Thunderous Silence throws light on the Heart Sutra–a pithy encapsulation of the essence of Perfection of Wisdom literature–using stop-by-step analysis and an easy, conversational voice. Dosung Yoo examines the sutra phrase by phrase, using rich explanations and metaphors drawn from Korean folklore, quantum physics, Charles Dickens, and everything in between to clarify subtle concepts for the reader. This book invites us to examine the fundamentals of Buddhism–the Four Noble Truths, emptiness, enlightenment–through the prism of the Heart Sutra. Both those new to Buddhism and longtime practitioners looking to revisit a core text from a fresh perspective will find this work appealing.

Introduction

Introduction: The Explanation of the Title

The Heart Sutra

1. What Is the Heart Sutra?

2. Entering the Path of a Bodhisattva

3. Emptiness of Self

4. Anybody Home?

5. The Gateless Gate of Nond-Duality

6. Emptiness of Phenomena

7. Neither Appearing, Nor Disappearing

8. When the Shoes Fit, One Forgets About Them

9. The Twelve Links of Dependent Origination

10. Emptiness of the Twelve Links

11. The Four Noble Truths

• The First Noble Truth: Suffering
• The Second Noble Truth: The Cause of Suffering
• The Third Noble Truth: The Cessation of Suffering
• The Fourth Noble Truth: The Path

12. Emptiness of the Four Noble Truths

13. Sudden Enlightenment and Gradual Cultivation

14. The Ultimate Song of Freedom

15. You Are What You Seek

Bibliography
Index
About the Author