Buddhism Buddhism, also known as Buddhadharma and Dharmavinaya, is an Indian religion and List of philosophies, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha, a wandering teacher who lived in the 6th or ...

, the abbot () is the head of a Buddhist

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

or large

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

. In Buddhist nunneries, the nun who holds the equivalent position is known as the abbess (). In English-speaking countries, the English word "abbot" is used instead of all the various words that exist in the languages of the countries where Buddhism is, or was historically, well established.

Role

An abbot is a

monk A monk (; from , ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a man who is a member of a religious order and lives in a monastery. A monk usually lives his life in prayer and contemplation. The concept is ancient and can be seen in many reli ...

who holds the position of administrator of a monastery or large temple. The administrative duties of an abbot or abbess include overseeing the day-to-day running of the monastery. The abbot or abbess also holds spiritual responsibility for the monastics under their care, and is required to interact with the abbots or abbesses of other monasteries.

Languages other than English

Asian countries where Buddhism is still widely practiced have words in their own languages for the abbot of a Buddhist monastery or large temple:

Chinese

In Chinese

Chan Buddhist Chan (; of ), from Sanskrit ''dhyāna in Buddhism, dhyāna'' (meaning "meditation" or "meditative state"), is a Chinese school of Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism. It developed in China from the 6th century CE onwards, becoming especially popula ...

monasteries, a common word for abbot is ''Fāngzhàng'' (方丈) meaning "one square

zhàng The zhang ( zh, c= ) is a customary Chinese unit of length equal to 10 chi (Chinese feet). Its value varied over time and place with different values of the chi, although it was occasionally standardized. In 1915, the Republic of China set it equ ...

(equal to ten square feet)", a reference to the size of

Vimalakirti Vimalakīrti ( ' "stainless, undefiled" + ' "fame, glory, reputation") is a bodhisattva and the central figure in the ', Another word for abbot is ''Zhùchí'' (住持), meaning "dweller" and "upholder." Monks and nuns tend to be addressed as ''Fǎshī'' (法師) meaning "Dharma teacher."

Japanese

In Japanese Buddhism, the most commonly used words for the abbot of a large temple or monastery are ''jūji'' (住持), ''jūjishoku'' (住持職), or simply ''jūshoku'' (住職). Occasionally the word ''jishu'' (寺主) is used as well, derived from the Sanskrit word ''vihārasvāmin'' which referred to the supervisor of a

vihāra Vihāra generally refers to a Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery for Buddhist renunciates, mostly in the Indian subcontinent. The concept is ancient and in early Pali texts, it meant any arrangement of space or facilities for dwellings.

that contained a

stupa In Buddhism, a stupa (, ) is a domed hemispherical structure containing several types of sacred relics, including images, statues, metals, and '' śarīra''—the remains of Buddhist monks or nuns. It is used as a place of pilgrimage and m ...

. A temple without a priest is denoted by the term ''mujū'' (無住).

Sectarian differences

The following table contains a non-exhaustive list of titles used among the many schools within Japanese Buddhism. As shown above, the term 和尚 (''

Oshō is a Buddhist priest (in charge of a temple);''Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary'', Tokyo 1991, honorific title of preceptor or high priest (especially in Zen or Pure Land Buddhism). The same kanji are also pronounced ''kashō'' as ...

'', etc.) can be pronounced several ways, depending on the tradition in question. Its origins are in the Sanskrit word ''upādhyāya'' originally referring to someone who conferred the precepts onto another. ''Hōin'' (法印) was originally a title bestowed upon a monk by the emperor. The title is still used today on a rotating basis. Specifically in Koyasan

Shingon is one of the major schools of Buddhism in Japan and one of the few surviving Vajrayana lineages in East Asian Buddhism. It is a form of Japanese Esoteric Buddhism and is sometimes called "Tōmitsu" (東密 lit. "Esoteric uddhismof Tō- ...

