Panchen Lama
/ˌpæn.tʃən ˈlɑː.mə/noun
A title for the second-highest-ranking lama in the Gelug school of Tibetan Buddhism, traditionally associated with Tashilhunpo Monastery.
Did you know?The Panchen Lama is traditionally regarded as an emanation of Amitabha Buddha and plays a major role in recognizing the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient India
Sanskrit
paṇḍita
“A learned person, scholar, or religious teacher”
Early Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan
paṇ chen
“Great scholar; a Tibetan rendering of the honorific Sanskrit idea of a great learned master”
Tibetan Buddhist usage
Tibetan
bla ma
“Superior one or revered spiritual teacher; the source of the English word “lama””
17th Century
Tibetan
Panchen Lama
“Title bestowed on Lobsang Chökyi Gyaltsen, the fourth Panchen Lama, by the Fifth Dalai Lama”
17th–18th Centuries
Tibetan
Panchen Lama
“Established title associated with the principal lama of Tashilhunpo Monastery and a major Gelugpa religious lineage”
Modern English
English
Panchen Lama
“The title of a senior Tibetan Buddhist lama traditionally involved in identifying the Dalai Lama’s reincarnation”