Ticket to Ride

Epilogue 

“In this way, Shariputra, should a Bodhisattva and Mahasattva train in the profound Perfection of Wisdom.” Then the Lord rose from his concentration and commended the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, saying “Well done, well done, O son of good family! So it is, O son of good family, so it is. Just as you have taught, should the profound Perfection of Wisdom be practiced and all the Tathagatas will rejoice.” 

When the Lord had uttered this, the elder Shariputra, the noble Lord Avalokiteshvara, the Bodhisattva and Mahasattva, and all the beings present, including the devas, humans, nāgas, asuras and gandharvas were delighted and applauded the Lord’s speech.

Upon Avalokiteśvara’s concluding elucidation to Shariputra, The Lord Buddha rises from his Deep Samadhis and highly commends his efforts. He speaks not only for himself but for all Tathagatas—united as they are in One Spirit of Undivided Bodhi. In point of Realization, all of the assembly present during the hearing of this Sutra have been invited to preview the Bodhi-Mind through the Lord’s Samadhis That has unfolded the Sambhogakayic-backdrop for this Noble Play of Undivided Self-Realization; one that has effectively sealed Mind’s Liberation—even above and beyond the four Noble Truths, thus bringing them to fulfillment. Having ascended above the confines of all defiled aggregated existence, the Nirvanic-Mind now awakens in the fullness of IT’s own Luminous Actuosity—a Triumphant recognition of complete Nirvana in the Dharmakaya Itself.

The salient point concerning both the Prologue and Epilogue of the Heart Sutra, is that the Lord Buddha’s Presence is an assurance that what has transpired has the “full-authority” of the Tathagatas to back it up. In this vein the Sutra reflects the very Noble Truth emanating from the very Heart of the Tathagatas—and that is the heart of the message: whoever hears and discerns this teaching has, through their own noble-cultivated effort and time well-spent in Deep Samadhis, earned the Transcendent Ticket empowering them to ride on Tathatic-wings towards the further shore on the sacred-journey towards Tathagatahood.