The Other Shore: A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries

by Thich Nhat Hanh (Contributor)

"This new translation of the Buddha's most important, most studied teaching offers a radical new interpretation. In September, 2014 Thich Nhat Hanh completed a profound and beautiful new English translation of the Prajanaparamita Heart Sutra, one of the most important and well-known sutras in Buddhism. The Heart Sutra is recited daily in Mahayana temples and practice centers throughout the world. This new translation came about because Thich Nhat Hanh believes that the patriarch who originally compiled the Heart Sutra was not sufficiently skillful with his use of language to capture the intention of the Buddha's teachings--and has resulted in fundamental misunderstandings of the central tenets of Buddhism for almost 2,000 years. In The Other A New Translation of the Heart Sutra with Commentaries, Thich Nhat Hanh provides the new translation with commentaries based on his interpretation. Revealing the Buddha's original intention and insight makes clear what it means to transcend duality and pairs of opposites, such as birth and death, and to touch the ultimate reality and the wisdom of nondiscrimination. By helping to demystify the term "emptiness," the Heart Sutra is made more accessible and understandable. Prior to the publication of The Other Shore, Thich Nhat Hanh's translation and commentaries of the Heart Sutra, called The Heart of Understanding, sold more than 120,000 copies in various editions and is one of the most beloved commentaries of this critical teaching. This new book, The Other Shore, supersedes all prior translations"--

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

138 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2017

About the author

Thích Nhất Hạnh was a Vietnamese Buddhist monk, teacher, author, poet and peace activist who then lived in southwest France where he was in exile for many years. Born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo, Thích Nhất Hạnh joined a Zen (Vietnamese: Thiền) monastery at the age of 16, and studied Buddhism as a novitiate. Upon his ordination as a monk in 1949, he assumed the Dharma name Thích Nhất Hạnh. Thích is an honorary family name used by all Vietnamese monks and nuns, meaning that they are part of the Shakya (Shakyamuni Buddha) clan. He was often considered the most influential living figure in the lineage of Lâm Tế (Vietnamese Rinzai) Thiền, and perhaps also in Zen Buddhism as a whole.

Reviews

[xenia · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the best Buddhist texts I've read.

Good:
Thich clarifies that emptiness is the middle-way, neither being nor nonbeing, but interbeing. An empty self isn't a nonexistent self—it's a self that cannot be understood separate from other worldly phenomena. The self emerges interdependently.

Seeing phenomena as empty isn't an act of nihilism or idealism—it's an act of demystification. Thich talks about how the pages of his book are conditioned by all their past relations: the printing press, the logger, the tree, the rain, the soil, the sun. Objects have histories that tie them to all other objects of the world. There can be no book without the labour of the logger without the ecosystem of the forest without the cosmic expansion of the universe.

This act of demystification undoes reification through transvaluation. What we think we know, as unchanging facts and isolated beings, trickle away in the flow of processual thought. Demystification is an act of transcendence, but one that brings us closer to the material. In their tracing of contingent ontologies across space and time, Hume, Marx, Nietzsche, Laing, Foucault, Butler, and Barad all owe an unspoken debt to Buddhism and Taoism.

Bad:
There are issues I have with Thich's nondualist framework. In one chapter, he says "We are responsible for everything that happens around us." Yes, but to different degrees. Buddhism and misanthropic strains of environmentalism tend to level out structural inequalities through their collapsing of different identity positions into the empty signifier of humankind. Look, I think it's incredibly useful to deconstruct the self, but we should retain our critical categories. You can undo your own suffering, while still recognising how others make you suffer. Hierarchies are material. A landlord has more power than a tenant. An employer has more power than an employee. A petroleum company has more power than a cyclist. Indra's Net shows us that while we are all constituted from one another, we are also situated differently across space and time. So too, then, should responsibility be situated differently. A more radical Buddhism would see the history of each interbeing as differently empty, differently contingent, differently agential, and, therefore, differently accountable.

