My posts on acquiring scripture written with gold ink drew a lot of interest and enquiries. A few also asked me what it was, which didn’t really surprise me. Another asked me the use of having a copy at home. For the sake of all sentient beings, let me share here what I have shared. (I directed the orders to Lam Kesang).

What is a sutra?

Simply put, sutras (Dz. མདོ་, doh) are teachings of Buddha in their original form.

The first set of sutras was written right after Buddha’s passing away. His cousin and closest attendant called Ananda gathered all the closest disciples in Rajgir in India, and they started writing down the discourses and sermons made by Buddha in his lifetime.

Historians agree that Buddha did not write anything down, but lived a life of a wandering monk, and taught people wherever he went. His followers like Ananda and Saiputra and other close disciples were believed to have superb memories that they could recollect and recite the teachings of Buddha in entirety. Hence, one unique feature of the sutras is that they start with the phrase, “Thus, I heard” to mean that they were reproducing what they heard and where.

What is the Heart Sutra?

The Heart Sutra (Sherub Nyingpo in Dzongkha) is one of the 40 texts that comes under the title known as Prajnaparamitasutra. Prajna means ‘wisdom’ and paramita means ‘perfection’, and this sutra forms the core of Mahayana Buddhism.

Legend has it that the original concept was taught by Buddha at Vulture Peak in Rajgir, and written down by a disciple of Manjushri. It was later entrusted to the Nagas of the underworld for safekeeping, and to be revealed when humanity was ready to receive it.

The legend then has it that in the Second Century, an Indian scholar is believed to have entered the Naga’s world, and to have bestowed on them the Buddha Dharma. In gratitude for teaching them, the Naga king gifted one set of Prajnaparamita texts to him. And because he managed to win the nagas, he was subsequently referred to as Nagarjuna (Noble Naga).

Heart Sutra expounds on the concept of emptiness, that everything and every phenomenon in the universe is empty of any inherent, independent or of permanent nature. And instead, everything is interconnected and interdependent. The text is a conversation between Sariputra and bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. It forms the foundation of the Mahayana and Vajrayana schools.

Between facts and fiction in Buddhism.

One thing that I observe with younger Bhutanese, who are mostly urban born and bred, is that they are apprehensive of the mythological aspects of Buddhism as contradicting the philosophical teachings of the Buddha, and the actual historical accounts. Add to that the latter Vajrayana practices that include magic and miracles and endless rituals.

First of all, myths and legends form an integral part of any religion. When I was young, I attended a Catholic boarding school where I was told that Jesus walked on water. Instead of questioning that, I thought, how cool it would be if I could also walk on water.

Second, navigating between facts and fictions in Buddhism requires understanding that many concepts and legends have to be understood at different levels. At the ‘outer’ level you accept them literally. But at ‘inner’ level you try to appreciate the deeper philosophical underpinnings. Then finally there is the ‘secret’ level where you internalise and become the concept or the image itself.

Above all, Buddhism, regardless of schools and sects, has one aim – to guide the practitioners towards realisation – by understanding their true nature of the reality around them. It could be achieved through meditation, discipline and ethical conduct (Theravada school), or through appreciating the wisdom of emptiness and the core practices of loving-kindness and compassion and wisdom (Mahayana tradition).

Our Stories define who we are.

Despite being a science and engineering student for most all my life (at 35 I switched to journalism and filmmaking), and deep-diving into Buddhism only in my third career as an academic, I have always been open-minded to absorb everything Buddhism had to offer – the philosophy and the power, and the magic and the miracles.

Historical facts and accounts make us knowledgeable, but stories and legends inspire us as individuals, bind us as a society and as common humanity, and transmit timeless values across generations. A story is what makes life worth living, a culture worth preserving, and a nation worth fighting for.

Blame it on western education or its obsession with rationalism and positivism, we often place philosophy, history and devotion in separate boxes. And yet, it is not uncommon in Bhutan to teach history that is mixed with myths and heroes and divinities. Without being apologetic about this, I would say that this is the beauty of Bhutan. After all, to paraphrase my friends in the West, science does not have answers to everything, and spirituality helps make sense of the world where logic stops. And life, it is about making sense of the world around us, every moment that we breathe.

Benefit of having a copy of Heart Sutra scripture.

Coming back to the sutras, it is believed that the pages not only relay the timeless teachings of Gautama Buddha, but also emit his power and blessings.

In recent weeks, I have read deeply into the Heart Sutra, and moved by the profundity of the teachings on emptiness and its offshoots of wisdom and compassion, I took the opportunity to commission a personal copy – written in gold ink. It was done by the same people who produced the first holy Kangyur in Bhutan – on the royal command of our King.

Now, because the Prajnaparamita was discovered by Nagarjuna, whom the nagas and serpent-kings revere, having a copy of Heart Sutra is believed to protect you from diseases that nagas usually launch us, and from bad dreams and conflicts at home.

May the teachings of Buddha Dharma flourish forever.

🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