Reading Sutras

Due to a recent translation project for a Tibetan Buddhism collection, I have been reading Pure Land sutras recently. I admire and enjoy the beauty and repetition of the sutras, and sometimes the imagery takes me to different places.
    To be honest, however, I have at times felt uncomfortable reading sutras without commentaries. I think part of what makes reading sutras difficult for me is that the descriptions evoke such a sense of vastness that is beyond my comprehension. The way that I have been taught to manage it is to treat sutra reading as a contemplative practice and to literally meditate on the words.
  What does it mean to "meditate" on the words? Well, I think it means to enjoy them and read them in a mindful way. Quite often, when I am reading a book, I get caught up in my thoughts about a certain sentence. My fascination is drawn not so much to the book itself as to my thoughts or connections based on the book. At times, I focus more on my sense of meaning than on the words as they come to mind. I think reading sutras requires a more still mind, not one that is racing or jumping from one idea to the next.
  An attitude of faith is also helpful--if, by faith, one means a strong conviction in the words. Some people might reflect that the words are in themselves powerful, so they trust their ability to benefit even from merely reciting the words. If one thinks this way, their attitude toward the sutra is more grateful and reverent. The sutra is not meant to be teased out like a puzzle; it has its own power and demeanor that are gleaned from the words themselves.
   Reading the sutra aloud, I found, is also helpful. I think it's good to hear oneself saying the words, as a kind of feedback loop. And it convinces me that I am part of the sutra--the words are coming from my mind, and therefore it's not so alien to me. In this way, I connect the images of the sutra to the nature of my mind which is also containing the images. Again, the attitude is not to feel like an outsider because the sutra seems so "vast" but to contemplate that this vastness is always with me, and is awareness itself.