tulku; reincarnate Tibetan lama
Buddhist term for a recognized reincarnation of a previous lama, especially in Tibetan Buddhism.
The Dalai Lama is considered one of the tulkus.
In Tibetan Buddhism, there is a tradition of searching for a tulku after the death of a high lama.
From 化身 (けしん, 'incarnation, embodiment') + ラマ ('lama'), a direct translation of the Tibetan concept of tulku.