There're also issues with Thich's trust in insight meditation's capacity to bring about individual peace. Some people are so crippled by trauma that to try and approach the truth of their neuroses alone will spiral them into PTSD flashbacks, panic attacks, or dissociative, depressive, or psychotic episodes. I find it incredibly irresponsible to generalise insight meditation across all human beings when some have been so crushed by this world that they need social support just to reach a baseline level of security and capacity.

Lastly, I completely disagree that knowing the source of suffering is enough to end suffering. Knowing is the first step, but without praxis we end up in paralysis. Knowledge without praxis becomes despair and cynicism. There's a reason both insurrectionists and psychotherapists have been writing on this topic for hundreds of years: because both know there's something deeply wrong with the modern world and that something must be done to transform it. There's a reason anarchists, feminists, queers, and Marxists have debates about consciousness raising, mutual aid, and revolution. There's a reason psychotherapists from objects-relations, attachment, intersubjective, family systems, somatic, and dialectical traditions argue about both the means and ends of therapy. Buddhist enlightenment is built on an ontology that wisdom will lead to change, but as Zizek has pointed out, we may know something is wrong, but do it anyway, because—well—everyone else is doing it. Atop wisdom, we need inspiration and praxis.

—

Don't let these criticisms stop you from reading this book. It is exceptional and it's helped me understand Buddhism as a powerful tool for psychological and political emancipation. It's posthumanist, ecological, at times deeply Marxist, cosmic and intimate, and ontologically radical. Neither being nor nonbeing; neither Washington nor Moscow. Enlightenment is emptiness is prefigurative politics.

[liv ❁ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart Sūtra, one of the fundamental texts in Mahāyāna Buddhism, is an ancient text that explores being and nonbeing and how we can achieve peace and enlightenment through letting go of our misconceptions of self and being. Hanh’s translation focuses on the areas he had noticed were the most commonly misunderstood in order to bring light and understanding to the meaning of the Sutra’s words.

I find myself in alignment with Thich Nhat Hanh’s interpretations 99% of the time, and this was no different. I found his commentaries on each line of the Heart Sutra not only to be very helpful in understanding the deep meaning of the Sutra’s words but to resonant very deeply with my being, increasing my connection to the Sutra.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE OTHER SHORE: A NEW TRANSLATION OF THE HEART SUTRA WITH COMMENTARIES
WRITTEN BY THICH NHAT HANH

Thank you to Net Galley, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Parallex Press for my digital copy for a fair and honest review.

At the heart of the Buddhist teaching is the Prajnaparamita. Throughout the world in monastic and lay communities it is recited daily. I love and have many of Thich Nhat Hanh works. I find tranquillity and peace in every one of his publications. His commentaries that appear in his books are a basic teachings of Buddhism. Prajnaparamita means Perfect Understanding go all of the way back in time 2500 years ago.

Thay (an informal title) for teacher pronounced "Tie" During the retreats Thay encouraged participants to give calm, clear seeing and intimate attention to each daily activity, whether eating a a meal, or just walking quietly being aware of the sound or feel as we walk and our foot makes contact with the earth that supports it. In order to reach this kind of mindfulness a bell is rung or it is called a bodhisattva. Thay will say wake up and keep in mind to bring your attention back to yourself for a moment taking deep breaths and notice those around us. Anything can be used to bring yourself to the present moment. For that is what it takes for us to reach mindfulness. To be present in the here and the now.

In our lives there are things that block our way, causing confusion and preventing us from finding our true home. Not only obstacles and suffering cause us to lose our true way, sometimes.
I enjoyed this peaceful teaching very much. It was transcending. I need to learn the basics again.

[Luke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clearly articulated focus for a new translation, replacing "emptiness" with "no separate self", with short essay commentary on the application of each phrase to life today - footnotes for language and canon, but the focus is practical understanding of the Heart Sutra's message. Conze's translation was a ground for me when I first became interested in Buddhism, this is a solid alternative.

