Saturday, 10 October 2015

Alan Tam's rendition of the Heart Sutra (Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra)

I found Alan Tam's rendition of the Heart Sutra (Prajna Paramita Hridaya Sutra) on YouTube after listening to "Who Can Change", his famous OST from the Fearless Duo (1984, also feat. Michael Miu and Barbara Yung). I found this rendition of the Heart Sutra very lovely, hence I put it here. The Cantonese lyrics are from Nicholas Tse's website. I found the translation from Jayarava here, complete with the Middle Chinese script and pinyin. 

Strangely enough, Jayarava's post was dated 15 May 2015, that was just a day after the 30th commemoration of Barbara Yung's death. I recently have been feeling that I haven't totally mourn her passing, hence, I dedicate this song and lyrics for Babs, the lovely girl who coloured my childhood with wonderful series. Wherever you are Barbara, may you be in peace. If you are already reborn, may your current life and the lives afterwards be beautiful and peaceful.



Heart Sutra

When Avalokiteśvara Bodhisattva practiced the deep perfection of wisdom,
He saw the five aggregates as completely empty, and overcame all states of suffering.
Śāriputra, form is not different emptiness, emptiness is not different form
Form is empty, emptiness is form.
Vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, & vijñāna, are the same


Śāriputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness;
not born, not dying; not dirty, not clean; not increasing, not diminishing
Therefore: in emptiness there is no form; no feeling, no thought, going? [choice], knowledge
No eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind;

No colour, sound, smell, taste, touch or dharmas.
no  eye-element, up to no mind-cognition element
Also no ignorance of exhausting of ignorance.
And even no aging and death, no exhausting of aging and death
No suffering, cause, cessation or way.  No wisdom, also no attainment
Since nothing is attained, 


CHORUS:

the Bodhisattva reliant on perfection of wisdom,
his heart is without hindrance. Since he is not hindered, he is not afraid,
far from upside-down  dreamlike thinking and finally attains  nirvana
All Buddhas of the three worlds depending on the perfection of wisdom,
attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi


Therefore know the perfection of wisdom,
is a great magical spell, is a great spell,
an unsurpassed spell, an unequalled spell.
It removes all suffering; it is truly real not false ,
Therefore, recite the perfection of wisdom spell.
That is to say the mantra which goes:

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha



Below, the Canto lyrics was taken from Nicholas Tse while the English lyrics from Jayarava; just in case anyone wants to sing along like me (been listening to the song on auto-replay since last night...).

Sadhu, Sadhu, Sadhu...


Heart Sutra (Sim Keng)

自在菩行深般若波密多
gun ji joi pou saat haang sam bun yeuk bo lo mat do si
When Avalokiteśvara bodhisattva practiced the deep perfection of wisdom,

皆空渡一切苦厄
jiu gin ng wan gaai hung dou yat chai fu ak
He saw the five aggregates as completely empty, and overcame all states of suffering.

舍利子色不异空空不异色
se lei ji sik bat yi hung hung bat yi sik
Śāriputra, form is not different emptiness, emptiness is not different form

色即是空 空即是色
sik jik si hung hung jik si sik
Form is empty, emptiness is form.

受想行亦复如是
sau seung haang sik yik fuk yu si
Vedanā, saṃjñā, saṃskāra, & vijñāna, are the same

舍利子空相
se lei ji si jyu faat hung seung
Śāriputra, all dharmas are marked with emptiness;

不生不不垢不不增不减
bat saang bat mit bat gau bat jing bat jang bat gaam
not born, not dying; not dirty, not clean; not increasing, not diminishing

是故空中无色无受想行
si gu hung jung mou sik mou sau seung haang sik
Therefore: in emptiness there is no form; no feeling, no thought, going? [choice], knowledge

无眼耳鼻舌身意
mou ngaan yi bei sit san yi
No eyes, ears, nose, tongue, body, or mind;

无色声香味触法
mou sik sing heung mei chuk faat
No colour, sound, smell, taste, touch or dharmas.

无眼界乃至无意
mou ngaan gaai naai ji mou yi sik gaai
no eye-element, up to no mind-cognition element
无无明亦无无明尽
mou mou ming yik mou mou ming jeun
Also no ignorance of exhausting of ignorance.

乃至无老死亦无老死尽
naai ji mou lou sei yik mou lou sei jeun
And even no aging and death, no exhausting of aging and death

无苦集无智亦无得
mou fu jaap mit dou mou ji yik mou dak
No suffering, cause, cessation or way.  No wisdom, also no attainment

以无所得故
yi mou so dak gu
Since nothing is attained,


CHORUS
菩提依般若波 密多故
pou tai saat do yi bun yeuk bo lo mat do gu
the bodhisattva reliant on perfection of wisdom,

心无罣碍  无罣碍故 无有恐怖
sam mou gwa ngoi. Mou gwa ngoi gu mou yau hung bou
his heart is without hindrance. Since he is not hindered, he is not afraid,

倒梦想 究竟涅
yun lei din dou mung seung gau ging nip pun
far from upside-down  dreamlike thinking and finally attains  nirvana

三世依般 若波密多故得阿耨
saam sai jyu fat yi bun yeuk bo lo mat do gu dak a nau
All Buddhas of the three worlds depending on the perfection of wisdom,

三藐三菩提
do lo saam miu saam pou tai
attain anuttara-samyak-sambodhi.

故知般若波密多
Gu ji bun yeuk bo lo mat do
Therefore know the perfection of wisdom,

是大神咒是大明咒
si daai san jau si daai ming jau
is a great magical spell, is a great spell,

是无上咒 是无等等咒
si mou seung jau si mou dang dang jau
an unsurpassed spell, an unequalled spell.

能除一切苦 不虚
nang cheui yat chai fu jan sat bat heui
It removes all suffering; it is truly real not false ,

般若波密多咒
gu syut bun yeuk bo lo mat do jau
Therefore, recite the perfection of wisdom spell.

咒曰
jik syut jau yeuk
That is to say the mantra which goes:

gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha



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