gate gate

gate gate pāragate pārasamgate bodhi svāhā

~ the mantra of the Heart Sutra

The 14th Dalai Lama translates it as:

go, go, go beyond, go thoroughly beyond, and establish yourself in enlightenment

Edward Conze, a Buddhist scholar and practitioner translates it as:

gone, gone, gone beyond, gone altogether beyond, O what an awakening, all hail!

And, just to round things out, more translations (without sources):

going, going, going on beyond, always going on beyond, always becoming Buddha.

gone, gone, gone beyond altogether beyond, Awakening, fulfilled!

gone, gone, gone to the Other Shore, attained the Other Shore having never left.

gone, gone, totally gone, totally completely gone, enlightened, so be it.

gone, gone, gone beyond, gone utterly beyond, oh what an awakening

 from www.sanghalou.org:

Gate means gone. Gone from suffering to the liberation of suffering. Gone from forgetfulness to mindfulness. Gone from duality into non-duality.

Gate gate means gone, gone.

Paragate means gone all the way to the other shore. So this mantra is said in a very strong way. Gone, gone, gone all the way over.

In Parasamgate sam means everyone, the sangha, the entire community of beings. Everyone gone over to the other shore.

Bodhi is the light inside, enlightenment, or awakening. You see it and the vision of reality liberates you.

And svaha is a cry of joy or excitement, like "Welcome!" or "Hallelujah!" "Gone, gone, gone all the way over, everyone gone to the other shore, enlightenment, svaha !"

Regardless of the exact translation, this mantra of the Heart Sutra, is profoundly beautiful & powerful!