THE WISDOM THAT CURES OUR ILLS
By now the word bodhisattva is common in English. It’s included in the dictionary. A bodhisattva is a compassionate spiritual being completely dedicated to the love and support of others.
What the dictionary doesn’t say is that the bodhisattva’s compassion depends on penetrating wisdom—prajna paramita, literally, “the perfection of wisdom.” This is the perfect wisdom of emptiness taught in the Heart Sutra. Emptiness and compassion may seem incompatible, but in Mahayana Buddhism, which emphasizes bodhisattva practice, they are not just complementary: they absolutely depend on one another.
Mahayana Buddhism has a treasure trove of texts that explain the vast. At not much more than a single page, it comprises the pith, the heart, of these teachings. In the Soto Zen Buddhism that I practice, and in all forms of Zen the world over, the is chanted daily. Its ringing words about the emptiness of all things become a refrain for everyday life.
