Lama - wikipedia Lama This article is about Tibetan Buddhist teachers. For other uses of the word, see Lama ( disambiguation ). Not to be confused with Llama. Part of a series on Tibetan Buddhism Schools Nyingma Kadam Kagyu Jonang Sakya Gelug New Kadampa Tradition Rimé Key personalities First dissemination Padmasambhava Śāntarakṣita Kamalaśīla Second dissemination Atiśa Tilopa Naropa Milarepa Nyingma Longchenpa Patrul Rinpoche Mipham Kagyu Rangjung Dorje Jonang Dolpopa Sakya Sakya Pandita Gorampa Gelugpa Je Tsongkhapa 5th Dalai Lama 13th Dalai Lama 14th Dalai Lama Teachings General Buddhist Three marks of existence Skandha Cosmology Saṃsāra Rebirth Bodhisattva Dharma Dependent origination Karma Tibetan Four Tenets system Rangtong - Shentong Svatantrika - Prasaṅgika distinction Nyingma Dzogchen Pointing - out instruction Practices and attainment Lamrim Pāramitās Bodhicitta Avalokiteśvara Meditation Laity Vajrayana Tantra techniques Deity yoga Buddhahood Major monasteries Tradruk Drepung Dzogchen Ganden Jokhang Kumbum Labrang Mindrolling Namgyal Narthang Nechung Pabonka Palcho Ralung Ramoche Rato Sakya Sanga Sera Shalu Tashi Lhunpo Tsurphu Yerpa Institutional roles Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Lama Karmapa Rinpoche Geshe Tertön Tulku Festivals Chotrul Duchen Dajyur Galdan Namchot Losar Monlam Sho Dun Texts Kangyur Tengyur Tibetan Buddhist canon Mahayana sutras Nyingma Gyubum Art Sand mandala Thangka Wall paintings Ashtamangala Tree of physiology Festival thangka History and overview History Timeline Outline Culture Index of articles Tibetan Buddhism portal The current Dalai Lama. Lama Dance, Dharamshala, H.P., India c. 1980. Lama ( Tibetan : བླ ་ མ ་, Wylie : bla - ma ; `` chief '' or `` high priest '' ) is a title for a teacher of the Dharma in Tibetan Buddhism. The name is similar to the Sanskrit term guru. Historically, the term was used for venerated spiritual masters or heads of monasteries. Today the title can be used as an honorific title conferred on a monk, nun or ( in the Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya schools ) advanced tantric practitioner to designate a level of spiritual attainment and authority to teach, or may be part of a title such as Dalai Lama or Panchen Lama applied to a lineage of reincarnate lamas ( Tulkus ). Perhaps due to misunderstandings by early western scholars attempting to understand Tibetan Buddhism, the term lama has historically been erroneously applied to Tibetan monks in general. Similarly, Tibetan Buddhism was referred to as `` Lamaism '' by early western scholars and travelers who perhaps did not understand that what they were witnessing was a form of Buddhism ; they may also have been unaware of the distinction between Tibetan Buddhism and Bön. The term Lamaism is now considered by some to be derogatory. In the Vajrayana path of Tibetan Buddhism, the lama is often the tantric spiritual guide, the guru to the aspiring Buddhist yogi or yogini. As such, the lama will then appear as one of the Three Roots ( a variant of the Three Jewels ), alongside the yidam and protector ( who may be a dakini, dharmapala or other Buddhist deity figure ). See also Karmapa Sifu Sensei Rinpoche References Jump up ^ `` Online Etymology Dictionary ''. Etymonline.com. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 17. ^ Jump up to : `` lama '' from Encyclopædia Britannica Jump up ^ Lama : definition at About.com ^ Jump up to : Marcotte, Amanda ( 2000 - 01 - 14 ). `` Who Are the Tibetan Lamas ? ''. Slate.com. Retrieved 2013 - 07 - 17. Jump up ^ Frank J. Korom ( 1997 ). Constructing Tibetan Culture : Contemporary Perspectives. World Heritage Press. ISBN 1 - 896064 - 12 - 4. Buddhism topics Glossary Index Outline Foundations Three Jewels Buddha Dharma Sangha Four Noble Truths Noble Eightfold Path Nirvana Middle Way The Buddha Tathāgata Birthday Four sights Physical characteristics Footprint Relics Iconography in Laos and Thailand Films Miracles Family Suddhodāna ( father ) Māyā ( mother ) Mahapajapati Gotamī ( aunt, adoptive mother ) Yasodhara ( wife ) Rāhula ( son ) Ānanda ( cousin ) Devadatta ( cousin ) Places where the Buddha stayed Buddha in world religions Key concepts Avidyā ( Ignorance ) Bardo Bodhicitta Bodhisattva Buddha - nature Dhamma theory Dharma Enlightenment Five hindrances Indriya Karma Kleshas Mind Stream Parinirvana Pratītyasamutpāda Rebirth Saṃsāra Saṅkhāra Skandha Śūnyatā Taṇhā ( Craving ) Tathātā Ten Fetters Three marks of existence Impermanence Dukkha Anatta Two truths doctrine Cosmology Ten spiritual realms Six realms Deva ( Buddhism ) Human realm Asura realm Hungry Ghost realm Animal realm Hell Three planes of existence Practices Bhavana Bodhipakkhiyādhammā Brahmavihara Mettā Karuṇā Mudita Upekkha Buddhābhiseka Dāna Devotion Dhyāna Faith Five Strengths Iddhipada Meditation Mantras Kammaṭṭhāna Recollection Smarana Anapanasati Samatha Vipassanā ( Vipassana movement ) Shikantaza Zazen Kōan Mandala Tonglen Tantra Tertön Terma Merit Mindfulness Satipatthana Nekkhamma Pāramitā Paritta Puja Offerings Prostration Chanting Refuge Satya Sacca Seven Factors of Enlightenment Sati Dhamma vicaya Pīti Passaddhi Śīla Five Precepts Bodhisattva vow Prātimokṣa Threefold Training Śīla Samadhi Prajñā Vīrya Four Right Exertions Nirvana Bodhi Bodhisattva Buddhahood Pratyekabuddha Four stages of enlightenment Sotāpanna Sakadagami Anāgāmi Arhat Monasticism Bhikkhu Bhikkhuni Śrāmaṇera Śrāmaṇerī Anagarika Ajahn Sayadaw Zen master Rōshi Lama Rinpoche Geshe Tulku Householder Upāsaka and Upāsikā Śrāvaka The ten principal disciples Shaolin Monastery Major figures Gautama Buddha Kaundinya Assaji Sāriputta Mahamoggallāna Mulian Ānanda Mahākassapa Anuruddha Mahākaccana Nanda Subhuti Punna Upali Mahapajapati Gotamī Khema Uppalavanna Asita Channa Yasa Buddhaghoṣa Nagasena Angulimala Bodhidharma Nagarjuna Asanga Vasubandhu Atiśa Padmasambhava Nichiren Songtsen Gampo Emperor Wen of Sui Dalai Lama Panchen Lama Karmapa Shamarpa Naropa Xuanzang Zhiyi Texts Tripiṭaka Madhyamakālaṃkāra Mahayana sutras Pāli Canon Chinese Buddhist canon Tibetan Buddhist canon Branches Theravada Mahayana Chan Buddhism Zen Seon Thiền Pure Land Tiantai Nichiren Madhyamaka Yogachara Navayana Vajrayana Tibetan Shingon Dzogchen Early Buddhist schools Pre-sectarian Buddhism Basic points unifying Theravāda and Mahāyāna Countries Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan Cambodia China India Indonesia Japan Korea Laos Malaysia Maldives Mongolia Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Philippines Russia Kalmykia Buryatia Singapore Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Tibet Vietnam Middle East Iran Western countries Argentina Australia Brazil France United Kingdom United States Venezuela History Timeline Ashoka Buddhist councils History of Buddhism in India Decline of Buddhism in India Great Anti-Buddhist Persecution Greco - 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Black Crown - Tsurphu Monastery - Rumtek Monastery - Recognition of the Seventeenth Karmapa Düsum Khyenpa Karma Pakshi Rangjung Dorje Rolpe Dorje Deshin Shekpa Thongwa Dönden Chödrak Gyatso Mikyö Dorje Wangchuk Dorje Chöying Dorje Yeshe Dorje Changchub Dorje Dudul Dorje Thekchok Dorje Khakyab Dorje Rangjung Rigpe Dorje Ogyen Trinley Dorje Trinley Thaye Dorje Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Lama&oldid=806924430 '' Categories : Lamas Asceticism Tibetan Buddhist titles Spiritual teachers Hidden categories : Articles containing Tibetan - language text Talk About Wikipedia Afrikaans Azərbaycanca Беларуская Български བོད ་ ཡིག Català Čeština Dansk Deutsch Eesti Ελληνικά Español Esperanto فارسی Français 한국어 Հայերեն हिन्दी Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano ქართული Kiswahili Кыргызча Latina Magyar मराठी Мокшень Монгол မြန်မာဘာသာ Nederlands 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan Oʻzbekcha / ўзбекча ਪੰਜਾਬੀ Polski Português Română Русский Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Suomi Svenska ไทย Türkçe Тыва дыл Українська Tiếng Việt 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 24 October 2017, at 23 : 48. 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Question: in which tradition do lamas play an important role
Answer: Tibetan Buddhism