Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā

If you have a diacritic font installed this mantra is transliterated like this: Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā. Without diacritics, it’s Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.

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.

Recordings of the Gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha mantra

Click below to listen to an audio recording of the mantra being chanted by Bodhipaksa:

How to pronounce the “Gate gate pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā” mantra:

Here’s a pronunciation guide to the mantra.

  • a is short, pronounced as u in cut
  • e is pronounced like the ey in English hey
  • ā is long, like the a in father
  • ṃ in parasaṃgate is pronounced like ng in long
  • o is pronounced like o in ore
  • i (in normal speech) is pronounced like i in mill, but in chanted speech it is often pronounced like ee in bee when it comes at the end of a word
  • v in “svāhā” is roughly pronounced like an English w

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 pāragate pārasaṃgate bodhi svāhā.

(Chinese to English translation, by Willam J. Giddings, 2003)

View Comments

  • 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)?

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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

  • 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?

  • 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.

  • haha, i have no way of confirming too now that since the words are mantras (speech purifying mantra) to be recited before reciting the sutra. since the source (Wikimedia commons) said so, so shall be it then :)

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