色即是空，空即是色

Chinese

		colour; dice; look colour; dice; look; appearance	namely; right away; to approach namely; right away; to approach; to draw near	be; yes; this	emptied; leisure; air emptied; leisure; air; sky; empty; in vain		emptied; leisure; air emptied; leisure; air; sky; empty; in vain	namely; right away; to approach namely; right away; to approach; to draw near	be; yes; this	colour; dice; look colour; dice; look; appearance
trad. (色即是空，空即是色)		色	即	是	空	，	空	即	是	色
simp. #(色即是空，空即是色)		色	即	是	空	，	空	即	是	色
alternative forms		色則是空，空則是色／色则是空，空则是色 色即是空 空即是色

Etymology

「舍利子，色不異空，空不異色。色即是空，空即是色。受想行識，亦復如是。」 [Classical Chinese, trad.]

---

「舍利子，色不异空，空不异色。色即是空，空即是色。受想行识，亦复如是。」 [Classical Chinese, simp.]

From: 7th century, Shorter Prajñāpāramitā-hṛdaya Sutra (translation by Xuanzang)

“Shèlìzǐ, sè bù yì kōng, kōng bù yì sè. Sè jí shì kōng, kōng jí shì sè. Shòu xiǎng xíng shí, yì fù rúshì.” [Pinyin]

“Shariputra, form (rupa) is indistinguishable from emptiness (sunyata), emptiness indistingushable from form. Form is indeed emptiness, emptiness indeed form. Likewise are sensation (vedana), perception (samjna), formation (samskara), and consciousness (vijnana).”

Pronunciation

• Mandarin

  (Pinyin): sè jí shì kōng, kōng jí shì sè

  (Zhuyin): ㄙㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕˋ ㄎㄨㄥ , ㄎㄨㄥ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕˋ ㄙㄜˋ

• Cantonese (Jyutping): sik¹ zik¹ si⁶ hung¹, hung¹ zik¹ si⁶ sik¹

---

• Mandarin
  • (Standard Chinese)⁺
    • Hanyu Pinyin: sè jí shì kōng, kōng jí shì sè
    • Zhuyin: ㄙㄜˋ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕˋ ㄎㄨㄥ , ㄎㄨㄥ ㄐㄧˊ ㄕˋ ㄙㄜˋ
    • Tongyong Pinyin: sè jí shìh kong, kong jí shìh sè
    • Wade–Giles: sê⁴ chi² shih⁴ kʻung¹, kʻung¹ chi² shih⁴ sê⁴
    • Yale: sè jí shr̀ kūng-, kūng jí shr̀ sè
    • Gwoyeu Romatzyh: seh jyi shyh kong, kong jyi shyh seh
    • Palladius: сэ цзи ши кун, кун цзи ши сэ (sɛ czi ši kun, kun czi ši sɛ)
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɤ⁵¹ t͡ɕi³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ kʰʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡ɕi³⁵ ʂʐ̩⁵¹⁻⁵³ sɤ⁵¹/
• Cantonese
  • (Standard Cantonese, Guangzhou–Hong Kong)⁺
    • Jyutping: sik¹ zik¹ si⁶ hung¹, hung¹ zik¹ si⁶ sik¹
    • Yale: sīk jīk sih hūng, hūng jīk sih sīk
    • Cantonese Pinyin: sik⁷ dzik⁷ si⁶ hung¹, hung¹ dzik⁷ si⁶ sik⁷
    • Guangdong Romanization: xig¹ jig¹ xi⁶ hung¹, hung¹ jig¹ xi⁶ xig¹
    • Sinological IPA ^(key): /sɪk̚⁵ t͡sɪk̚⁵ siː²² hʊŋ⁵⁵ hʊŋ⁵⁵ t͡sɪk̚⁵ siː²² sɪk̚⁵/

---

• Middle Chinese: srik tsik dzyeX khuwng khuwng tsik dzyeX srik

Rime
Character	色	即	是	空
Reading #	1/1	1/1	1/1	1/2
Initial (聲)	生 (21)	精 (13)	常 (25)	溪 (29)
Final (韻)	職 (134)	職 (134)	支 (11)	東 (1)
Tone (調)	Checked (Ø)	Checked (Ø)	Rising (X)	Level (Ø)
Openness (開合)	Open	Open	Open	Open
Division (等)	III	III	III	I
Fanqie	所力切	子力切	承紙切	苦紅切
Baxter	srik	tsik	dzyeX	khuwng
Reconstructions
Zhengzhang Shangfang	/ʃɨk̚/	/t͡sɨk̚/	/d͡ʑiᴇX/	/kʰuŋ/
Pan Wuyun	/ʃɨk̚/	/t͡sɨk̚/	/d͡ʑiɛX/	/kʰuŋ/
Shao Rongfen	/ʃiek̚/	/t͡siek̚/	/d͡ʑjɛX/	/kʰuŋ/
Edwin Pulleyblank	/ʂik̚/	/t͡sik̚/	/d͡ʑiə̆X/	/kʰəwŋ/
Li Rong	/ʃiək̚/	/t͡siək̚/	/ʑieX/	/kʰuŋ/
Wang Li	/ʃĭək̚/	/t͡sĭək̚/	/ʑǐeX/	/kʰuŋ/
Bernard Karlgren	/ʂi̯ək̚/	/t͡si̯ək̚/	/ʑie̯X/	/kʰuŋ/
Expected Mandarin Reflex	she	ji	shì	kōng
Expected Cantonese Reflex	sik1	zik1	si6	hung1

Phrase

色即是空，空即是色

1. (Buddhism) Form is precisely emptiness and emptiness is precisely form.
2. (reinterpretation of the phrase, humorous) Lust is void, and void is lust; lust is nothing worthy of your pursuit (often as an admonishment).

Descendants

Sino-Xenic (色即是空，空即是色):

• → Japanese: 色(しき)即(そく)是(ぜ)空(くう)、空(くう)即(そく)是(ぜ)色(しき) (shiki soku ze kū, kū soku ze shiki)
• → Korean: 색즉시공 공즉시색(色卽是空 空卽是色)
• → Vietnamese: sắc tức thị không, không tức thị sắc (色即是空，空即是色)

Others:

• Malay: isi adalah kosong, kosong adalah isi
• Vietnamese: sắc tức là không, không tức là sắc