sutra

Originally, sutra referred to the Buddha’s remembered sayings and sermons, transmitted orally by his followers. Over time, the term came to designate a major genre of Buddhist scripture. Sutras present teachings through discourses, dialogues, and narrative settings. They form a central part of Buddhist canons in every tradition. The sutrapitaka (Skt.; Pali: suttapitaka), or “basket of discourses,” collects these texts. It stands as one of the three divisions of the Buddhist canon.