[Forest Tong · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hadn't really resonated with Thich Nhat Hanh's teachings before reading this book--but whether it was the ripening of conditions in my mind, or whether it was the intellect and sensitivity in his writing, this book touched me.

[Kamakana · Rating 5 out of 5]

250724: quick, clear, direct. this is zen master Thich Nhat Hanh translating commenting on that perhaps most famous buddhist sutra. his comments are themselves poetic, though I still prefer the The Art of Living, this work is more technical...

more
What the Buddha Taught
Why Buddhism Is True: The Science and Philosophy of Meditation and Enlightenment
Nietzsche and Buddhist Philosophy
Buddhist Philosophy: Essential ReadingsNishida and Western Philosophy
Buddhist Philosophy: A Historical Analysis
Empty Words: Buddhist Philosophy and Cross-Cultural Interpretation
Buddhism as Philosophy: An Introduction
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
Self, No Self?: Perspectives from Analytical, Phenomenological, and Indian Traditions
After Buddhism: Rethinking the Dharma for a Secular Age
Philosophers of Nothingness: An Essay on the Kyoto School
The Kyoto School: An Introduction
Nishida and Western Philosophy
Buddhism: A Philosophical Approach
What the Buddha Thought
Wisdom Beyond Words: The Buddhist Vision of Ultimate Reality
An Introduction to Buddhist Philosophy
Why I Am Not a Buddhist
Why I Am a Buddhist: No-Nonsense Buddhism with Red Meat and Whiskey
Samsara, Nirvana, and Buddha Nature
Already Free: Buddhism Meets Psychotherapy on the Path of Liberation by Bruce Tift
Indian Buddhist Philosophy: Metaphysics as Ethics

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like probably everyone else in the world, I am a huge fan of Thich Nhat Hanh. A great teacher, a beautiful human being. This is my favorite of his books I've read so far. I am glad I came to it late--after reading Red Pine, Brunnholzl and the best of all Tanahashi's -- and of their unique translations and commentaries on the Heart Sutra. For me, Tanahashi's text is the one to start with as it is so thorough and engaging, after which seeing the different and varying ways each of the thinkers, TNH, Red Pine and Brunnholzl-- interpret and translate the sutra is absolutely fascinating. I personally love TNH's the best. The book is a jewel. Like a lot of the reviewers said below, I will treasure this one and plan to re-read it again and again. "Chasing Butterflies" was especially moving. I feel like I have only cracked the surface and a hundred readings still wouldn't be enough to really understand the heart sutra!

[Jocelyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I took this book slowly, at times a difficult read even with Thich Nhat Hanh's enlightened commentary. The emptiness / nothingness concepts are hard to grasp. I really like the idea of inter-being. So, now I'm ready to return to the beginning and read The Other Shore again. Slowly and mindfully, a continuing study of The Heart Sutra.

