The Hearth Sutra, a Buddhist classic and the most popular sutra in China, comprises only two hundred and sixty two words in the Chinese translation. However, it is said that the essence of the Prajnaparamita Sutra, and even the entire Mahayana teaching, is contained within it.

The Heart Sutra concisely elucidates the philosophy of sunyata (emptiness), which teaches that not only the self (atman) but also all dharmas - the elements that make up our world - are empty and ultimately nonexistant. The fact that all things in the phenomenal world are constantly changing indicates that they...