also: ほうどう
lecture hall (Buddhist temple, esp. Zen)
A hall within a Buddhist temple where the abbot or senior monk delivers sermons; especially associated with Zen temples.
I listened to the master's sermon in the lecture hall of the Zen temple.
Standard kanji spelling; reading はっとう is more common in Zen contexts.
Alternate reading, less common; may be encountered in some traditions.
From Middle Chinese 法堂 (pjuwop dang), literally 'dharma hall'. The reading はっとう reflects a regular sound change from ほうどう.