Buddhism, a senior priest is appointed Hōin for a one year term to serve as officiant for all major ceremonies in Mount Koya. After their term has concluded, they receive the title ''Zengan'' (前官). ''Shōnin'' (上人) is a title of respect to one who has attained a certain level of enlightenment. ''Goin'' (御院) and ''Inke'' (院家) refer to the temple proper. In the case of Pure Land Buddhism, which de-emphasizes discipline in favor of household life, the words for abbacy tend to be a reflection of the institution rather than the person in charge. In the

Kansai The or the lies in the southern-central region of Japan's main island Honshū. The region includes the prefectures of Nara, Wakayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Hyōgo and Shiga, often also Mie, sometimes Fukui, Tokushima and Tottori. The metropoli ...

region, ''Goingesan'' (ご院家さん), ''Goinsan'' (御院さん) and ''Goensan'' (ご縁さん) are commonly used among

Shin Buddhists Shin may refer to: Biology * The front part of the leg below the knee * Shinbone, the tibia, the larger of the two bones in the leg below the knee in vertebrates Names * Shin (given name) (Katakana: シン, Hiragana: しん), a Japanese giv ...

. Abbacy also tends to be inherited from family lineage within Pure Land traditions. ''Hōushu'' or ''Hossu'' (法主) is the title used by

Ekan Ikeguchi Ekan Ikeguchi (池口恵観; born November 15, 1936) is a Japanese Shingon Buddhist priest, currently the High Priest of Saifukuji in Kagoshima and Shojoshin-in on Mount Koya. He holds a doctorate in medicine from Yamaguchi University and is a ...

at Saifuku-ji in Kagoshima. It is also used among the Seven Head Temples of

Jōdo-shū Jōdo-shū (浄土宗, "The Pure Land School"), is a Japanese branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Kamakura era monk Hōnen (1133–1212). The school is traditionally considered as having been established in 1175 and i ...

and

Taiseki-ji , more commonly just , informally known as , is the administrative center of Nichiren Shoshu Buddhism. It is located in the foothills of Mount Fuji in Kamijo, Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. Taiseki-ji was founded in 1290 by Nikkō Sh ...

Nichiren Shōshū is a branch of Nichiren Buddhism based on the traditionalist teachings of the 13th century Buddhism in Japan, Japanese Buddhist Bhikkhu#Monks in Japan, priest Nichiren (1222–1282), claiming him as its founder through his senior disciple Nikk ...

. In the Tendai tradition, the term ''Zasu'' 座主 is common. The abbot is also sometimes referred to as ''Yama no zasu'' (山の座主), meaning "Abbot of the mountain." ''

Monzeki ''Monzeki'' (門跡) were Japanese Buddhist priests of aristocratic or Imperial lineage. The term was also applied to the temples A temple (from the Latin ) is a place of worship, a building used for spiritual rituals and activities such as p ...

'' (門跡) was a term reserved for priests of aristocratic or imperial lineage, and is still used today at

Daikaku-ji is a Shingon Buddhist temple in Ukyō-ku, a western ward in the city of Kyoto, Japan. The site was originally a residence of Emperor Saga (785–842 CE), and later various emperors conducted their cloistered rule from here. The ''Saga Go-r ...

and

Hongan-ji , also archaically romanized as Hongwanji, is the collective name of the largest school of Jōdo Shinshū Buddhism (which further sub-divides into the Nishi and Higashi branches). 'Hongan-ji' may also refer to any one of several actual temple bu ...

Jōdo Shinshū , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran (founder) S ...

Korean

The Korean word for abbot is ''juji'' (住持/주지).

Thai

The Thai term for the abbot of a temple (''

wat A wat (, ; , ; , ; ; , ) is a type of Buddhist and Hindu temple in Cambodia, Laos, East Shan State (Myanmar), Yunnan (China), the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Etymology The word ''wat'' is borrowed from the Sanskrit ''v ...

'') is ''chaoawat'' ().

Tibetan

The abbot of a

Tibetan Buddhist Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Darjeeling, Sikkim, and Arunachal Prades ...

monastery is known as the ''

Khenpo The term khenpo (Tib. མཁན་པོ། mkhen po), or khenmo (in the feminine) is a degree for higher Buddhist studies given in Tibetan Buddhism. In the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions, the title is awarded usually after a period of 13 ...

''. This means "the one who gives the monks vows". The abbot is both addressed as and referred to as "Khen Rinpoche". Another word used for more senior abbots is ''Khenchen'', which means "senior khenpo."

Vietnamese

The Vietnamese word for abbot is ''trụ trì'' (住持).

References

{{reflist Buddhist titles