ABSTRACT
So far, we have only mentioned what Śūnyatā is not, and the difficulties of discussing it. We shall now examine the Śūnyatā doctrine directly by studying a pithy but representative text of Śūnyatā literature, namely the Heart Sūtra of the Perfection of Wisdom. The importance of this remarkable Buddhist classic and its wide influence on Buddhist thought cannot be overstressed. This Sūtra comprises only 262 words in the Chinese translation and can easily be printed on a single page. It is said, however, that the essence of the entire Mahāyāna teaching is contained therein. The text is both incredibly compact and pithy, and the reader should be alerted to its profuse and far-reaching implications.
