Abbot ( Buddhism ) - wikipedia Abbot ( Buddhism ) Khen Rinpoche Nicholas Vreeland was the first western monk to be made abbot of a major Tibetan Buddhist monastery, Rato Dratsang, in Karnataka, India In addition to its use in a Christian context, abbot is a term used in English - speaking countries for a monk who holds the position of administrator of a Buddhist monastery or large Buddhist temple. In Buddhist nunneries, the nun who holds the equivalent position is known in English as the abbess. The English word `` abbot '' is used instead of all the various words that exist in the languages of the countries where Buddhism is, or was historically, well established. Contents 1 Responsibilities 2 Languages other than English 2.1 Chinese 2.2 Japanese 2.3 Tibetan 2.4 Korean 3 References Responsibilities The administrative duties of an abbot or abbess include overseeing the day - to - day running of the monastery. The Abbot or Abbess also has spiritual responsibility for the monastics under their care, and is required to interact with the abbots or abbesses of other monasteries. Languages other than English Asian countries where Buddhism is still widely practiced have words in their own languages for the abbot of a Buddhist monastery or large temple : Chinese in Chinese Chan Buddhist monasteries, one word for abbot is Fangzhang meaning `` ten feet square '', a reference to the size of Vimalakirti 's stone room. Another Chinese word for abbot is Zhuchi, meaning dweller and upholder. Japanese The abbot of the Sōji - ji, temple of Zen Buddhism, Tsurumi - ku, Yokohama, Japan is a Zenji ( Zen master ). In Zen Buddhism, the most commonly used Japanese words for the abbot of a large Zen temple or Zen monastery are juji and choro. Tibetan The abbot of a Tibetan Buddhist monastery is known as the Khenpo. This means `` the one who gives the monks vows ''. The abbot is addressed as, and referred to, as `` Khen Rinpoche ''. Another word used for more senior abbots is Khenchen, which means senior khenpo. Korean The Korean word for abbot is chuji. References Jump up ^ Taylor, Ella ( November 20, 2014 ). `` A Frustrating Love Letter In ' Monk With A Camera ' ''. NPR. Retrieved April 5, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Baroni, Helen Josephine ( 2002 ). The illustrated Encyclopedia of Zen Buddhism. Rosen Publishing. p. 1. ISBN 978 - 0 - 8239 - 2240 - 6. ^ Jump up to : Buswell, Robert E. ( 1993 ). The Zen Monastic Experience : Buddhist Practice in Contemporary Korea. Princeton University Press. p. 110. ISBN 978 - 0 - 691 - 03477 - 5. Jump up ^ Lawton, Kim ( June 15, 2012 ). `` Buddhist Abbot Nicholas Vreeland ''. PBS. Retrieved April 5, 2015. ^ Jump up to : Buswell Jr., Robert E. ; Lopez Jr., Donald S. ( 2013 ). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. p. 295. ISBN 978 - 1 - 4008 - 4805 - 8. Jump up ^ `` Buddhism A to Z : A entries ''. Buddhist Text Translation Society. Retrieved April 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` abbot ( jūjishoku 住持 職, jūji 住持, jūshoku 住職 ) ''. Sōtō Zen International. Retrieved April 5, 2015. Jump up ^ `` Shamar Rinpoche 's explanation of the proper use of the titles `` Khenchen '' and `` Khenpo '' ``. Bodhi Path Buddhist Center. Retrieved April 5, 2015. Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Abbot_(Buddhism)&oldid=834160245 '' Categories : Buddhism Buddhist terminology Talk Contents About Wikipedia 한국어 日本 語 ไทย 粵語 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 4 April 2018, at 07 : 16 ( UTC ). Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: what is the leader of a buddhist temple called
Answer: abbot