The Heart Sutra

Buddhism

Prajnaparamita Hridaya Sutra

The Heart Sutra is structured as a concentric chiasm: form and emptiness are declared equal at the opening and closing, with the direct realization of no-self as the pivot at the center.

AForm is emptinessA'

BNo birth, no death; no defilement, no purity; no increase, no decreaseB'

XNO SELF — THE BODHISATTVA PERCEIVES THE FIVE AGGREGATES AS EMPTY

B'No attainment, no non-attainment; mind with no hindrance, no fearB

A'Emptiness is form — Gate gate paragate: gone beyondA