Sutta, 11 Definition(s)

Sutta means a discourse of the Buddha. The Sutras (Sanskrit; Pali Sutta) are mostly discourses attributed to the Buddha or one of his close disciples. They are all, even those not actually spoken by him, considered to be Buddhavacana, the word of the Buddha, just as in the case of all canonical literature.

Sutta (Skt. sutra): Lit.: "thread"; A discourse or sermon by the Buddha or his contemporary disciples. After the Buddhas death the suttas were passed down in the Pali language according to a well established oral tradition, and were finally committed to written form in Sri Lanka around 100 BCE. More than 10,000 suttas are collected in the Sutta Pitaka, one of the principal bodies of scriptural literature in Theravada Buddhism. The Pali Suttas are widely regarded as the earliest record of the Buddhas teachings.

Literally, "thread"; a discourse or sermon by the Buddha or his contemporary disciples. After the Buddhas death the suttas were passed down in the Pali language according to a well established oral tradition, and were finally committed to written form in Sri Lanka around 100 BCE. Over 10,000 suttas are collected in the Sutta Pitaka, one of the principal bodies of scriptural literature in Theravada Buddhism. The Pali Suttas are widely regarded as the earliest record of the Buddhas teachings.

One of the nine divisions of the Tipitaka, according to matter (anga). DA.i.23; Gv.57, etc.

N (Thread, Word that explains the meaning). Word of the Buddha reported by the Venerable Ananda and presented in the form of discourses dealing with the various aspects of this teaching.

The suttas often come into a metaphoric shape and answer all questions regarding life and the way to live it.

The Pali term Sutta means: that which is heard.

scripture; recorded teaching of the Buddha.

Sutta is equivalent to the Sanskrit word Sûtra, literally a thread, which signifies among the Brahmans a brief rule or aphorism but in Pali a relatively short poem or narrative dealing with a single object. The Sutta Pitaka is divided into five collections called Nikâyas. The first four are mainly in prose and contain discourses attributed to Gotama or his disciples. The fifth is mostly in verse and more miscellaneous.