1.
sutra text; the text or passages of a Buddhist sutra
The written text of a Buddhist sutra, or the passages chanted from it during a ritual. Refers specifically to the verbal/written content of the scripture, as distinct from the physical scroll or volume that contains it.
経文を唱える。
To chant a sutra passage.
住職が低い声で経文を読んだ。
The chief priest read the sutra text in a low voice.
祖父の葬儀では長い経文が静かに響いていた。
At my grandfather's funeral, a long passage from the sutras resonated quietly.
Compound of 経 ('sutra; Buddhist scripture') and 文 ('text; writing'). Refers specifically to the textual content of Buddhist scripture — the words that are read, chanted, or studied — rather than the physical object of the scroll or book.
USAGE:
- Most commonly heard in connection with 葬儀 (funerals), 法事 (Buddhist memorial services), and temple rituals, where a priest chants 経文 in front of an altar.
- The physical scroll or volume is more often called お}{経 or 経典; 経文 emphasizes the words themselves.
- Appears in literary contexts referring to quotations or specific lines from a sutra.
- The reading {きょうもん} is standard; an alternative reading {けいもん} exists but is rare.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 経文を唱える: to chant a sutra passage
- 経文を読む: to read a sutra passage
- 経文を上げる: to recite sutras (especially at a funeral or memorial)
- 経文が響く: (the) sutra text resonates
- 経文の一節: a passage from the sutras
CULTURAL NOTES:
- At Japanese Buddhist funerals and memorial services, a priest reads or chants 経文 on behalf of the deceased. The specific sutras differ by sect (e.g., Jōdo Shinshū, Sōtō Zen, Nichiren).
- Everyday exposure to 経文 for many Japanese comes through family Buddhist altars (仏壇) and annual memorial visits.
SIMILAR WORDS:
- お}{経: sutra — everyday term, refers both to the text and to the act of reading sutras at ceremonies.
- 経典: Buddhist scripture; canon — the broader term for authoritative Buddhist texts.
- 念仏: Buddhist prayer; nenbutsu — specifically the repeated invocation of Amida Buddha, not the same as chanting sutra text.
- 真言: mantra — short ritual phrases, distinct from the longer 経文.