[Wouter van der Hoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Toen ik had besloten een vak te volgen over de introductie tot het boeddhisme, was ik vanwege andere bezigheden niet van plan om de wekelijkse literatuur bij te houden - al helemaal toen ik in de syllabus las dat de docent een heel boek had opgegeven om binnen één week te lezen. Toch, op een opvallend rustig weekend, terwijl ik in isolatie zat, besloot ik het boek open te slaan; het is immers toch een kort boekje dat ik in één of twee zitten zou kunnen uitlezen. Ook omdat ik meer wilde weten over het boeddhistische concept van leegte en het niet-zelf.
Bij de eerste lezing ervan ervaarde ik al snel een diepgaande bezinning die ik bij aanvang niet had verwacht. Die bezinning kwam voort uit herkenning: een aantal concepten die op basis van deze soetra worden uiteengezet, komen nauw dichtbij mijn eigen wereldbeschouwing. Met name de begrippen impermanentie, metzijn (interbeing) en gelatenheid waren voor mij zo herkenbaar, dat de formulering hiervan in de boeddhistische context las als een bevestiging van een vermoeden. Het is opmerkelijk hoeveel concepten 'het boeddhisme' en de existentialistische filosofie in gemeen hebben - althans, mijn interpretatie en belevenis ervan.
Dit alles bracht mij meermaals op wat je een meditatieve trans zou kunnen noemen, ofwel een religieus moment. Zodanig vond ik het zonde om het boek zo snel uit te lezen, dus ik las elke dag een klein stukje; alsof elk stukje mij dichterbij Openbaring zou brengen. Nu is dat natuurlijk misschien een naïeve houding - die bovendien wordt bekritiseerd in de boeddhistische leer - maar zo werd het wel ervaren. Mijn geweten neemt uiteraard niet elk idee uit dit boek klakkeloos over; er zijn heus wel een paar kritieken te formuleren. De radicale ontzelving van het individu en karmische retributie zijn met name hete hangijzers, die voor mij te spiritueel en metafysisch zijn om aan vast te houden (al valt er te zeggen dat je helemaal geen houvast zou moeten hebben, en touché).
Aangezien deze yap session al uitgebreid genoeg is, zal ik nog kort een paar punten benoemen: het boek is zeer toegankelijk geschreven en er is eigenlijk geen voorkennis over het boeddhisme of filosofie nodig, hoewel deze er misschien wel voor kunnen zorgen dat je bepaalde alinea's niet twee keer hoeft te lezen voordat je het begrijpt. Een absolute aanrader dus.

[Sherry Seymour · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read other interpretations of the Heart Sutra before, but I now feel like I'm finally starting to understand it after reading this book. I also became more aware of the differences between Buddhism and ancient Indian beliefs (where things like karma and reincarnation often get wrongly associated with Buddhism). One of the most beautiful aftereffects of reading came from his explanation of death, which has given me a feeling of peace through the dismissal of nihilism. His examples of interbeing are not only poetic, but they also help me feel a sense of connection to nature. The cloud is in the tea (p. 76).

As a computer technology and language teacher, I benefited from the reminder that "out of compassion... a good teacher knows that no matter how careful they are, some people will inevitably become confused, and yet they must still try their best to help guide their students out of suffering" (p. 15). I know that sometimes I get impatient with students who need me to go through instructions slowly or lay them out extra clearly, and I forget that what may seem obvious to me is not common sense to everyone. I have to make more of a conscious effort to see things from their perspective in order to try to relieve their suffering.

Another useful reminder was that "everything is impermanent, including insight and compassion" (p. 112). He cautions us that if we do not put our new awareness into practice, we will regress. I know that I have regressed over the years in certain aspects of my life, and this was a needed nudge to show me the right path again.

This is a book I will re-read, as I am sure there is more wisdom to gain from it.

[Susan Oleksiw · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Heart Sutra, a short prose prayer in Buddhism, holds a central place in all branches. Known for his writings and work to bring Buddhism more fully to the West, Thich That Hanh has produced a new translation with some slight additions to bring clarity and deeper understanding to the essentials of Buddhism. The full translation is followed by chapters focused on each discrete section. These chapters are followed by the Sanskrit text, a literal English translation, and an alternate translation also used in Plum Village.

An effort is made to make the text about suffering, etc., more relevant to contemporary readers, but the stories or parables are those of earlier Buddhist works and continue the sensibility of an earlier mode of perceiving and understanding. Some chapters are more successful than others in conveying the sense of the original text, but all reward effort at patient rereading.

The translator spends time introducing the text and its history, as well as how he came to make this translation. The entire book is short, only 133 pages with front matter, in a well-designed format designed to appeal to western readers.

[Phil · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free ecopy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Going into this book, I felt a little out of place because I had no familiarity with the Heart Sutra. It seemed like I should have known more about it to truly appreciate this book.

