also: わじょう
priestly teacher; preceptor
Buddhist honorific term for a priestly teacher or preceptor. The pronunciation varies by sect: おしょう in Zen and Pure Land, かしょう in Tendai and Kegon, わじょう in Shingon, Hosso, Ritsu, and Shin Buddhism.
禅宗では、和尚は弟子を指導する師僧を指す。
In Zen Buddhism, 和尚 refers to the master who guides disciples.
Only with reading おしょう / かしょう
Commonly used for a Buddhist monk, especially the head monk or chief priest of a temple. Restricted to the readings おしょう and かしょう.
あの寺の和尚さんはとても親切だ。
The head priest of that temple is very kind.
和尚が毎朝お経をあげる。
The monk chants sutras every morning.
second highest priestly rank
Specific Buddhist rank, below 法眼 (ほうげん). A technical term within the Buddhist hierarchy.
See also: 法眼
僧侶の階級では、和尚は法眼の次に位置する。
In the priestly hierarchy, 和尚 ranks just below 法眼.
Figurative use for a master of an art, trade, or skill. Less common than the Buddhist senses.
彼は料理の世界では和尚と呼ばれるほどの達人だ。
He is such a master in the culinary world that he is called 和尚.
Reverend Ryōkan left behind many poems.
After long training, he became a head priest.
住職 specifically denotes the administrative head priest of a temple, while 和尚 is a broader honorific for a Buddhist monk or teacher.
僧 is the plain, generic word for a Buddhist monk, whereas 和尚 carries an honorific, respectful tone.
坊さん is a casual, everyday way to refer to a monk, while 和尚 is more formal and used as a title of respect.
和尚 specifically refers to a head priest or abbot, whereas 坊主 is a more general, sometimes blunt word for any Buddhist monk.
和尚 is a title for a head or senior priest (often at a Zen temple), whereas 禅僧 is the broader word for any Zen monk or priest, senior or not.
Standard kanji spelling for the common reading おしょう. Also used for the readings かしょう and わじょう in specific Buddhist contexts.
Alternate kanji form used in some Buddhist traditions for the reading わじょう.
From Middle Chinese 和尚 (hwa dzyang), originally a transcription of Sanskrit upādhyāya 'teacher, preceptor'. The kanji 和 ('harmony') and 尚 ('esteem') were used phonetically. The variant 和上 is also found in some Buddhist traditions.