The Five Skandhas | There Is No Suffering

Sariputra, Form is not other than emptiness, and emptiness is not other than form; form is precisely emptiness, and emptiness is precisely form. So are sensation, perception, volition, and consciousnessRemember that the Heart Sutra is part of the much larger Mahaprajnaparamita-sutra, which, for the most part, addresses the nature of emptiness. In most sutras, the Buddha answers the questions of one or more bodhisattvas, disciples, or arhats. In the Mahaprajna-sutra, it is Subhuti, one of the Buddha’s greatest disciples, who is most often addressed. The Heart Sutra is a unique part of the larger sutra that is addressed, instead, to Sariputra, who was considered preeminent among Buddha’s followers in understanding wisdom, while Subhuti was considered foremost in understanding emptiness. Of course, to understand wisdom, one must also have a thorough understanding of emptiness.

Having already said that the five skandhas were empty, why does the Buddha now specifically declare the emptiness of each of the five skandhas—form, sensation, perception, volition, and consciousness? Because he wanted people to understand that true emptiness is total, encompassing all physical and mental realms. The Buddha makes it clear that he is talking about ultimate emptiness—emptiness as reality—and not self-centered emptiness, analytical emptiness, or emptiness of only the self.

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