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.
KAZUAKI TANAHASHI is the author, translator, and editor of numerous books, including Brush Mind; Sky Above, Great Wind; and several collections of the works of Eihei Dogen, including the monumental Treasury of the True Dharma Eye: Zen Master Dogen’s Shobo Genzo. He is also a renowned calligraphic artist and teacher whose works have been exhibited throughout the world. He lives in Berkeley, California.
"Kazuaki Tanahashi’s Heart Sutra: A Comprehensive Guide to the Classic of Mahayana Buddhism delivers exactly what its subtitle promises—and much more. Most books on the sutra provide expositions of the by now well-known emptiness teachings (however much those teachings continue to resist our understanding). But such exposition, though lucidly present here, is the least of what this book offers. In addition, it traces the history of the text, its translation, and its dissemination throughout Asia and the West in ancient and modern times, and it includes a discussion of important and ground-breaking contemporary scholarship. It includes a biography of Xuanzhang, the sutra’s most famous Chinese translator, who famously journeyed to India to find it, as well as the recounting of a contemporary pilgrimage to a Korean monastery to see the oldest existing woodblock prints of the text. Its longest section is a line-by-line comparison of versions of the text in English and several Asian languages, full of useful nuance. In short, this astonishing work of loving scholarship, written with Kaz’s usual deft touch, is a must-have for any serious Dharma student.”
—Zoketsu Norman Fischer, poet and Zen priest, author of Escape This Crazy Life of Tears and Training in Compassion: Zen Teachings on the Practice of Lojong
"For all who love the Dharma, Kaz’s study of the Heart Sutra is a true boon—it serves us as introduction, history, toolbox, and treasure chest of teachings. It reads as a love story, a detective story, and yet it is a stunning scholarly resource. As inspiration, as reference, as deep study, this work is unsurpassable!”
—Roshi Pat Enkyo O’Hara, author of Most Intimate: A Zen Approach to Life’s Challenges
