What Is a Lama? The Meaning, History, and Role in Tibetan Buddhism

Lama, Tibetan: བླ་མ (Wylie: bla-ma), English: lama, is an honorific title in Tibetan Buddhism meaning “superior” or “venerable teacher.” It corresponds to the Sanskrit term guru, which literally means “weighty one” or “one with spiritual gravity,” and refers to someone who embodies the qualities that a disciple aspires to realize.

In Tibetan, bla-ma is a compound of bla (high or superior) and ma (person), literally translating to “superior person.” It is a translation of the Sanskrit गुरु (guru), which can mean teacher, master, preceptor, or spiritual guide. Although similar in function to the Chinese terms for monk or acharya, lama has distinct connotations. The term can refer broadly to senior monks, including revered teachers such as Padmasambhava (referred to as guru rinpoche), with “guru” used directly as an honorific in Tibetan transliteration.

In modern Chinese usage, “lama” often refers generally to monks of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, regardless of their specific role or status.

In Tibetan Buddhism, ordinary monks are referred to as grwa-pa, literally “those who dwell in the monastic community,” and respectfully called kusho lama. Female monastics are called ani, with honorifics such as ani lama, or more reverently, Jetsun Lama or Khenmo Lama.

Historically, during the Indian Buddhist period, the equivalent term guru was applied with more stringent qualifications than the current Tibetan tradition of three-year retreat practice, which became widespread only after Buddhism’s transmission to Tibet. Lama is a respectful title generally reserved for elders, spiritual masters, or those who have completed advanced tantric training, such as the traditional three-year retreat. Tibetan laypeople often refer to Chinese Buddhist teachers as “Han lamas” (Gyalama).

Since the Yuan Dynasty, Tibetan Buddhism spread into the Chinese heartland, where the term “lama” became a general reference for Tibetan monks, leading to the widespread use of the term “Lamaism” (Sanggyé tenpa) to describe Tibetan Buddhism. However, by the Ming dynasty, the title “lama” became more selectively applied, primarily to the reincarnate lamas of the Gelug tradition, such as the Lhasa or Shigatse Lamas. In Tibet, not all monks are called lamas. Some non-monastic tantric practitioners, like Marpa, are known as lamas, while ordained monks may simply be called khenpo or gelong.

The term “lama” in Tibetan Buddhism denotes a spiritual mentor. Initially used to translate the Sanskrit term for “venerable one,” it was traditionally reserved for abbots or esteemed teachers. Over time, its use expanded to refer to any respected monk or teacher. In Western contexts, the common use of terms like “Lamaism” or “lama temple” misrepresents Tibetan Buddhism as a separate or derivative religion, rather than a branch of Buddhism.

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the word “lama” was first recorded in English in the 1650s, referring to a Mongolian or Tibetan Buddhist priest, from Tibetan blama, meaning “superior or high monk,” with the initial “b” being silent. Derived terms include Lamaism and lamarchy. The word lamasery, meaning a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, entered English in 1849, likely from the French lamaserie, which may have been modeled after Persian sarai (meaning inn or guesthouse, as in caravanserai).

These terminological confusions were likely due to early Western misunderstandings of Tibetan Buddhism. Western explorers and scholars unfamiliar with the doctrine and its distinctions from indigenous Bön traditions mistakenly labeled Tibetan Buddhism as a unique or heterodox form of religion. The term “Lamaism” thus carries pejorative connotations, implying Tibetan Buddhism is a fabricated or deviant form of Buddhism rather than a legitimate tradition.

Traditionally, lama designated a respected spiritual mentor or the abbot of a monastery. Today, the term is a title of reverence that may be granted to monks, nuns, or even lay practitioners, particularly in the Nyingma, Kagyu, and Sakya traditions, where advanced tantric practitioners often carry the title. In the Gelug school, the term is also part of the title of high reincarnate lamas, such as the Dalai Lama of Lhasa or the Panchen Lama of Shigatse. These figures are believed to be reincarnations of bodhisattvas—Avalokiteshvara and Amitabha, respectively. Beyond these high figures, there are thousands of lesser-ranking reincarnate lamas (tulku, Tibetan: sprul-sku), classified into higher, middle, and lower tiers.

This system of recognizing reincarnations draws on Indian tantric and yogic traditions, such as the eighty-four mahasiddhas, many of whom were believed to be incarnations of previous saints. Within the Vajrayana (Tantric) path of Tibetan Buddhism, the lama serves as the vajra master—a spiritual guide who embodies the enlightened state, and one of the “Three Roots” (a tantric variant of the Three Jewels), alongside the yidam (meditational deity) and the dharmapala (protector deity).

The lama's mind is considered to be the Buddha, representing the ultimate potential of the student; their speech is the Dharma, the path of teaching; and their body is the Sangha, the guide and companion along the journey to enlightenment. This makes the lama a living embodiment of the path. In some teachings, the lama is also understood in terms of the Three Kayas (Trikaya), or the three bodies of the Buddha: dharmakaya, sambhogakaya, and nirmanakaya.