Sutta

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A discourse or teaching attributed to the Buddha, often forming part of the Buddhist scripture
2. A formal text containing teachings, ethical guidelines, or philosophical concepts in Buddhism
3. A structured oral or written presentation of doctrines that conveys insights from Buddhist traditions

Etymology: The Pali word "sutta" comes from Sanskrit "sūtra," which originally meant "thread" or "yarn," and by extension a short rule or aphorism. The connection makes sense once you see how such teachings were handled: a sutra was a compact line of wisdom, strung together like beads on a thread, meant to be memorised and recited rather than written out at length. In the Buddhist tradition, the Pali form "sutta" came to name a discourse attributed to the Buddha, and collections of these discourses form a major part of the Pali canon. English has borrowed the word in its Pali form, while the Sanskrit "sūtra" entered English as a doublet, so the two forms are the same word arriving by different routes.

Synonyms: sutra, scripture, discourse, teaching