Goma
/ˈɡoʊ.mə/noun
A Japanese Buddhist fire ritual in which offerings and prayer sticks are burned before a sacred flame.
Did you know?Goma descends from Sanskrit homa, a Vedic fire offering in which flames served as a medium between humans and the gods.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*ǵʰew-
“To pour or make a ritual offering by pouring”
Vedic Period
Sanskrit
homa
“A sacrificial offering made into a sacred fire”
Ancient India
Sanskrit
havaná
“The act or rite of making a fire offering”
Medieval China
Chinese
護摩 (hùmó)
“A Buddhist fire ritual, borrowed from Sanskrit homa”
Medieval Japan
Japanese
護摩 (goma)
“A Buddhist esoteric fire ceremony”
Modern English
English
goma
“A Japanese Buddhist fire ritual involving offerings burned before a sacred flame”