Sūtra (सूत्र) (Sanskrit) or Sutta (Pāli) literally means a rope or thread that holds things together, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. It is derived from the verbal root siv-, meaning to sew (these words, including English to sew and Latinate suture, all derive from PIE *syū-). In Hinduism the 'sutras' form a school of Vedic study, related to and somewhat later than the Upanishads. They served and continue to act as grand treatises on various schools of Hindu Philosophy. They elaborate in succinct verse, sometimes esoteric, Hindu views of metaphysics, cosmogony, the human condition, moksha (liberation), and how to maintain a blissful, dharmic life, in a cosmic spin of karma, reincarnation and desire.

In Buddhism, the term "sutra" refers generally to canonical scriptures that are regarded as records of the oral teachings of Gautama Buddha. In Chinese, these are known as ching. These teachings are assembled in the second part of the Tripitaka which is called Sutra Pitaka. There are also some Buddhist texts, such as the Platform Sutra, that are called sutras despite being attributed to much later authors.

The Pali form of the word, sutta is used exclusively to refer to Buddhist scriptures, particularly those of the Pali Canon.

List

---

Below is a list of sutra]]s, organized alphabetically under the broad categories of Hinduism and Buddhism.

Sutras primarily associated with Hinduism

Vedanga

• Shiksha (phonetics)
• Chandas (metrics)
• Vyakarana (grammar)
  • Ashtadhyayi (Panini), discussing grammar
• Nirukta (etymology)
• Jyotisha (astronomy)
• Kalpa (ritual)
  • Srauta Sutras, performance of sacrifices
  • Smarta Sutras
    • Grhya Sutras, covering domestic life
    • Samayacarika or Dharma Sutras
      • Sulba Sutras, architecture of sacrificial area

Vedanta

• Brahma Sutras (or Vedanta Sutra) (Badarayana)

Hindu philosophy

• Yoga Sutras; (Patanjali)
• Nyaya Sutras, on logic
• Vaisesika Sutra

Sutras primarily associated with Buddhism

Pali sutras

• Digha Nikaya: 34 sutras, including
  • Brahmajala Sutta, a critique of 64 'wrong views' current at the time of the Buddha
  • Mahaparinibbana Sutta, the last days of the Buddha, Theravada version

• Majjhima Nikaya: 152 sutras, including
  • Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta, on questions that lead to a thicket of views and on the extinguished fire as a metaphor for nirvana
  • Anapanasati Sutta, a discourse on the method of being mindful of the breath
  • Satipatthana Sutta

• Samyutta Nikaya: 2,889 sutras, including
  • Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta, the Buddha's first discourse on the nature of his enlightenment
  • Upanisa Sutta, on the two types of conditionality

• Anguttara Nikaya: 2,308 sutras, including
  • Kalama Sutta, the Buddha's advice to the Kalamas on how to decide which practices are correct
  • Metta Sutta, a rhapsody on the quality of universal loving-kindness

• Khuddaka Nikaya: 266 sutras and miscellaneous texts, including
  • Dhammapada, a collection of sayings and aphorisms thought to be amongst the oldest texts

Mahayana sutras

• Amitabha Sutra, or Smaller Pure Land Sutra
• Avatamsaka Sutra or Flower Garland Sutra (Chinese: Huayan Jing)
• Contemplation Sutra, important in Pure Land Buddhism
• Diamond Sutra
• Heart Sutra, important in Zen Buddhism
• Infinite Life Sutra, or Large Pure Land Sutra
• Lankavatara Sutra
• Lotus Sutra, foundational text of Tiantai and Nichiren sects
• Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the last days of the Buddha, Mahayana version
• Perfection of Wisdom or Prajñāparamita Sutras
• Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
• Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Chinese: Yuanjue Jing)
• Shurangama Sutra
• Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
• Sutra of Golden Light, important in Japanese Buddhism
• Ten Stages Sutra
• The Blessing of the Original Vow of the Master of Healing, Azure Radiance Tathagata
• Ullambana Sutra
• Vimalakirti-nirdesa Sutra

Vajrayana sutras

• Mahavairocana Sutra also known as the Mahavairocanādhisambodhi Tantra.
• Vajrasekhara Sutra

Other Sutras

• Kama Sutra, written by Vatsyayana, the sutra of kama (sensual gratification), explains sexual positions.
• Smokey the Bear Sutra, Written by American poet Gary Snyder (b. 1930) in 1969, which presents 20th century environmental concerns and convictions in the form of a Buddhist sutra. It is widely available on the internet due to the author's grant of free reproduction of the text. See Smokey the Bear Sutra.

See also

---

• Smriti
• Chinese Buddhist canon
• Tibetan Buddhist canon

External links

---

• Chinese repository of Buddhist Sutras translated into English. Also has other texts.
• Sacred-texts.com
• Digital Dictionary of Buddhism (log in with userID "guest")
• A Modern Sutra
• Digital Sanskrit Buddhist Canon

References

---

• Monier-Williams, Monier. (1899) A Sanskrit-English Dictionary. Delhi:Motilal Banarsidass. p. 1241

Buddhist terms | Pali terms | Buddhist texts | Hindu texts

Sutra | Sutro | Sûtra | Sutra | Sutra | 経典 | Sutra | Sutra | Сутра | सूत्र | Sutra | Sutra | Kinh (Phật giáo) | 经藏