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僧位 (そうい) Japanese meaning | Kotomora

僧そう位い

そ

う

い

Meanings

1

noun

monk's rank; Buddhist clerical rank

Buddhism

A rank or grade within the Buddhist monastic hierarchy. Domain-specific term used in historical and religious contexts.

その僧そうは高たかい僧そう位いを授さずけられた。
The monk was granted a high clerical rank.

Kanji

僧Buddhist priest, monk
位rank, grade, throne

Similar words

僧そう階かい
僧階 is a more general term for the hierarchical rank system of monks, while 僧位 specifically refers to an individual rank or title within that system.

Etymology

Compound of 僧 (monk) and 位 (rank, position). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term has been used in Japanese Buddhism to denote clerical ranks.