Wake Up and Laugh!

One of the interesting things about Daehaeng Kun Sunim’s translation of the Heart Sutra, is that it appears the beginning and end are essentially saying the same thing. Where the ending says “We all become free together,” the beginning says the same thing, while explaining why this is the case: “Inherently, all beings share the same life, the same mind, the same body. They work together as one, freely giving and receiving whatever is needed.”
To me, this is saying that we all form part of the same whole. And as such, there’s no one we can exclude. There’s no we can look down upon. To the extent we behave like that, we cut ourselves off from the whole. It would be like chopping off one hand, and then complaining because we can’t open the jam.

This habit, this desire, to see others as less than ourselves is actually poisonous. It holds us back from awakening. It probably served some function at lower levels of existence, but it isn’t anything that can take us further. And as Daehaeng Kun Sunim said in the opening, not to know this connection to all beings and states of existence and nonexistence is to walk the path of suffering. So let’s work hard at letting go of all these discriminations and go forward on the path of freedom.
with palms together,
Chong Go

(the end of the Heart Sutra)
Taking the path that’s no fixed path,
leaving no traces behind,
hurry, hurry, and become free.
We all become free together.
Let go of discriminations
between this world
and the next,
hurry and become free.
The enlightenment of one mind
is always shining brightly,
so now everyone,
let’s all become free,
hurry and become free,
all become free.

(The opening of the Heart Sutra)
One mind,
deep all-embracing wisdom shining forth,
seeing everything,
functioning freely throughout
all realms of the living and the dead.
Its light reveals the truth of all realms
seen and unseen:
Inherently,
all beings share the same life,
the same mind,
the same body.
They work together as one,
freely giving and receiving whatever is needed,
ceaselessly manifesting and changing.
But because they don’t know this,
they walk the path of suffering.

so now everyone,
let’s all become free,
hurry and become free,
all become free.

「우리 함께 어서어서 벗어나세」 (세번)

This is one of my favorite lines, as well as one of the hardest to translate. It’s got two things going on: One is a description “We all become free together” and the second is an imperative: “Hurry and become free.” It’s recited three times at the Heart Sutra, but to try to capture all of the nuances, we translated it in slightly different ways across three different lines. I’ll talk some more about the first nuance, “We all become free together” tomorrow.

The enlightenment of one mind
is always shining brightly,

한마음의 깨달음은
그대로 여여하게 밝았으니

Remember to recite these three times or more! That way, it’s sinking down within you and teaching all the lives within you.

Let go of discriminations
between this world
and the next,
hurry and become free.

이승 저승 없는 마음 어서어서 벗어나세.

This is one of the more surprising lines in Daehaeng Kun Sunim’s translation of the Heart Sutra. Literally, it is “With the mind that has no discriminations between the world of the living and the world of the dead, hurry and become free.”
I honestly can’t say I have a firm grasp on why this was included. Was it more for Koreans who tend to think more about the dead? Maybeee, but I’d be hesitant to say Kun Sunim included something because it was unique to a particular culture. Looking at the text again, it includes “this realm” and “that realm”, which would also include time, I think, because we tend to think of the dead as existing in the past.
Maybe this just simply means that all beings, living and dead, visible and invisible, past and present, exist at this moment(?) we call Buddha-nature or true-nature or mind. Know this state, and from there, make yourself free. Maybe that’s what’s being said.

Hear now the mantra that awakens
this deep one mind:
Take the path that’s no fixed path,
leave no traces behind,
hurry, hurry, and become free.
We all become free together.

이에, 깊은 한마음을 깨닫는 주문을 설하노니
발 없는 발로 길 없는 길을 어서어서 벗어나세,
우리 함께 벗어나세.

