The radical message of the Heart Sutra, one of the most famous texts in Buddhism, is an attack on everything we hold dear: our difficulties, the world as we know it, and even the teachings of the Buddha himself. Overcoming our fear, the Buddha teaches, is not achieved by closing ourselves off or building walls around us, but only by opening ourselves up to understand the illusory nature of everything we fear, including ourselves. In his commentary, Karl Brunnhölzl guides us through this challenging sutra to the wisdom and compassion that lie at its core. We are fortunate to have a teacher of Karl's insight among the growing number of inspiring Western Buddhist teachers.