Prajñaparamita mantra
Sacred Sound: Mantra Meditations for Centeredness and Inspiration
Bodhipaksa and Sunada combine forces to bring you Wildmind's first audiobook -- a complete guide to mantra meditation. In it you'll find everything you need to get started with a mantra chanting practice. The audio course leads you through chanting seven mantras, and the running time of the program is over two hours. Click here to learn more...
Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
If you have a diacritic font installed this mantra is transliterated thus: Gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā
This mantra represents a class of Mahayana scriptures known as the Prajñaparamita (perfection of Wisdom) Sutras. These include such famous teachings as the Heart Sutra and the Diamond Sutra. These texts were the subject of worship in Mahayana Buddhism, in much the same way that devotional figures were.
Prajñaparamita eventually became personified as a goddess, but this is not her mantra. This one is associated with the Perfection of Wisdom texts themselves.
The words here do have a literal meaning:
"Gone, gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond, Enlightenment hail!"
Incidentally, the Diamond Sutra (shown above) is the world’s earliest complete survival of a dated printed book, made in AD 868.
Click here for the chant in RealAudio
Or click below to listen to an MP3 version:
Here is the Music Player. You need to installl flash player to show this cool thing!
Pronunciation notes:
o is pronounced like o in ore
a is pronounced as u in cut
ā is like a in father
i in speech is pronounced like i in mill, but in chanting is often pronounced like ee in bee when it comes at the end of a word
m in parasamgate is pronounced like ng in long
The Heart Sutra
The Prajñaparamita Mantra famously concludes the shorter version of the Heart Sutra (Prajnaparamita Hridaya).
Avalokiteshvara Bodhisattva,
when pursuing the deep prajñaparamita,
recognized the five skandhas as completely empty
and passed beyond all vexations and distress.Shariputra, appearances are not different from emptiness,
emptiness is not different to appearances.
Appearances are emptiness,
emptiness is an appearance.Impressions, thoughts, associations
and knowing too, are also like this.
Shariputra, all dharmas are empty of appearances,
are not created, are not extinguished,
are not defiled, are not pure;
do not increase, do not decrease.For this reason, amidst emptiness there are no appearances,
nor are there any impressions, thoughts, associations and knowing,
There is no eye, ear, nose, tongue, touch, ideas.
There are no colors, sounds, smells,
tastes and touch dharmas.
There is no eye-element up to no imagining nor knowledge element.
Neither is any non-understanding,
nor is there any end to non-understanding up to no old-age and death.
Neither is there any end to old-age and death.
There is no suffering, cause, extinction or path.
There is no knowledge nor anything to find.Because there isn’t anything to find,
the bodhisattva is free because of relying upon prajñaparamita:
a heart without any obstruction.Because there are no obstructions, there is no fear.
Abandoning, overturning dreams and concepts,
finally reaches nirvana.Because all the Buddhas of the three times have relied upon prajñaparamita, they have found anuttarasamyaksambodhi.
For this reason, know prajñaparamita is the great spiritual mantra.
The great understanding mantra.
The supreme mantra.
The unequaled mantra, able to cut through all vexation
because in reality there is no emptiness.Speak the prajñaparamita mantra, speak the mantra’s words:
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.
(Chinese to English translation, by Willam J. Giddings, 2003)
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Comments
Comment from Dan Dorta
Time: August 28, 2007, 2:39 am
This, of all buddhist Sutras I know, is my favourite, since it’s central to the Zen teachings. Regards, Dan.
Comment from Ra
Time: August 1, 2008, 5:26 pm
Hello,
This is a wonderful and powerful mantra…one of my favorite Sutras.. I am looking for it written in original sanskrit, and have had little success.. Might anyone be able to help?
Thank you!
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: August 1, 2008, 5:51 pm
Hi Ra,
Strictly speaking there is no “original” written form of Sanskrit because it was an oral language. When it was committed to writing it was rendered in many different scripts. You’ll find one such script — the siddham — on the excellent visible mantra site. It’s rather lovely.
Comment from Ra
Time: August 2, 2008, 5:16 pm
Thank you, Bohdipaksa! The Siddham is very beautiful..and will be helpful in my exploration and expression of the heart sutra.
All my best,
Ra
Comment from Zenshin
Time: August 2, 2008, 5:43 pm
After many years of practicing and teaching, and avoiding practicing and teaching, Buddhism the repetition of this mantra has became the focal point of my meditation and my practice. In my foolishness it seems nowadays that the Heart Sutra and this mantra embrace the very heart of Buddhism. Zenshin
Comment from sky wong
Time: August 8, 2008, 5:19 am
every time i chant this holy mantra (mandarin version) i have discover so much miraculous feeling & calm my mind. now i starting to chant the Sanskrit version, very long n not easy to remember. hope Buddha bless me for good memory.
Pingback from Non-Duality (Or, A Cool Thing I Learned on Retreat) « 자보 Living in the Dash
Time: October 23, 2008, 8:39 pm
[...] Paramita means “perfection of wisdom.” It is a mantra, an ideal, and, it turns out, an Indian goddess. The practice involves absorbing and becoming the [...]
