The Heart Sutra is Buddhism in a nutshell. It covers more of the Buddha's teachings in a shorter span than any other scripture, and it does so without being superficial or commonplace. Although the author is unknown, he was clearly someone with a deep knowledge of the Dharma and an ability to summarize lifetimes of meditation in a few well-crafted lines. I would describe the Heart Sutra as a work of art as much as religion. And perhaps it is one more proof, if any were needed, that distinguishing these two callings is both artificial and unfortunate.
- Red Pine

Books on the
Heart Sutra

Thich Nhat Hanh
excerpt from The Heart
of Understanding

The Dalai Lama - excerpt
from Essence of the
Heart Sutra

Red Pine - excerpt from
The Heart Sutra: The
Womb of Buddhas

Master Sheng Yen -
    excerpt from There is no
    suffering: commentary
    on the Heart Sutra

Edward Conze - excerpt
from Buddhist Wisdom

On the Web

Ken McLeod's Heart Sutra workshop

Parallel Tibetan and
   English translation with
   recorded sound clips in
   Tibetan

Commentary by Master
T'an Hsu

Talk by Mel Weitsman

Talk by Khenpo Chodrak
Rinpoche

Welcome to DharmaNet's Heart Sutra study center. We'll be offering Ashoka online courses, links to resources on the Web and special features relating to The Heart Sutra.

Ashoka's getting started module introduces the Heart Sutra, its history, and background information on the setting and story it tells.

This getting started module is not a line-by-line commentary but rather a prelude to the many voices we are offering.

This getting started module is drawn primarily from Red Pine’s illuminating The Heart Sutra, as well as other contemporary and historical sources.

Mu Seong looks to create a radical new understanding of an ancient teaching and to understand this core teaching of Mahayana Buddhism in the light of new perspectives on reality and a new model of the universe set forth by quantum physics.

Coming soon on Ashoka, more courses on the Heart Sutra with Ken McLeod, Red Pine, Prof. Lew Lancaster and others.

Ken McLeod's Heart Sutra commentary.

"In its quietly relentless way, this pithy and unorthodox commentary
to the Heart Sutra leaves you with nowhere to stand but right here."
- Stephen Batchelor