Such sutras were therefore the recognized form of preserving and communicating opinion.
Shortly after the Buddha's time the Brahmins had their sutras in Sanskrit, already a dead language.
Because the Sutras were probably intended for learning by heart, they are extremely concise and consequently are often hard to fathom.
Of course the whole group also chants the sutras in that special low resonance found only in Tibet.
In solitary confinement for nine years, he practiced Buddhism primarily by practicing sati (mindfulness) and reciting sutras in Pali.