The suttas were intended to be heard; long suttas were, and often still are, performative, listened to over sometimes several hours, embedded in rituals designed to highlight their efficacy. This article shows that the recital of key repeat passages within the long suttas is linked to specific and often distinctive literary and meditative effects, particularly adapted for oral performance. It suggests that such passages should not be marginalized but rather seen as central indicators of meaning.

An analysis of the function of the repetitions in the Brahmajāla Sutta (DN 1) and the Mahāsamaya Sutta (DN 20) and the role of community, ritual, and meditation in the reading of Buddhist canonical texts.