Yet, this book does a wonderful job of providing the new translation, an explanation of why this differs from previous translations, and connects it to Buddhist precepts. As I went through the book, I found it possible to follow the ideas that connect to the new translation. They made a lot of sense to me. The amount of detail used to explain the concepts from the Heart Sutra is awesome.

These build on each other, so it may be necessary to reread sections, most of which are short enough to make it easy to do. I really like that each section takes a short portion of the Heart Sutra and breaks it down, and then the translation is provided in its entirety at the end. It makes it possible to read it as a whole and to focus down on individual portions. Worth picking up for anyone interested in Zen practices.

[Jared · Rating 5 out of 5]

An insightful and useful text. His new translation of the heart sutra helps to move beyond both pessimistic and dualistic readings of the sutra. Very helpful as a meditator and a teacher of meditation.

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely one of the clearest interpretations of the heart sutra, and his new translation alone would undoubtedly save many people years of practice as they try to find their way in this text. it's written in an accessible manner for anyone to get into while providing critical analysis and applications in society. he breaks down the misconceptions around "emptiness" and "self", and draws easily understandable anecdotes with nature to visualize the arguments. sometimes though, it kind of feels like a prodigal expert trying to explain to a regular child in the sense that he jumps to the conclusions without too much elaboration, almost as if "of course it's like that, it's so trivial." and my little pet peeve with his writing is his anecdotes–though incredibly useful–are often repeated almost word for word across some of this books (mud and lotus, tangerine, flower, wave and ocean, etc.), it's understandable that these are the main tools to teach in buddhism but it would be nice to see a bit more integration of the concepts rather than just presenting them over again. still, it doesn't take away from the wisdom he's layed out in this book, and is definitely worth revisiting in the near future. even though it's notoriously dense, i'd say the heart sutra is a great entry point for those wanting to explore practical and philosophical buddhism, and to those people, this book should definitely be considered as the place to start.

select highlights:

These are the two extremes of eternalism and nihilism. Either we believe that we have an eternal soul which will live on forever or we believe that we are just a meaningless collection of atoms and that when we die, we will be extinguished forever and nothing will be left. But the Buddha teaches us to avoid both these extremes of being and nonbeing. If we are wise, the Heart Sutra can help us to find the middle way between these extremes.

Western philosophy is preoccupied with questions of being and nonbeing, but Buddhism goes beyond the dualistic notions of being and nonbeing. I often say, “To be or not to be, that is no longer the question. The question is one of interbeing.”

So Avalokiteśvara, looking deeply into the nature of these five rivers, suddenly saw that all five are empty. “Empty of what?” we ask. And this was the reply: “They are empty of a separate self.”

Any meaningful work for peace must follow this practice: to go in and be one with, in order to really understand.

The day your mother gave birth to you is not the day you were born. It is just the day you manifested in this form. You have always been there. There is no birth; there is only continuation.

Our body is also a conditioned thing. It is a manifestation, and there are causes and conditions that need to come together for it to manifest.

Be humble; you are made of dust. Be noble; you are made of stars.

There is a Chinese proverb that says: “To say you don’t know is the beginning of true knowledge.”

The life of a civilization is like the life of a human being. On the phenomenal level, there is birth and there is death. And maybe after the death of our civilization, the Earth will regenerate herself and new civilizations and species will be born, which will be our continuation. Death and birth continue each other, so from the perspective of the ultimate, there is no birth and no death, no increasing and no decreasing. Nothing can be lost.

So delusion gives rise to wrong action, wrong impulses—the kind of energy that is blind and that will bring suffering. Then because of actions, there is consciousness. Based on consciousness, there will be body and mind. Because we have body and mind, we have six sense organs and their objects. Because we have the sense organs and their objects, we have contact, or touch. Because of contact, there will be feeling. Because there is feeling, there is craving. Because you have craving, you grasp. Because there is grasping, there is existence, or being. Because there is being, you have to be born and to suffer saṃsāra, the cycle of reincarnation. Because you are born, you have to grow old and die.

