Khenchen Migmar Tsering : The Heart Sutra ‘Joyous Elegant Speech’

The Heart Sutra belongs to the class of texts called the Perfection of Wisdom Sutras (Prajnaparmita).

Through the blessing of the Buddha, this teaching on the profound wisdom of the nature of emptiness was given by the Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, the Buddha of Compassion, to the monk Shariputra.

Although The Heart Sutra is very brief it contains key concepts of Buddhist Philosophy. These include the skandhas, the four noble truths, interdependent origination and the central concept of Mahayana Buddhism, Emptiness.

‘The Heart Sutra is named a ‘mother sutra’ because it deals with the topic of Prajnaparamita, which is the mother to all the Aryas. It is also called the ‘mother of all the Buddhas of the three times’. It is said in the sutras, as well as in many commentaries that the attainment of Buddhahood by all the Buddhas of three times depends on this Prajnaparamita. So the importance of Prajnaparamita is explained in the different sutras and shastras by saying that only by depending on this Prajnaparamita is one able to become a Buddha. So whether it is the present Buddha, a Buddha in the past or a Buddha yet to come, this result is due only to the Prajnaparamita. This refers not only to the Arya Buddha but also the other three types of Aryas. If the attainment of Buddhahood depends on Prajnaparamita then naturally the attainment of the level of Bodhisattva depends on it as well.

Khenchen Migmar Tsering was born in 1956. He was the Abbot of Sakya College in Dehradun from 1989-1999 and a highly accomplished scholar and teacher. He gave this commentary on Chandrakirti’s Madhyamakavatara at Rongton Buddhist Training College in Canberra, Australia in 1998. Khenchen Migmar taught the commentary in English basing his teaching mainly on Gorampa Sonam Sengge’s commentary on the Madhyamakavatara called ‘Ita wa ngan sel‘ (Dispelling Wrong Views). Kenchen Migmar’s clear method of teaching this challenging text reflects his ability to convey the profound meaning in a way suited to his audience. Khenchen Migmar Tsering passed away in February 1999 following a sudden illness.