When I was growing up, the monastery near my village belonged to the Mahayana school, and everyone practiced devotion to Kuan Yin bodhisattva. I always took comfort in Kuan Yin's compassion and mercy.
But after I married and moved to my husband's village, the closest monastery belonged to the Theravada school. I was surprised to see that the nuns there did not seem to care about Kuan Yin. I would not say that my devotion to Kuan Yin was discouraged by the Theravada nuns, but it was not encouraged. And certainly not after I joined them.
But now, here, in these lands, Kuan Yin answers my chanting. She shines her light to illuminate even the darkest night, her compassion heals even the most grievous wounds. And I know I am not alone in this terrible place.
The Theravada nuns were wrong to disregard Kuan Yin. And yet their teachings helped me understand the Heart Sutra more clearly.
Since I hope to bring Kuan Yin's teachings to the people here, I will practice translating them from Chinese into Common. And where things are not so clear, I will borrow from the Theravada school for simplicity's sake.
般若波羅蜜多心經
The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra
(The Heart Sutra)
觀自在菩薩，行深般若波羅蜜多時，
When the bodhisattva Kuan Yin was meditating deeply on
the perfection of wisdom,
照見五蘊皆空，度一切苦厄。
she clearly saw all the Five Aggregates as empty,
leaving all suffering behind.
"舍利子！
[She said:] "Listen, Sariputra!
色不異空，空不異色；色即是空，空即是色。
Form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form;
form itself is emptiness,
emptiness itself is form.
受想行識亦復如是。
Feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness
are also thus.
舍利子！
Listen, Sariputra!
是諸法空相，
Truly, emptiness describes all phenomena,
不生不滅，不垢不淨，不增不減。
they are not born, they do not die,
they are not defiled, they are not pure,
they do not increase, they do not decrease.
是故，空中無色，無受想行識；
So form, feeling, perception, mental formations, and consciousness
are empty of self;
無眼耳鼻舌身意；無色聲香味觸法；
eye, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind are empty of self;
sight, sound, smell, taste, touch, and thought are empty of self;
無眼界，乃至無意識界；無無明，亦無無明盡，
the field of the eyes up to and including the field of mind consciousness are empty of self;
ignorance and the extinction of ignorance are empty of self,
乃至無老死，亦無老死盡；
even old age and death are empty of self,
and the ending of old age and death is empty of self;
無苦集滅道；
the Noble Truths of suffering, the cause of suffering, the end of suffering, and the path leading to the end of suffering are empty of self;
無智亦無得。
insight and attainment are empty of self.
以無所得故，菩提薩埵依般若波羅蜜多故，心無罣礙。
Because there is nothing to attain,
the bodhisattva who practices the perfection of wisdom
is unimpeded in mind.
無罣礙故，無有恐怖，遠離顛倒夢想，究竟涅槃。
Because there is no impediment, there is no fear,
and distorted dream-thinking is left far behind,
to finally realize Nirvana.
三世諸佛，依般若波羅蜜多故，
The Buddhas of past, present, and future
rely on the perfection of wisdom
得阿耨多羅三藐三菩提。
to realize perfect enlightenment.
故知：般若波羅蜜多是大神咒，是大明咒，是無上咒，是無等等咒，
So know that the perfection of wisdom
is a great mantra, is the mantra of great wisdom,
is the most sublime mantra, is the incomparable mantra.
能除一切苦，真實不虛。
It can remove all suffering,
it is genuine and not false.
故說般若波羅蜜多咒，
So chant the mantra of the perfection of wisdom,
即說咒曰：
Recite it thus:
揭諦揭諦，波羅揭諦，波羅僧揭諦，菩提薩婆訶!"
(Jiē dì jiē dì, bō luó jiē dì, bō luó sēng jiē dì, pú tí sà pó hē!)
(Gaté Gaté, Paragaté, Parasamgaté, Bodhi Svaha!)
Gone gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, O what an awakening, hail!"