Delusion is extinguished when we no longer see formations as separate self-entities. When these links cease to manifest, the links arising from wisdom, and leading to the ultimate truth, can manifest: wisdom > formations (without self) > no birth–no death > no being–no nonbeing > nirvāṇa

But before we can ease suffering, we have to acknowledge its presence.

The process that gives rise to peace has to also be peace.

The end and the means are one. So we say: there is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.

Whether that object is fame, profit, riches, or sensual pleasure, or even enlightenment, as long as we are attached to seeking it, we will never experience freedom from ill-being.

It’s because we let go of everything that we can have joy, happiness, and peace. It makes us light.

If you know that the “self” you speak about is not an immortal soul, but only a manifestation, a coming together of many causes and conditions, then you are safe. It is the awareness, not the name, that is most important.

"Teaching is not done by talking alone. It is done by how you live your life. My life is my teaching. My life is my message."

to myself and whoever reads this far: I hope you are one step closer to letting go.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. I had to ration this short book so I didn’t finish in a week. Like a flower opening up to the sun, this book took an old Buddhist sutra that, when translated into English thousands of years after it was written, was difficult to understand, and opened it up to the modern reader in a way that was relevant, insightful, and calming. Pure joy to experience the mind of this enlightened monk and spend the few hours it took to read this book in meditation with the master.

[Matthew Vallely · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well structured, broken down, and elaborated. I’m going to hold back from writing a whole review on this since that’s been adding an extra barrier to reading lately, but I would read this again standalone if ever faced with the opportunity. There is so much you can extract from the Heart Sutra, and this book did a wonderful job putting it all there for me.

[Petra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Man I wish I could get Kumārajīva, Hegel, Nagarjuna and Heraclitus in a room together.

[Katische Haberfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book to read over and over again- each time gaining new insight.

[Paul Cannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hanh cuts through the dry complexity with a warmth and simplicity that makes this an enjoyable read.

[ananan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Buddhism book I've read so far. Highly recommend this one for anyone who wants to read and learn more about Buddhism, through this wonderful commentary of the Heart Sutra, a text that condenses the deepest teachings of Buddhism. The writing is very clear and easy to understand, presented in such a logical, scientific, and philosophical way with beautiful but simple examples. I recommend reading this slowly, one chapter a day, really developing deep understanding on each sentence, in order to get the most insight from the teaching. It's also definitely one to re-read again and again, which is exactly what I'm planning to do.

[The Book Badger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Originally posted at ragdollreads.co.uk

A new interpretation of an ancient text.

TL;DR – A skillful breakdown of the Heart Sutra, making an important piece of Buddhist scripture more accessible.

RAGDOLL RATING: 4/5 BUTTONS

Why I read it…

I love Thich Nhat Hanh’s work, I find the man totally inspiring, so I’ll read basically anything of his. I read this specifically because I wanted to start reading Buddhist scriptures, and not just commentaries.

The Book…

The book is broken down into several parts. First up, we have introductions to the book and a very brief background to the Heart Sutra itself. Next we have what I suppose technically needs to be classified as a re-interpretation of the text. It’s more or less a translation but with some sections tidied up for better clarity. What follows is a series of chapters, each focusing on a few lines of the sutra, explaining what the text means and how we are to understand it. Then to finish up we have the original text in romanised sanskrit, and then a literal English translation and finally an English version of the text that was used for chanting at Plum Village from the 1980’s to 2014.

What I liked…

This book has Thich Nhat Hanh’s typical easy-to-read style of presentation. The concepts presented in the sutra are difficult and on their own, really confusing. But the text is broken down into sections, never more than a few short lines, and it’s content is fully explained clearly and carefully and allow even a novice reader to take away some important understanding from this text.

The purpose of this book was to clear up some confusion about the common interpretations of this sutra.

