The Heart Sutra (The Insight that Brings Us to the Other Shore)

These are the teaching tutorials for chanting the new version of the Heart Sutra, translated by Thich Nhat Hanh on Sept. 11, 2014. Music in the Plum Village Tradition composed by Br. Phap Linh.

First download and print this study sheet with all the words.  It has been divided into parts to match the tutorials below.

Note: You can also now download the video and audio versions of these tutorials for use wherever you go - look for the purchase link at the bottom of this post.

Begin with Part A: Chant along with the video 2-3 times, then take a break and try again in an hour.  Twenty four hours later, try it again, after the subconscious has had time to absorb the new music and words.




After a few days, or once Part A is feeling comfortable, try using the same repetition technique on Part B:




Then add Part C to the repetition schedule, singing it and then letting it rest.



The sun goes down in a blaze of glory, the stars come out, and the brothers gather in the tea house after supper for one more evening of chanting practice.  Try the complete Heart Sutra with the monastics at Deer Park Monastery in the next video to practice the energy they chant this with:

When memorizing a new chant, I have found that we can learn it much more quickly if the conscious and analytical part of the mind is allowed to rest, and the subconscious is allowed to work. With this in mind, I highly recommend staying away from sheet music if at all possible while learning this chant, as it tends to create an analytical barrier between our heart and the music - instead, hold the printed out lyrics sheet in front of you, and make the video you are watching full screen (hit the little box at the bottom right corner of the video.  For the notes, watch my hand on the screen, and for words, refer to the sheet.

First we put the music and words in our short term memory by repeating a video 3 to 6 times.  Then we wait an hour, and do the video again.  This begins moving it toward long term memory.  In 12 hours, do it again a few times.

It is wonderful to practice these together as a Sangha.  Due to the many requests we have received, these tutorials are now available as a digital download for practice when no internet is present.

Some of us find it very comforting to the conscious mind to have the sheet music to study.  Here is a link to it online if you wish to print it out. However, when practicing with the video, I highly encourage you to just use the lyrics sheet.

If you have enjoyed this tutorial, please consider donating to support Shane's ongoing work teaching Sangha Songs.

You can also download the videos for offline use with your Sangha.  An audio file of the chanting practice is also included so you can practice anywhere you go: