There are many translating
of this mantra. This is one I found where the interpretation is
different from that posted by sinweiy.
The Heart
Sutra
Commentary by Zen Master
Seung Sahn
Adapted from The Compass
of Zen.
Gate, gate, paragate,
parasamgate, bodhi svaha!
So there is yet one more
step. If you attain emptiness, and then attain truth, how does this
world’s truth function to help other beings? All buddhas
attain anuttara samyak sambodhi, or unexcelled perfect
enlightenment. This means that they attain truth. They can see that
the sky is blue, and the tree is green. At the end of the sutra we
are told that there is a great transcendent mantra, a great bright
mantra, an utmost mantra, a supreme mantra: Gate, gate,
paragate, parasamgate, bodhi svaha. It can be translated as
“Gone, gone, gone to the other shore beyond.” So this mantra at the
end of the Heart Sutra means only action. Up until this
point, everything is just speech and words about attaining
emptiness and truth. It is all a lot of very interesting
description. But this mantra means you must just do it. Some kind
of action is necessary if you want to help this world. For the
bodhisattva, there is only bodhisattva action. When you attain
unexcelled perfect enlightenment, you must attain the
function of this enlightenment in the world. That is what
we call moment world. From moment to moment, perceive suffering in
this world and only help all beings. That is a very important
point.
Attaining truth alone is not
enough. If someone is thirsty, give them something to drink. If
someone is hungry, give them food. When a suffering person appears
before you, you only help, with no thinking or checking. The early
part of this sutra has no “do-it,” just good speech about
attainment and no-attainment. But if you attain something, you must
do it. That is the meaning behind Gate, gate, paragate,
parasamgate, bodhi svaha. Step by step, we attain how to
function compassionately for others, to use truth for others,
spontaneously, from moment to moment. This is the whole point of
the Heart Sutra. From moment to moment, when you are doing
something, just do it.