Reddit reviews The Heart Sutra

Three further resources for those interested in the Heart Sūtra:

• Red Pine's translation and commentary does an excellent job of laying out the background for the sūtra, and what is at stake in the text. I disagree with some of his interpretations, so I can't recommend it as the "last word" on the subject, but for those who are relatively new to the finer points of Buddhist doctrine and history, it makes a very good "first word."
  
  
• Donald S. Lopez's Elaborations on Emptiness collects all eight of the existing Indian commentaries on the work, along with a number of insightful essays of his own on the text. Together, they show the large number of different ways the Heart Sūtra has been used.
  
  
• Jan Nattier's essay "The Heart Sūtra: A Chinese Apocryphal Text?" is an absolute classic work of Buddhist Studies, and a very impressive piece of scholarship. It's not easy reading, but it was Nattier who unlocked the mystery of the origins of this text.

Unlocking the Zen Koan: A New Translation of the Zen Classic Wumenguam has been helpful. Also, reading Red Pine's translations and commentary on the The Platform Sutra: The Zen Teaching of Hui-neng, Heart Sutra and Diamond Sutra. Although many people speak of the influence of the Lankavatara on Zen, I find it very difficult to read, even Red Pine's fairly approachable translation. But, the idea of "no views" and "no perceptions" was helpful, and "to speak of [this] to to speak of not [this]". Those themes come up often in koans. And studying Lao Tsu helps. Despite what the "not zen" crowd says, a background in Mahayana Buddhism and Taoism, and some historical background really does help a lot. Currently reading Ordinary Mind as the Way: The Hongzhou School and the Growth of Chan Buddhism and The Hongzhou School of Chan Buddhism in Eighth- through Tenth-Century China to get some background on Mazu's lineage. Like many westerners, I used to think koans were just about derailing rational thought. While that is useful, now I also see some patterns, a certain amount of "sense", and more experiences of "of course". Easier koans like, it is your mind that moves help with the more difficult ones. Another helpful one is What are you doing? What are you saying?.

I'm sorry if I sound rude. But in my opinion, Nagarjuna is probably too heavy for you at present.

 

If you find the Diamond sutra enjoyable (at least, not so bad), then You can try 'The Heart Sutra' (Red Pine translation) next after you finish the Diamond sutra. As the Wikipedia entry of it says, The Heart Sutra belongs to the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) category of Mahayana Buddhism and it is the most representative sutra of that sort in the sense that the sutra summarizes all the basics and principal Ideas of the Perfection of Wisdom in an extremely condensed way.

 

And Nagarjuna's work is based on the ideas expressed in the Perfection of Wisdom category sutras (So if you know nothing of the latter, the former is very hard and inaccessible. Frankly speaking, Nagarjuna's work is not so accessible even for those who are relatively well versed with Prajnaparamita category Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism)

 

Lastly, the Diamond sutra is yet another Sutra belonging to the Perfection of Wisdom (Prajnaparamita) category of Mahayana Buddhism, and it is regarded as the most fundamental sutra in Korean Zen Buddhism, along with the platform sutra of the 6p.

 

Lotus Sutra: I've only read the Watson translation, which is very good, but I've also heard good things about JC Cleary's translation, although that appears to only be available as an e-book.

Heart Sutra: I have read, and recommend, Karl Brunnholzl's The Heart Attack Sutra, Red Pine's translation, and TNH's Heart of Understanding. I've also got a copy of Kaz Tanahashi's exigesis on the shelf, which people speak very highly of.