Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun The traditional temporal head of the dominant sect of Buddhism in Tibet and Mongolia, revered by Tibetan Buddhists as the living incarnation of the bodhisattva of compassion.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun One of the two lama-popes of Tibet and Mongolia (his fellow-pope being the tesho-lama), each supreme in his own district.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The supreme head of Tibetan Buddhism, believed to be an incarnation of Avalokitesvara, and considered the spiritual leader of the Tibetan people.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun chief lama and once ruler of Tibet

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Tibetan : Mongolian dalai, ocean + Tibetan bla-ma, monk (so called because he is known as the ocean of compassion); see lama.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Mongolian далай (dalai, "ocean") + Tibetan བླ་མ (bla-ma, "lama").

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Dalai Lama.

Examples

  • Fortunately, this policy and these practices will fail to accomplish their aim, just as the intense and violent Maoist campaign of "thought-reform" brainwashing and cultural destruction from 1959 to 1979 failed to eradicate the Buddha Dharma and the love of the Dalai Lama from the Tibetan heart.

    China Is Attempting to Wipe Out Buddhism Robert Thurman 2010

  • Fortunately, this policy and these practices will fail to accomplish their aim, just as the intense and violent Maoist campaign of "thought-reform" brainwashing and cultural destruction from 1959 to 1979 failed to eradicate the Buddha Dharma and the love of the Dalai Lama from the Tibetan heart.

    Robert Thurman: China Is Attempting to Wipe Out Buddhism 2010

  • This is the origin of the name Dalai Lama by which the Tibetan pontiff is commonly known to Europeans.

    Hinduism and Buddhism, An Historical Sketch, Vol. 3 Charles Eliot 1896

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

  • With Chinese keywords "Dalai Lama Tibet", the top results Bing offered were mostly attacks against Dalai Lama from the Chinese propaganda channels, including two links to cctv. com and one to people. com.cn in its first seven results.

    Propeller Most Popular Stories 2010

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.