Panchen Lama

[ pahn-chen ]

noun

1. Tashi Lama.

Panchen Lama

/ ˈpɑːntʃən /

noun

1. one of the two Grand Lamas of Tibet, ranking below the Dalai Lama Also calledTashi Lama

Word History and Origins

Origin of Panchen Lama¹

1785–95; panchen < Chinese bānchán, transliteration of Sanskrit paṇḍita; pundit

Word History and Origins

Origin of Panchen Lama¹

from Tibetan panchen, literally: great jewel, from the title of the lama (in full: great jewel among scholars)

Example Sentences

China placed the child under house arrest in 1995 and named another boy as the 11th Panchen Lama.

From Reuters

Beijing brands the current Dalai Lama, exiled in neighbouring India, as a dangerous separatist and instead recognises the current Panchen Lama, put in place by the party, as the highest religious figure in Tibet.

From Reuters

China has meanwhile sought to elevate other spiritual figures, particularly Tibetan Buddhism’s second ranking figure, the Panchen Lama.

From Seattle Times

It is the Panchen Lama who would normally lead the search for the reincarnation of the next Dalai Lama.

From BBC

In 1998, it told the working group that the Panchen Lama's mother was serving a prison sentence, although it is not clear what for or how long she was incarcerated.

From BBC