1.
sutra; Buddhist scripture; sacred text
A Buddhist sacred text, originally referring to the recorded teachings of the Buddha. One of the three divisions of the Buddhist canon (三蔵). Also used more broadly for the chanting of such texts.
僧侶が経を唱えた。
The monk chanted a sutra.
般若心経は日本で最も親しまれている経の一つだ。
The Heart Sutra is one of the most familiar sutras in Japan.
祖母は毎朝仏壇の前で経を読むのを日課にしている。
My grandmother makes it a daily habit to read sutras in front of the Buddhist altar every morning.
The standalone reading 経 refers specifically to Buddhist scriptures. The same kanji has many other readings and meanings (経 as in 経済 'economy,' 経験 'experience').
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 経を唱える: to chant a sutra
- 経を読む: to read/recite a sutra
- 経を上げる: to chant a sutra (for the deceased)
- お経: sutra (polite form, very common)
IMPORTANT SUTRAS:
- 般若心経: Heart Sutra — the most commonly chanted
- 法華経: Lotus Sutra — central to Nichiren Buddhism
- 阿弥陀経: Amitabha Sutra — central to Pure Land Buddhism
SIMILAR WORDS:
- お経: sutra (polite) — the most common everyday form; used in speech about funerals and daily devotion
- 経典: scripture; canonical text — the formal/academic term for sacred texts
- 仏典: Buddhist texts — broader category including commentaries and treatises