana Buddhism or have a general interest in the Heart Sutra, you cannot go past this book.

[Zack Becker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kaz Tanahashi reveals himself as an astute scholar, historian and linguist in this remarkable book. Although it can read a bit dry at times, interested readers will get a deep dive into the history of the "Heart Sutra" and the linguistic choices Kaz and his collaborator Joan Hallifax made when producing their new, illuminating translation. A must read for serious Buddhist studies students.

[Levas · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are highly valuable parts for linguists, scientists, historians etc. And it is interesting to some degree go get more knowledgeable in the regard on how the heart sutra possibly evolved in between regions, translations etc., but this is it. Is it enough or not, it is up to reader.

[Ben Ingraham]

I could take or leave the different histories of writing systems, but obviously loved an old monk making little field trips to Korea to look at their scrolls... Closer to the book I want to read about The Heart Sutra, but not quite perfect...

[Ric Poh Peng Wang · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty interesting read of the history of the heart sutra - the explanation was a little complicated but nevertheless a good read for one who wants to understand the heart sutra better, deeper.

[Ric Dragon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful bit of scholarly study. Was hoping for more discussion of the substance of the sutra itself - but am glad for reading it, and understanding it better from a historical viewpoint.

[Vibhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

fantastic read, didn’t expect a book on the history of another book/text would be so fascinating

[Mayur Singh · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first few parts of this text are quite interesting, but the commentary on commentaries and scholarship of the heart sutra is quite dry.

[Nick]

See Jayarava's review:
http://jayarava.blogspot.com/2016/03/...

"People often ask me what book I would recommend and I keep having to say that I cannot recommend any book on the Heart Sutra. Indeed I find myself warning people not to read books. Don't read Red Pine, for example. Don't read Conze, D T Suzuki, or Mu Seong. Don't, because the books are poorly researched and written. They won't help you understand the text or put the words into practice and they will certainly mislead you in ways that will be difficult to detect if you don't read Sanskrit and (Buddhist) Chinese. I haven't read commentaries by the Dalai Lama or Thich Nhat Hanh, but going on the latter's translation I would not recommend him either. One is probably better off not reading this book either. [...] I've written nearly 30 essays on the Heart Sutra and related texts covering certain details of the text, but a truly comprehensive, critical study of the Heart Sutra in its own right as a Prajñaparamita text, sadly does not yet exist. Quiet surprising given the manifest popularity of the text."

[Greg Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

In depth study of the Heart Sutra and it's origins.
The inclusion of multiple versions in multiple languages as an appendix is incredibly helpful when attempting to understand the evolution of this text.

[Ommiolgi · Rating 3 out of 5]

A comprehensive guide to the classic of Mahayana Buddhism. Great translation and my favorite, of the Heart Sutra! Also some long winded history and commentary as well which is slow and not too illumination.

Would certainly recommend the translation but not the entire book.

[Andy Tran]

This book is very interesting.

[Paul Kerschen]

The quotes from physicists didn't teach me any physics, but the philology is laid out very nicely indeed.