This rewording is needed because to say “in emptiness there is no form, no feelings, no mental formations, no consciousness…” is not in accord with the ultimate truth. Emptiness means only the emptiness of self, not the nonbeing of self, just as when a balloon is empty inside it doesn’t mean the balloon doesn’t exists.” Extract, p20

Apparently it is very common to get hung up on the sutra’s wording and get the wrong idea, and frankly having read it for myself I can absolutely see why people would get confused, it is a tough one. However, Thich Nhat Hanh has altered the wording of his translation (hence calling it a reinterpretation) to help clarify some of the finer points. It can get a little repetitive but it the commentaries are extremely helpful in aiding understanding of the text.

What I disliked…

The inclusion of 3 different English translations/transliterations/interpretations or whatever is a little peculiar. The commentaries focus exclusively on the first interpretation, which makes life easier, but I don’t fully understand why the others have been included and unless I missed it, I can’t find any explanation for it either. It’s nice to have more information of course, but 3 slightly different versions of the same text seemed a little unnecessary.

Final thoughts…

This is definitely a book I will come back to over time. I’m sure there are countless things I have missed and not quite understood fully. This book is, as far as I am aware, an excellent introduction to the Heart Sutra and a great jumping off point for the Buddhist canon in general.

___________________________________________
Please note: I am in no way affiliated with the author or publishers. I bought this book with my own money for my own reasons. The opinions contained within are my own and have not been influenced by any external entity!

[Mo B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful, insightful translation of the Heart Sutra. It might be a little too mind bending for brand new students of Buddhism, but for more experienced students and practitioners this should be essential reading. “The Other Shore” really expanded my understanding of the prajnaparamitra sutra (as much as I could ever really actually “understand” the sutra) and gave me new ways of looking at inter-being and non-duality. I cherish and honor Thich Nhat Hahn as a teacher and writer more and more every year. His ability to convey very complex Buddhist teachings in simple, accessible and yet elegant language for a lay audience is impressive.

[Ulrike · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to read, but I found the theory rather confusing.
He says that (if we look deep enough) we can see the sun, the rain, the forest, the logger, the logger's daily bread etc. in the sheet of paper . This is rather banal, all these are just the conditions which - if met - lead to the existence of a sheet of paper, there's nothing spiritual in this, also it is rather unusual to say the conditions that lead to the existence of something are "in" it. Of course, all these things are related - we usually call this kind of relation "causation" and not "interbeing".
He also claims that there is no birth no death and explains it by pointing to the fact, that nothing comes from nothing and no thing changes into nothing. This of course means everything is somehow (how???) already there and stays there but constantly changes into something else - this seems to be a very similar idea to the idea that nothing ever "dies", because its atoms and energies do not vanish, but (as far as we know) will stay in the universe forever. Nothing spiritual (or specifically buddhist) here as well.
He says there is no separate self anywhere - on the other hand he says that everyone and everything (even minerals) have the seed of enlightenment - so no self anywhere but, but seeds everywhere? What does that mean?
Many philosophers and theologians think, that any theory that goes contrary to our sound intuitions is not a very reasonable theory. That said: if someone tells me my body is real but my sense of some inner self is an illusion, but I still have a seed of enlightenment in me, which I must make grow, to me that not very reasonable.
If he just wanted to say, that we should not pay too much attention to our selves (= not be egoistic), because we must be aware that we are deeply connected to everything in the world, he is absolutely right, but for that there is no need of a theory about self or seeds or enlightenment ....

[Elaine · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Heart Sutra has appeared a lot ever since I started reading up on Buddhism. To me, it seemed a very impactful sutra in the Buddhist world. For a time, I was very interested in it, until I wasn't, because it was very difficult to find out more about it. I was reminded of it not too long ago when I finally decided to take the step to talk about this religion with one of my relatives. When I decided to look further into the English version, I found this book. I honestly have no idea how I could have missed this previously when I first heard about this sutra.

