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Also by Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
Meaningful to Behold
Clear Light of Bliss
Universal Compassion
Joyful Path of Good Fortune
Guide to Dakini Land
The Bodhisattva Vow
Heart Jewel
Great Treasury of Merit
Introduction to Buddhism
Understanding the Mind
Tantric Grounds and Paths
Ocean of Nectar
Essence of Vajrayana
Living Meaningfully, Dying Joyfully
Transform Your Life
The New Meditation Handbook
How to Solve Our Human Problems
Mahamudra Tantra
Modern Buddhism
Profits received from the sale of
this book will be donated to the
NKT-International Temples Project
A Buddhist Charity,
Building for World Peace
www.kadampa.org/temples.htm
First published as Heart of Wisdom 1986.
Second edition published as
Heart of Wisdom 1989.
Third edition revised and reset 1996.
Fourth edition published as Heart of
Wisdom with new line illustrations and reset 2001.
Reprinted 2004, 2005, 2008, 2010
Fifth edition
substantially revised and published as The New Heart of Wisdom 2012
The right of Geshe Kelsang Gyatso
to be identified as author of this work
has been asserted by him in accordance with
the Copyright, Designs, and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced
in any form or by any means except for
the quotation
of brief passages for the purpose of private
study, research, or review.
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See page 327 for contact details.
Tharpa books are published in most major languages.
See page 325 for
details.
© New Kadampa Tradition – International Kadampa Buddhist Union 2012
Library of Congress Control Number: 2012939185
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book
is
available from the British Library.
ISBN 978 1-90666-50-50 – hardback
ISBN 978 1-90666-50-43 –
paperback
ISBN 978 1-90666-51-66 – e-book
ISBN 978 1-90666-51-73 – Adobe Portable Document Format
(.pdf)
Set in Palatino by Tharpa Publications.
Printed on Munken Pure by
CPI Group (UK) Ltd. Croydon, CR0 4YY
This book is based on an oral commentary to the Essence of Wisdom Sutra (the
Heart Sutra), given by the author, Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, at Manjushri Kadampa Meditation Centre in England.
It was originally published under the title Heart of Wisdom, and was substantially revised by the author in 2011
with the title The New Heart of Wisdom.
We thank the author from the depths of our hearts for his great kindness in
preparing this complete and authoritative explanation of the Heart Sutra. With this inspired commentary as the key, the
reader can unlock all the profound and vast aspects of the meaning of this essential Buddhist Sutra. Without the author’s
deep insight into the subject, and his compassionate determination to share this insight, this book could not have been
produced.Our appreciation also goes to all the dedicated, senior students of the author who
assisted him with the translation and editing, and who prepared the final manuscript for publication.
Kelsang Dornyi, Administrative Director,
Manjushri Kadampa
Meditation Centre, October 2011.
I feel very fortunate to have the opportunity to give this commentary to the
Essence of Wisdom Sutra, or Heart Sutra. Similarly, those who have the opportunity to study the meaning of this
Sutra, which is the essence of Buddha’s teachings, are also extremely fortunate. Because of the profound nature of this
Sutra it is possible that some people will find certain parts of this commentary difficult to understand. I will try to
explain it as clearly as possible, to the limit of my ability, but because this Sutra reveals Buddha’s ultimate view and
intention, we must be prepared to encounter some difficulties. Please do not become discouraged: through patient study with
effort we will gain a clear understanding of the entire Sutra. As our familiarity with these teachings grows, so too will
our understanding.
All Buddha’s teachings are either Sutra, the common teachings, or Tantra, the
uncommon teachings; there is not a single scripture of Buddha that is not one of these two. Sutra teachings are divided
into two types: Hinayana Sutras and Mahayana Sutras. Of these, the Essence of Wisdom Sutra belongs to the category of
Mahayana Sutras. The Mahayana Sutras themselves comprise many different types of teaching, but the most precious and
supreme are the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras (Skt. Prajnaparamitasutra). Buddha’s ultimate intention is to
lead each and every living being to the supreme happiness of enlightenment by showing them the Mahayana path. For this
purpose he taught the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras.
There are several Perfection of Wisdom Sutras of varying lengths. The
most extensive is the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in One Hundred Thousand Lines, which in the Tibetan translation
occupies twelve volumes. There is also a medium length Sutra of twenty-five thousand lines in three volumes, and a short,
single-volume Sutra of eight thousand lines. In addition, there is an even shorter Sutra in eight chapters of verse known
as the Condensed Perfection of Wisdom Sutra. The Perfection of Wisdom Sutras explain all the stages of
the paths of wisdom and method. ‘Wisdom’ refers to a realization that releases our Buddha nature from obstructions, and
‘method’ refers to a realization that ripens our Buddha nature. In particular, in these Sutras Buddha reveals his ultimate
view and intention, and thus among Sutras the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras are held to be supreme.
The Essence of Wisdom Sutra is much shorter than the other Perfection of
Wisdom Sutras but it contains explicitly or implicitly the entire meaning of the longer Sutras. It is because it contains
the very essence of the perfection of wisdom teachings that it is known as the
Essence of Wisdom Sutra. Through
the study and practice of this Sutra we can gain a perfect understanding of the ultimate nature of all phenomena, overcome
hindrances and difficulties in our daily life, and finally overcome the obstacles preventing our full awakening and thereby
attain the enlightened state of a Buddha. We are indeed fortunate to have met these essential teachings of Buddha.
The subject matter of these teachings is training in the perfection of wisdom.
Wisdom is a virtuous intelligent mind whose function is to dispel the inner darkness of ignorance. With wisdom we can know
how things really are. Normally we do not understand the real nature of things; nor do we understand that suffering comes
from non-virtuous actions and happiness from virtuous actions. All this is ignorance. Because of this lack of
understanding, even though we do not want to suffer we create our own suffering by performing non-virtuous actions. And
although we want to be happy all the time, we destroy our own happiness by developing anger, negative views and wrong
intentions. We should know that this is our normal situation.
All our suffering and problems come from our ignorance, and because of ignorance
we have experienced suffering and problems in life after life, since beginningless time until this life. Now is the time to
abandon ignorance permanently, while we have the precious opportunity to listen to and practise Buddhadharma. The only
method to abandon our ignorance and attain the supreme happiness of
enlightenment is to accomplish the realization of the
perfection of wisdom in general, and especially the realization of the higher perfection of wisdom.
The perfection of wisdom is wisdom that is associated with the mind of compassion
for all living beings. This wisdom enables us to gain victory over maras – the outer and inner obstructing demons – and
become a fully enlightened being like Buddha Shakyamuni. How wonderful!.
