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Glite Dictionary
Panchen Lama

Panchen Lama

1 9.9
A high Tibetan Buddhist leader ranked after the Dalai Lama
  • noun
  • /ˈpɑːnʧən ˈlɑːmə/
translation icon : Panchen Lama
  • During the ceremony, the Panchen Lama offered blessings to the gathered monks and devotees.
  • Panchen Lama reincarnation

Examples

  • In fact, one of the most successful Tibetan-run business ventures is the late 10th Panchen Lama's Trust, which operates a variety of businesses.

    Academic text (1997)

  • According to a Tibetan businessman in Nepal with informed sources, members of the Trust engaged in business were among the approximately 60 arrestees over the ongoing 11th Panchen Lama reincarnation dispute.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The author met several wool businessmen in August 1996 in Kathmandu, Nepal, and was later informed that at least one of them had political problems in Tibet concerning the Panchen Lama's reincarnation.

    Academic text (1997)

  • The Panchen Lama is considered the second highest spiritual leader in Tibetan Buddhism, ranking just after the Dalai Lama.

  • In Tibetan Buddhism, the Panchen Lama plays a crucial role in the appointment of the next Dalai Lama.

Surface Forms

Panchen Lama singular

Morphology

Panchen + lama

The element 'Panchen' is a language‑specific title/proper name that a B1 learner would not be able to analyse from English vocabulary alone, and the only transparent constituent 'lama' merely indicates a spiritual teacher. The specific information that this title denotes the second‑highest leader after the Dalai Lama is cultural and encyclopedic rather than compositional, so the meaning cannot be derived from the parts.

Etymology

Panchen Lama comes from two words, Panchen and Lama, where Panchen means 'great scholar' and Lama means 'teacher'. The name was given to a very wise and important monk, so today Panchen Lama is the second-highest religious leader in Tibetan Buddhism.