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In a way, this is all you need to know, but ... to know it ... it's important to read and digest over many years (or not - it's possible to see through the dust in an instant ... just that few do) ... important to read and digest a lot from a lot of different sources, so long as they are valid. There is nothing mystical in what's below. In fact what it points out is that everything we believe to by non-mystical - that is, the conceptual - is as devoid of essence as anything else.

This Sutra is not about self hypnosis, nor is it designed to make you believe something. It is a training of the mind to stay always awake in the moment and never believe that what you're mind says is the Truth. That's not to say the conceptual, image making, image manipulating mind isn't a great tool for solving a problem like how to cut a tree down. It's just that ... it's only a tool - a bodily function really. If you examine your thoughts, you'll see that, you don't really 'think thoughts' ... you 'have thoughts'. You would never say " I circulate my blood" ... but yet we walk around thinking WE think our thoughts. There is no way out of the whale's belly but intentional consciousness and checking your mind. Not stopping your mind, but seeing it as a stream that is not you. A good Koan, though it's not part of the canonical koans ... is "what do your thoughts tell you? what do your feelings tell you." The answer is obvious but will blow your mind if you fully grasp it.

Anyway enough of my yakking ... this is the Heart Sutra (Kwan Um translation - there are MANY BAD TRANSLATIONS - that try to alter things to reflect modern new agey touchy feely political correctness.) This is pretty straight forward ... just an attempt to put into English what was originally in Sanskrit.

The Maha Prajna Paramita Hrdaya Sutra

Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva
when practicing deeply the Prajna Paramita
perceives that all five skandhas are empty
and is saved from all suffering and distress.
Shariputra,
form does not differ from emptiness,
emptiness does not differ from form.
That which is form is emptiness,
that which is emptiness form.
The same is true of feelings,
perceptions, impulses, consciousness.
Shariputra,
all dharmas are marked with emptiness;
they do not appear or disappear,
are not tainted or pure,
do not increase or decrease.
Therefore, in emptiness no form, no feelings,
perceptions, impulses, consciousness.
No eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no mind;
no color, no sound, no smell, no taste, no touch,
no object of mind;
no realm of eyes
and so forth until no realm of mind consciousness.
No ignorance and also no extinction of it,
and so forth until no old age and death
and also no extinction of them.
No suffering, no origination,
no stopping, no path, no cognition,
also no attainment with nothing to attain.
The Bodhisattva depends on Prajna Paramita
and the mind is no hindrance;
without any hindrance no fears exist.
Far apart from every perverted view one dwells in Nirvana.
In the three worlds
all Buddhas depend on Prajna Paramita
and attain Anuttara Samyak Sambodhi.
Therefore know that Prajna Paramita
is the great transcendent mantra,
is the great bright mantra,
is the utmost mantra,
is the supreme mantra
which is able to relieve all suffering
and is true, not false.
So proclaim the Prajna Paramita mantra,
proclaim the mantra which says:
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha
gate gate paragate parasamgate bodhi svaha.