Lama (Tibetan:བླ་མ་,Wylie:bla-ma) is a title bestowed to a realized practitioner of theDharma inTibetan Buddhism. Not all monks are lamas, while nuns and female practitioners can be recognized and entitled as lamas. The Tibetan wordla-ma means "high mother", and reflects the qualities of the person entitled as a lama.[1][2]
Historically and currently, the term is bestowed on venerated spiritual masters[3][4] andmay be part of a specificlineage title such as theDalai Lama[4] and thePanchen Lama,[4] lineages of reincarnate highTulkus.[1]
Recently, the title has wrongly applied to all ordained monks andBhikshus.[1][4] Due to misunderstandings by western scholars such asMelvyn Goldstein, the termlama has recently been erroneously applied to Tibetan monks in general. Similarly, Tibetan Buddhism was erroneously referred to as "Lamaism"[1] and "Lamaist" by Goldstein and early western scholars, and by European travelers who did not understand that what they were witnessing was Tibetan Buddhism.[1] The term Lamaism is now considered by some to be derogatory.[5]
In theVajrayana of Tibetan Buddhism, a lama can be atantric spiritual guide, or a guru to an aspiring Buddhist student, or ayogi oryogini. As such, the lama/guru can be seen as one of theThree Roots, a variant of theThree Jewels, alongside theyidam thedakini. Thedharmapala are protector deities.
According to specific lineages, the mind of the lama is considered the Buddha – one's highest potential; the lama's speech is dharma; and the lama's body is one's guide and companion on the way to enlightenment -the sangha. This means that the lama/guru is the perfect embodiment of the Three Jewels. Another expression of a lama can be expressed through the three Kayas.[6]
^5th Shamarpa, Shamar Köncho Yenlak and Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé, Translation: Artur Przybysławski, "Calling the Lama from Afar: Two Supplicaitons to the Root Teacher".Translating the Karmapas’ Works, Vélez-Málaga Spain (2019)p. 15
^Frank J. Korom (1997).Constructing Tibetan Culture: Contemporary Perspectives. World Heritage Press.ISBN1-896064-12-4.
^5th Shamarpa, Shamar Köncho Yenlak and Jamgön Kongtrul Lodrö Thayé, Translation: Artur Przybysławski, "Calling the Lama from Afar: Two Suplicaitons to the Root Teacher."Translating the Karmapas’ Works, Vélez-Málaga Spain (2019)p. 11
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