year in the Buddhist order
Buddhist term: a year counted after completing the first meditation retreat (ango). Used in monastic contexts to indicate seniority.
He is a monk who has accumulated many years in the Buddhist order.
becoming more experienced with age; social status based on experience
Rare, literary extension of the Buddhist sense. Refers to the wisdom or social standing gained through years of experience, not in common modern use.
The opinions of those with long experience are respected.
court lady of middle rank (Heian period) · female servant in a samurai household · lady-in-waiting in Edo Castle (Edo period)
long time; long years of service
elegant; graceful; refined · become experienced; mature
The kanji 臈 is a variant of 臘, originally meaning 'year-end sacrifice' or 'winter retreat'. In Buddhism, it came to denote the years after completing the first summer retreat. The extended sense of general experience is a later, rare development.