Translation guide
A sutra is a Buddhist scripture. In Japanese, the most common word is お経 (おきょう), but there are several related terms depending on context.
Refer to a Buddhist scripture in everyday conversation or when talking about chanting.
The most common and natural word for sutra in Japanese. The honorific prefix お is almost always used.
毎朝、お経を唱えます。
I chant sutras every morning.
A more formal or technical term for Buddhist scriptures, often used in academic or religious contexts.
This sutra was written in the 8th century.
A shorter form, often used in compound words or titles of specific sutras. Not used alone in modern speech.
The Heart Sutra is a famous sutra.
Refer to a particular well-known sutra by its Japanese name.
Describe the act of chanting or reciting a sutra.
Refer to the practice of copying sutras as a meditative or devotional act.
The act of copying a sutra by hand, often done as a spiritual practice.
I did sutra copying over the weekend.
お経 is the everyday word for sutras, used when talking about chanting or funerals. 経典 is more formal and often refers to the physical scripture or its content in an academic sense.
法華経は日蓮宗で重視されます。
The Lotus Sutra is emphasized in Nichiren Buddhism.