Comment from Arjuna
Time: January 30, 2009, 6:46 am
The sound recording here is sublime!
It really is the highest of high sutras – every line has the potential to explode.
I’m extremely grateful for this site!
Comment from Mike W
Time: April 7, 2009, 6:08 pm
Thanks for posting the MP3 of the chant. that is excellent. I was looking for an audio verison of the mantra and here it is. :)
Comment from mondo
Time: July 28, 2009, 11:20 am
If you go to Fodian.net you can find an awesome storehouse of Sutras in many languages set up by Rulu. From the Large Perfection of Wisdom by Edward Conze thru the 8000 Verses of the Prajnaparamita and so many more, into the various translations of The Heart Sutra and even The Diamond Sutra galore. My question is: which sutras are associated specifically with being akin to The Prajnaparamita. Is there a ‘Lineage’ so as to speak? And where does the S(h)urangama Sutra fit in. Therein Manjushri’s Gatha is rather telling.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: July 30, 2009, 3:24 pm
Hi Mondo,
There’s a decent article on Wikipedia about the Prajnaparamita corpus of teachings, so I’d suggest reading that. I’m afraid the Surangama Sutra is one I’m not familiar with.
All the best,
Bodhipaksa
Comment from Schnoebi
Time: August 11, 2009, 3:11 am
Prajñaparamita mantra in Mandarin Chinese. I appreciate it was a year ago that SkyWong posted a comment, but just wondered if anyone can offer the Mandarin Chinese version of the mantra to include pin-jin (romanised form)?
Comment from mondo
Time: August 11, 2009, 8:54 am
Went to my Master, LongYang, The 5th DorjeChen and asked for a Prajnaparamita mantra. He began to give me: Om Mune Mune Mahamunaya, but said, “No”. Then He gave me: Om Gate Gate Paragate Parasamgate Swa Ha. Next, I went on a search for a Thanka in the Tibetan Quarter of Chengdu; the Wuhou district, but the shops didn’t have one hanging on a wall. I did find a shop with computers and quite a big fancy printer, and they made one for me in only one day. That evening I was lucky enough to have Master bless it. Hopefully I’ll learn enough Tibetan this year to be ‘conversational’ in it enough to speak with Tibetans in their own language…and maybe even read some real ‘books’. Any help in learning Tibetan would be greatly appreciated.
A fellow Nyingmapa informs me the DorjeChens are emanations of Manjushri with a focus on Longchenpa’s Nyingtig. DorjeChen is a repository of Longchenpa’s teachings.
Comment from mondo
Time: September 19, 2009, 1:05 am
The Prajnaparamita Sutras…how many are they and what collection of Sutras come after them? Details please. Been obsessed with ‘studying’ all of them as I’ve found on Fodian net. Began with Conze’s trans. of The Large Prajnaparamita Sutra and proceeded to his work on the 8000 and now working on his 700 lines. Also have gone over ‘Copper’s’ works too. Can’t get enough of The Prajnaparamita. Hey, in the Parinirvana Sutra, Buddha gives an explanation of the ‘no-self’ teachings he gave up to that point and then goes into the ‘reality’ of a self. Seems to ‘me’ therein is a clear statement about the 2 truths and clarifies The Uttaratantra Shastra and so much more.
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: September 21, 2009, 9:08 am
Hi Mondo,
I’m glad you’re enjoying the Prajnaparamita Sutras. As far as I’m aware, this Wikipedia article is accurate in listing the PP texts.
Comment from mondo
Time: September 21, 2009, 10:06 pm
Great article!!! Iconographically, Manjusri has a fiery sword and the Prajnaparamita. Depictions of the Goddess, Prajnaparamita also has the Prajnaparamita, yet in her right hand is a vajra (dorje). And down from Samantabhadra comes Vajrapani, Vajrasattva, and Vajradhara. So it seems to me the Vajra Family is really a focus which is headed by Akshobya. You’d mentioned you were going to expand on his mantra.
I’m looking forward to what you have to say…soon I hope.
Comment from khookaysoon
Time: December 7, 2009, 1:43 am
This mantra is a panacea when one dwells upon the truth it expounds. To experience grief one must first create it in one’s mind. Let go, simply let go, for in truth there is nothing to hold on to. Salutations to the Blessed Guanyin.
Comment from Osiris
Time: March 6, 2010, 8:36 am
I have from the books of Master Samael Aun Weor that with the practice of this mantra one can eventually experience Samadhi satori bliss ecstasy the eliminating void, so are any experiences anybody would be willing to share. Peace be upon
Comment from cal
Time: March 15, 2010, 11:43 pm
hi Bodhipaksa, about the above picture you posted in this section, i was reading the words and found it to be neither the heart sutra nor any section of the diamond sutra. perhaps you may want to take a look at the source of the picture?
Comment from Bodhipaksa
Time: March 16, 2010, 10:26 am
Ha! That’s interesting. I’m sure I was told it was the Diamond Sutra, but I don’t read Chinese so I’d no way of confirming that. I’ll look for a genuine version.
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