A very short scripture in which the five aggregates—the categories used to describe experience—are examined as empty of independent, inherent existence.
Its striking negations work against grasping at fixed categories, including categories used in Buddhist teaching. They should not be read as a casual claim that experience, ethics or suffering do not matter.
The text is associated with Avalokiteśvara and the practice of profound wisdom. It is recited in many East Asian and Tibetan settings, across more than one school.
Its compact language requires interpretation. Understanding the words is different from realizing the insight they point toward.
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