Sūtra Recitation in the Avadāna Literature

Abstract

The actual circumstances of sutra recitation in Sectarian Buddhism have not yet been elucidated. In this paper, I examine sūtra recitation in the Divyāvadāna, focusing on svādhyāya- and √paṭh-. As a conclusion, sūtra recitation in the Divyāvadāna means the fundamental practice of studying Buddha’s teaching, and confession of belief in Buddhism. Besides, in the Dharmarucyavadāna (chapter 18), there is a scene depicting the gratification of Śākyamuni Buddha as a karmic result (vipāka) of recitation of the words of Kāśyapa Buddha. In the Mākandhikāvadāna (chapter 36), the waiting maids of Queen Śyāmāvatī, viz., Buddhist laywomen, recite and write down the words of Buddha on a daily basis.