This verse has two lines that are some of the hardest to succinctly translate: 발 없는 발로 길 없는 길을, which literally would be “with feet that don’t have feet, on the path that doesn’t have a path.” The Korean is very poetic, with a very nice rhythm, but as you can see, the English is a bit… clunky, lol. In my opinion, (which should in no way be taken as all-knowing!), it seems that “path that doesn’t have a path” 길 없는 길을, means that there is no fixed path. There is no magic method that you just follow, such as “step 1, step 2, step 3,” to say nothing of some place where the mystic energy will somehow lift you beyond yourself.
You have to go forward entrusting everything to this empty place, where no fixed ideas can stick, where there’s nothing you can grab onto (intellectually or physically) and say “This is it!” For whatever you think you know, you have to let go of that as well. Unless you are completely and utterly enlightened, what you are perceiving and thinking is almost certainly contaminated with dualistic habits and views.
Even if they are good things, such as “help all other beings,” there’s likely some accidently dualistic views in there (besides the obvious), so you have to let go of even that again and again.

The first phase that was translated “Leave no traces behind” 발 없는 발로 , could also perhaps mean just “on feet that aren’t feet,” that is, this path we take isn’t a physical path, and so we travel it through mind, not through the body. Although I must have approved of this English version when this was first translated, I think it could also be expressed as:
Take the path that’s no fixed path,
traveling through mind, not the body,

I’m not sure. The second one is definitely more obvious, perhaps too much so. In the normal expression of spiritual practice, “leave no traces behind” means no trace of “I,” or “I did,” “I am,” “I deserved” “He/she/they did ___ to me,” and so on. This meaning might be the more useful one here.

Know that this sutra of one mind
is true beyond all doubt
and will free you from all suffering.

이 깊은 미지의 주문은 진실하여
허망치 않음을 알라.
일체 고난에서 벗어나리라.

You must know this:
one mind,
with deep and limitless wisdom,
is the most profound,
the most bright
the most high
the most upright,
the unsurpassed level.

마땅히 알라
깊은 미지의 지혜로운 한마음이야말로
가장 신비하고, 가장 밝고, 가장 높고,
가장 당당한 위없는 심경이므로

These words aren’t some kind of bragging – the point is that everything you’d ever hope to find, everything that might help you, grow you, or lead you forward can be found within your one mind.

All Buddhas
of the past,
present,
and future
awaken to this one mind,
obtain the highest and brightest
wisdom,
overcome birth and death,
and attain the state of freely
manifesting throughout all realms.

과거, 현재, 그리고 미래의 모든 부처님들도
이 마음자리를 깨달아
가장 높고 밝은 지혜를 얻어
생사를 초월하고
자유자재의 경지를 성취하셨나니

Because this mind has no hindrances,
there is no fear.
Upside-down pointless dreams are
left behind,
and inherent,
eternally bright
supreme enlightenment
is attained.

마음에 걸림이 없는 고로 두려움이 없으며
뒤바뀐 헛된 꿈 같은 생각을 떠나서
본래부터 영원한 밝음의 구경에 이르렀나니라.

I love the expression, “leaving behind upside-down, pointless dreams”! That’s so vivid! Again, it’s not necessary to understand all aspects of these verses, just try to recite them a few times every days whenever you remember.

The goal here is to input these within you. As you do this, it’s like teaching the lives within you, and even though “you” don’t fully understand something, other parts of you will absorb the different nuances and be pointed in the right direction. Also, later when you are ready or really need this guidance, the words of the verse will pop into your consciousness.

The one mind of a free person
circulates deep in the realm of nothingness,
free of all hindrances.

자유인의 한마음은
깊은 무無의 세계에 회전하며
일체 걸림이 없느니라.

I’m not sure what really needs to be said about this verse. In truth, it reminds me a bit of a similar verse from “Faith in Mind,” although there are likely issues of depth:

The Great Way is not difficult
for those who do not pick and choose.
When preferences are cast aside,
the Way stands clear and undisguised.

That said, getting caught up in such comparisons probably isn’t *quite* in tune with the spirit of either, lol. But, to put it another way, when you entrust everything to your foundation, you are free, or have at least started down that path. True freedom would also involve the ability to respond as needed, but freedom from being twisted about and shaken by the events and mental states of life would sure be a great start!