In this lecture, “sutra” is employed as a generic term for the three types of writing in the Buddhist canon:(1) sutra 經(jīng), the revered teaching of the Buddha Gautama Śākyamuni;(2) vinaya 律(lǜ), the Buddhist rules for monastic discipline and, more generally, the rules of Buddhist morality and canon law; and(3) śāstra 論(lùn), the expositions of sutra teaching.