（va^cyama^na， sva^dhya^ya）. The oral reading of the scriptures. 'Reading and chanting.' The first ideograph refers to chanting while looking at the text， and the second ideograph refers to chanting from memory. Chanting the scriptures in a deep voice with a group of monks in order to gain the essential qualities of thought， reflection and inquiry. This term is contrasted to silent sutra reading 观经.