vihara

[ vi-hahr-uh ]

noun

1. a meeting place of Buddhist monks.
2. a Buddhist monastery.
3. (initial capital letter) Also called Brahma Vihara. one of the four states of mind, namely love, compassion, sympathetic gladness, and equanimity, to be developed by every Buddhist.

Word History and Origins

Origin of vihara¹

First recorded in 1875–80, vihara is from the Sanskrit word vihāra

Example Sentences

This disagreement is very embarrassing when people try to conjecture the antiquity of this or that vihara or chaitya.

From Project Gutenberg

A path, or rather a ledge cut along the perpendicular face of a rocky mass 200 feet high, led from the chief temple to our vihara.

From Project Gutenberg

In a few minutes more we were on the verandah of our vihara, where we found our Hindu friends, who had arrived by another path.

From Project Gutenberg

In the chief hall of the vihara was a life-sized statue of Bhavani, the feminine aspect of Shiva.

From Project Gutenberg

Of course, in this case it would be perfectly right to think it is a Buddhist vihara.

From Project Gutenberg