Lamaism
/ləˈmeɪ.ɪzəm/noun
A dated term for Tibetan Buddhism, especially as organized around the authority of lamas.
Did you know?Many Tibetan Buddhists have regarded “Lamaism” as misleading because Tibetan Buddhism is not simply a religion of lamas; the term emphasizes clerical figures over its wider philosophical and ritual tradition.
Etymological Timeline
Early Tibetan
Tibetan
bla-ma
“A spiritual teacher or religious master; literally interpreted as “highest” or “superior one.””
17th–18th Century
Tibetan
bla-ma
“Title for an accomplished Buddhist teacher, especially within Tibetan religious institutions.”
18th Century
European usage
lama
“A Tibetan Buddhist teacher, adopted into European languages through travel and missionary writing.”
19th Century
English
Lamaism
“A Western label for Tibetan Buddhism, formed from Lama with the suffix -ism.”
Modern English
English
Lamaism
“A dated or sometimes pejorative term for Tibetan Buddhism; “Tibetan Buddhism” is generally preferred.”