Every single time I chose to pick up a book related to Buddhism, there are periods of time that I'm able to feel at ease, which is why I'm always going back to reading one. This book is no exception. The Heart Sutra, to me, explains a lot about what Buddha himself have taught. The concept of being and non-being; the concept of separate self and inter-being; the concept of no birth and no death, etc, really brought my awareness to another level. To learn about the history of the English translation of this sutra was also very interesting, and I'm very glad that I'm living in an era where it's available.

If you're interested in learning about the Heart Sutra, this is for you. Thich Nhat Hanh explains every concept that Avalokiteśvara saw, every line of the sutra. I'm not too sure if it's considered in-depth, but it is enough for one to have enough knowledge to contemplate. Finally, after so many years, I've learnt a little more about Guanyin, a bodhisattva that I grew up with — and that I had absolutely no knowledge of.

[Stephen Durrant · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once again I feel a bit apologetic about my reaction. I have always disliked reviews that wanted a different kind of book than the one the reviewer chose to read, but that's basically where I am in this case. The Heart Sutra is a provocative and, I believe, difficult text. I was looking for serious exegesis, and what I got was engaging, to be sure, but a rather popularized presentation that struck me as trying to update the Sutra for contemporary seekers of truth. I should have known. Thich Nhat Hanh spent much of his life as a "missionary" of Buddhism and was highly successful in that endeavor. He has a big audience for what he writes, and he writes with clarity and persuasiveness. But, I was looking for something that elucidated rather than adapted the original. Once I have properly digested something like that, maybe I'll feel better prepared to go on to more daring revisions of the text such as those of Thich Nhat Hanh.

[Sean · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Other Shore" by Thich Nhat Hanh is the last book he completed before he suffered a massive stroke in 2014. I feel like it one of the best gifts he could have given. It is an insightful, lucid translation of the Heart Sutra that tries to capture its nuances for a 21st century audience. The commentary is excellent and I felt like I understood many of its concepts much more deeply from his teachings. While I really like his other books like The Heart of the Buddha's Teaching: Transforming Suffering into Peace, Joy, and Liberation, I feel like this one is more focused and encapsulates many of the themes that he has been teaching for his entire career.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

definitely your above-average book on emptiness. thich nhat hanh's inter-be and inter-areare tremendous, built to snap everyday people from the malaise of today's banal nihilism and solipsism. a masterful use of zen-style upaya. he really shines in his parables and stories (which are nested between his kinda boring (sorry) metaphysical diatribes (sorry). many things in this book could use improvement like his prose (sorry). but). all and all still a very much underrated book among serious students of buddhist metapraxis

[Aadesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book for hardcore Buddhist philosophy. The heart sutra is unique to chant. I really enjoyed the commentaries from Zen guru Hanh and how he interprets emptiness as inter-being. The concept of inter-being is not new or unexplored. But it felt so natural to understand Heart Sutra with the concept of inter-being. Since everything exists because it co-exists with others, I was not fully content with the heart sutra being the most important teachings. Based on the book itself, heart sutra co-exists with other sutras so every sutra is as important as Heart Sutra.

[Jojo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't really do New Year's resolutions, but I'm working on making meditation a daily practice in 2019 and have been thinking about the Heart Sutra recently, so this was a good one to be the first read of the year. Some concepts here that can be a bit brain-breaking (at least for my brain), but presented in an engaging and easy to understand way. Like, I got to the end and feel like I have a much better grasp of what the Heart Sutra is about now. So yay!

[Lily · Rating 4 out of 5]

How lovely. As usual, the mixture of history and philosophy in his simple and clear voice is rich and deep. Thich Nhat Hanh explores the Heart Sutra, getting to the depths of what "nothingness" actually means and the false binaries of conceptualization and language that prevent people from accessing reality. The heart sutra reminds me a lot of the beginning of the tao te ching.