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

An illuminating in-depth study of one of the most well-known and recited of all the 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.

Author: Kazuaki Tanahashi
Publisher: Shambhala
Published: 03/01/2016
Pages: 288
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.90lbs
Size: 8.90h x 6.00w x 1.00d
ISBN13: 9781611803129
ISBN10: 1611803128
BISAC Categories:
- Religion | Buddhism | Sacred Writings
- Religion | Buddhism | Rituals & Practice
- Religion | Buddhism | Zen (see also Philosophy | Zen)

About the Author
KAZUAKI TANAHASHI is the translator and editor of numerous works by the great Japanese Zen master Eihei Dogen. He is also a renowned calligrapher, a pioneer of the genre of one-stroke painting, and the creator of multicolor enso (Zen circles). His brushwork has been shown in solo exhibitions in galleries, museums, and universities all over the world.