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Anthony Quintiliani, Ph.D, LADC

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January 14, 2021 By Admin

The Heart Sutra – Thich Nhat Hanh

The Heart Sutra – Thich Nhat Hanh

“Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.” This ultimate mantra is one of the most important in Buddhism. Thich Nhat Hanh’s new translation of The Heart Sutra offers a great deal of enlightened, sometimes more advanced, information and process. Avalokitesvara and other great Bodhisattvas present important views of this pivotal Buddhist sutra. The words used to describe it – great, highest, illuminating, and the end of suffering – offer great hope to Buddhist practitioners. Gate, itself, implies ending suffering, liberation, mindfulness, ending duality, reaching the other shore (enlightenment, nirvana, etc.).  Paragate implies going all the way to the other shore – becoming enlightened.  Parasamgate sum implies the the world-wide sangha or the entire human community. Bodhi is the light inside, and Svaha means joy. Keep in mind there may be slightly different translations of these words in Buddhist texts.

Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svah

In this paragraph, we go over chanting. Chant this: “Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Bodhi Svaha.” Or if you like in English: “Gone gone, all the way over, gone to the other shore of enlightenment.” This sutra is chanted deep from within the heart, your heart. It reflects the teachings of the Prajnaparamita. Ultimately it teaches the real truth of emptiness. Some say this mantra is even more important than The Diamond Sutra. The important teaching dealing with ultimate emptiness include sinlessness, aimlessness, ending conventional designation, The Middle Way, interbeing, and the ultimate interbeing of all that arises and falls – everything that exists. The Buddha’s words to Sariputra are relevant: “This body itself is emptiness. And emptiness itself is this body. This body is not other than emptiness. And emptiness is not other than this body.”  Associated mudras with The Heart Sutra are placing the tips of mid-fingers to the tops of thumbs, and next tips of ring fingers touching tops of thumbs.

To learn more about The Heart Sutra see the book, Fragrant Palm Leaves. In the end, The Heart Sutra notes there is no self-narrative, so strive to go beyond craving, fear and suffering. To many chanting, meditating and practicing with The Heart Sutra are the highest forms of spiritual practice. Be courageous; practice! See what the outcomes are for you. Has practice impacted your thoughts, emotions, behaviors?

For more information refer to Thich Nhat Hanh (2017). The Other Shore: A New Translation of The Heart Sutra…Berkely, CA: Palm Leaves Press, pp. 115-120, etc.m

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC  

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, Vermont and the Home of The Monkton SanghaChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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Filed Under: Buddhism, Featured, Meditation, MIndfulness, Self Care, Suffering, The Heart Sutra, The Middle Way, Thich Nhat Hanh Tagged With: BUDDHA, BUDDHISM, ENLIGHTENMENT, HAPPINESS, MANTRA, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, MINDFULNESS, PRACTICE, THE HEART SUTRA, THE MIDDLE WAY, THICH NHAT HANH

August 1, 2017 By Admin

Loving Kindness Meditation from The Buddha

Loving Kindness Meditation from The Buddha

Loving Kindness Meditation (hereafter LKM) is, perhaps, one of the most popular meditation practices in the world. What many practitioners do not know is that one form of it came directly from The Buddha. Along with LKM wisdom we also are guided by the enlightened words of The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron.  In their  Approaching the Buddhist Path: The Library of Wisdom and Compassion, Vol. 1, they emphasize how we humans are highly emotional by nature. As we experience pleasure, neutrality, or pain we also respond via emotional evaluations, thoughts, and actions. Our basis for emotional experience can either be constructive (caring, kind, and loving) or afflictive (greed, aversion, and anger), and can lead to long-term happiness or misery. What differentiates Buddhist Psychology from Western Psychology (say CBT for example), is that Buddhism maintains a focus on longer-term changes, changes than can transform into true joy and happiness or become habitual suffering and pain. Impermanence does not end. One may become a joyous person living a wholesome life, to one may become hopelessly trapped in samaric misery. By living a life of caring, generosity, compassion, and non-harming humans can attain deeper, true happiness in the long run. One way to achieve such a result is by practicing/living according to LKM and compassion for others.  Beyond meditation alone, however, is the trie land of walking the walk, practicing the practice in your personal life.

In the Metta Sutra (Karaniyametta Sutra of Theravada Buddhism) as noted by The Buddha in The Suttanipata presents as a potentially protective sutra; by following these principles and practices, one lives by wholesome values, virtue, gentleness, inner peace,  humility, conscious self-control, and kindness. Thus not only the person practicing but all who encounter that person live within a deeper protective and tranquil experience. Below I will note certain statements noted by The Buddha. As you practice this form of LKM, ask yourself if you are living the true path of his message.

May all beings be happy and secure; May they be inwardly happy…

[May] no one…deceive another…[May] no one…wish suffering for another…

[May] one…develop loving-kindness – a state of mind without boundaries – …toward the whole world…

Whether standing, walking, sitting, or lying…one…resolve[s] on this mindfulness: they call this a divine dwelling here…

Possessing good behavior, endowed with vision, having removed greed for sensual pleasures,

One never again comes back to…[these]…

If you do not find these statements to be fulfilling, you can always go back to: May I and all beings be safe, healthy, free from suffering, happy and living wth ease.

For more information refer to The Dalai Lama and Thubten Chodron (2017). Approaching the Buddhist Path: The Library of Wisdom and Compassion,  Vol. 1. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.  See also Bhikkhu Bodhi (2017). Loving Kindness. Boston, MA: Wisdom Publications.

Anthony R. Quintiliani, PhD., LADC

From the Eleanor R. Liebman Center for Secular Meditation in Monkton, VermontChiYinYang_EleanorRLiebmanCenter

Author of Mindful Happiness  

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New Edition of Mindful Happiness in Production…Coming soon!

 

Filed Under: Buddhism, Featured, Loving Kindness, Meditation, Meditation Activities, MIndfulness, Self Care Tagged With: BUDDHA, LOVE AND KINDNESS, MEDITATION, MINDFUL HAPPINESS, MINDFULNESS, PSYCHOLOGY

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