般若心経物語 The Story of the Heart Sutra③

３．さて、この「空（くう）」のことを詳しく学んでいきましょう。

「空（くう）！！（そら！ではありません！）」。

　「般若心経」の中に　最も有名な（私が思うに）文言があります。

それは　色即是空　空即是色　

(shiki soku ze ku ku soku ze shiki) ですね！

　　色　これはcolorではなく　形あるもの　身体・物体　のことを表します。

　　即　すなわち

　　是　これ・正しい

　　空　空間　　

Now, let's learn more about this "「空」：emptiness".　 "Emptiness!! (Not sky=sora!)"

The Heart Sutra contains what I think is the most famous phrase. It is "form is emptiness, emptiness is form" (shiki soku ze ku ku soku ze shiki)!

「色」shiki: This does not mean color, but something with form, such as a body or object.

「即」soku：Immediately

「是」ze: this・correct

「空」ku: space

さぁ！　最も難しいところに来ましたね

「空（くう）」とは何だろう？　　

訓読みで「そら」です。空（そら）は一体どこからが「そら」なのでしょう？どこまでが「そら」でしょう？

そうです！　有るようで無い・無いようで有る。

地球は宇宙空間から見ると暗黒の中に浮かんでいます。

でもぼくらが宇宙を見上げると真っ青な美しい青空です。それは空気が存在するお陰さまだからです。空気つまりは大気のお陰さまなのです。この大宇宙の中でさえも見せて下さっています。（お陰様＝ okagesama= with the help of Something Great, with God’s help, thanks to someone’s help or so）

有るようで無い・無いようで有る。

Okay! Now we come to the most difficult part.

What is "kuu 「空」?

The kun-reading is "sora= sky". Where does the "sora= sky" part of "sora=sky" begin? Where does the "sora" end? That's right! It seems to exist but doesn't, it seems not to exist but does.

When viewed from outer space, the Earth appears to be floating in darkness.

But when we look up into space, we see a beautiful, deep blue sky. This is thanks to (Okagesama) the existence of air. It is thanks to the air, that is, the atmosphere. It is even shown to us within this vast universe. (Okagesama= with the help of Something Great, with God's help, thanks to someone's help or so)

It seems to exist but doesn't, it seems not to exist but does.

ぼくらの心臓はいつも動いていてくれます。でも普段の生活で心臓の存在など考えて生活をしていますか？　肺臓のこと、呼吸のこと考えて一瞬一瞬呼吸をして生きていますか？

有るようで無い・無いようで有る。

時間のこと。ゲームに遊びに熱中している時、大好きな彼女と明日の夢を語り合っている時、時間など一瞬ですね。でも、その間は僅かな一瞬と思えても実は2時間も経ていたんです。

有るようで無い・無いようで有る。

Our hearts are always beating. But do you think about the existence of your heart in your everyday life? Are you thinking about your lungs and your breathing, and living your life by breathing every moment?

It seems to exist but it doesn't, it seems not to exist but it does.

About time. When you're engrossed in playing a game, or talking about your dreams for tomorrow with your beloved girlfriend, time only goes by in the blink of an eye. But even though that time may seem like just a moment, in reality two hours have passed.

It seems to exist but it doesn't, it seems not to exist but it does.

物理で言えば、水は液体から氷という固体にも成るし、水蒸気という気体にまで変化しますね。元々の物がどうにでも変化していきます。有るようで無い・無いようで有る。

季節の移り変わりもそうです。同じ樹木も初夏の緑の葉色が秋には紅葉に成る。

道端やベランダの花も同じです。秋冬を越えると何も無かった鉢から一気に綺麗な色の花びらを見せて私たちを楽しませてくれます。

有るようで無い・無いようで有る。

心のことも全く同じです。貴方は3年前の悲しみで今も泣いていますか？　涙は２０日程すればもう乾いたでしょ？いつまでも泣いてなんかいられやしないんですよ。忘れられない悲しみは誰だってあります。でも、そうやって今の貴方がいてくれる。

過去は永遠に今ではありません。　

In terms of physics, water can go from liquid to a solid called ice, and even a gas called water vapor. Something that was originally there can change in any way. It seems to exist but doesn't, it seems to not exist but it does.

It's the same with the changing of the seasons. The same tree's leaves can go from green in early summer to red in autumn.

It's the same with flowers on the roadside or on the veranda. Once autumn and winter are over, they suddenly reveal beautifully colored petals in their bare pots, delighting us.

It seems to exist but doesn't, it seems to not exist.

It's exactly the same with the heart. Are you still crying over the sadness of three years ago? Your tears will have dried in about 20 days, right? You can't keep crying forever. Everyone has sadness that they can't forget. But that's how you are here now.

The past is not forever the present.