Dalai Lama
Syllabification: (Da·lai La·ma)
Pronunciation: /ˈdälī ˈlämə/
Definition of Dalai Lama
noun
- the spiritual head of Tibetan Buddhism and, until the establishment of Chinese communist rule, the spiritual and temporal ruler of Tibet.
Each Dalai Lama is believed to be the reincarnation of the bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara, reappearing in a child when the incumbent Dalai Lama dies. The present Dalai Lama, the fourteenth incarnation, escaped to India in 1959 following the invasion of Tibet by the Chinese and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1989
Origin:
late 17th century: from Tibetan, literally 'ocean guru', so named because he is regarded as “the ocean of compassion” (see lama)