Panchen Lama

noun

Pan·​chen Lama ˈpän-chən- How to pronounce Panchen Lama (audio)
: the lama who is the chief spiritual adviser of the Dalai Lama

Examples of Panchen Lama in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In 1995, atheist China and the Dalai Lama separately identified two boys as the Panchen Lama, the second-most-important Tibetan Buddhist leader. Fox News, 6 July 2024 There is already a dispute over who is the rightful Panchen Lama, the second-most important figure in Tibetan Buddhism, after the Dalai Lama and the officially atheist Chinese government identified two different people as reincarnations in 1995. Jennifer Jett, NBC News, 19 June 2024 The Chinese government responded by appointing its own Panchen Lama, the son of a Chinese security officer. Brooke Schedneck, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2023 The introduction in 1995 of rules about reincarnations was calculated to allow the government to intervene in the selection of the 11th Panchen Lama. Lobsang Sangay, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2023 In 1995, China kidnapped a boy the Dalai Lama had named as the Panchen Lama, the second-most-recognizable figure in Tibetan Buddhism. David Pierson, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2023 The Panchen Lama chosen by the Dalia Lama is denounced by Beijing as invalid as he was not chosen according to tradition. CNN, 2 Jan. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'Panchen Lama.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Panchen from Chinese (Beijing) bānchán

First Known Use

1822, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Panchen Lama was in 1822

Dictionary Entries Near Panchen Lama

Cite this Entry

“Panchen Lama.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Panchen%20Lama. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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