The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom (Heart Sutra Recording Session)

(Subtitles are included for this video. Please click on the Closed Captioning icon on the playback controls to toggle them on or off.)
Graciously commissioned by Carol and Richard Weingarten, this choral setting is the culmination of a year-long project of three works written to a new translation of the Buddhist “Heart Sutra” ("sutra" means words or teachings of the Buddha), two for use in religious practice, and this extended song version of the newly-translated Sanskrit text for mixed choir.
The English title is a shortened version of its full name: The Heart of the Perfection of Wisdom, which in Sanskrit is Bhagavati prajñā pāramita hridaya - recited or chanted daily by countless Buddhists, and is part of daily prayers of many Mahayana Buddhist monastics.
Depicted within the work are musical references to emptiness, enlightenment, the heartbeat, light, and the spirit reaching another shore of understanding.
Original translation in accordance with the commentary of Tendar Lharampa (b. 1759) by Gavin Kilty, Feb. 2017. Adapted by the composer.
*please note the word "Thus" has replaced the word "This" in the official translation since the recording was made.
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Thus* have I heard:
(Om)
Form is empty,
and emptiness is form.
(Emptiness is not other than form,
and form is not other than emptiness.)
Likewise, feeling and discrimination, consciousness,
formation, all are empty, empty.
all phenomena are empty, empty
without characteristics, not created,
not ceasing to be,
There is no ignorance,
no cessation of ignorance,
no eyes, no tongue, no body,
(no mind, no sound),
(Om)
no old age and death,
and no cessation,
Likewise, no suffering,
no cause of suffering,
no cessation of suffering,
no path,
no wisdom,
no attainment and no non-attainment.
no ignorance,
no cessation of ignorance
Thus:
depend upon and dwell in
the perfection of wisdom;
unobstructed and without fear,
transcending completely all error,
Travel, go:
travel to the finality of nirvana…
consummate in complete enlightenment!
The mantra of the perfection of wisdom
is a mantra of great knowledge,a mantra unsurpassable,a mantra comparable to the incomparable
a mantra pacifying all suffering.Not false.
Know it therefore, to be true:The mantra of the perfection of wisdom:Tadyathā gate gate pāragate
pārasamgate bodhi svāhā.*
*”Gone, gone, completely gone, completely and perfectly gone, enlightened”.
Sutra Song Ensemble:
Gary Ruschman, conductor
Soprano: Heather Cogswell, Angela Grundstad, Linh Kauffman
Alto: Krista Costin, Kris Kautzman, Laura Krider
Tenor: Nick Chalmers, Roy Heilman, J. David Moore
Bass: Chris Foss, Samuel Green, Adam Reinwald
Rehearsal Pianist: Andrew Fleser
Audio: Chris Foss
Video: Electric Picture Company
Special thanks to:
Gavin and Jacquie Kilty
Mary Anderson
Laura Anderson
Philip Blackburn
St. Timothy Lutheran Church, St. Paul
Track available at store.cdbaby.c...
Music ©2018 Gary Ruschman. All Rights Reserved
Scores available at ruschman.com

[@MrKatmar]

Gorgeous setting Gary