noun
sutra; Buddhist scripture
Refers specifically to Buddhist sacred texts, often used in compound words like 般若心経 (Heart Sutra).
毎朝、般若心経を読誦する。
Every morning, I chant the Heart Sutra.
Polite form commonly used in everyday speech when referring to sutras or chanting.
From Middle Chinese 經 (keng, 'classic, scripture'), used in Japanese to refer specifically to Buddhist sutras.