noun
Historical term for an official rank in the imperial court system. Rare in modern usage outside historical contexts.
平安時代の官人は、位階によって一品から四品までに分けられた。
In the Heian period, officials were divided into court ranks from first to fourth.
suffix
level; grade; chapter; section
Buddhist suffix used in compounds to indicate a level, grade, or division of a text. Sometimes pronounced ぼん or ぽん as a suffix. Sense 3 (chapter/section/volume) is a specific application of the level/grade meaning.
See also: 九品
九品の教えは、浄土宗で重要な概念です。
The teaching of the nine levels is an important concept in Pure Land Buddhism.
The Lotus Sutra consists of twenty-eight chapters.