Lamaism

American  

[lah-muh-iz-uhm] / ˈlɑ məˌɪz əm /

noun

1. the Buddhism of Tibet and Mongolia, a Mahayana form including non-Buddhist Indian elements as well as elements of the preexisting Bön shamanism.

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Lamaism British  

/ ˈlɑːməˌɪzəm /

noun

1. the Mahayana form of Buddhism of Tibet and Mongolia See also Dalai Lama

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Other Word Forms

• Lamaist noun
• Lamaistic adjective

Etymology

Origin of Lamaism

First recorded in 1810–20; lama + -ism

Example Sentences

Faith of the 3,000,000 Tibetans�and of other millions throughout the fastnesses of Central Asia�is Lamaism, a theocratic form of Buddhism.

From Time Magazine Archive

Tibet is one of the world's last theocracies: its culture centres about its religion, Lamaism, a form of Buddhism which was brought up from India through the Himalayan passes in the 7th Century.

From Time Magazine Archive

His days were spent with monkish tutors, in learning the Tantric texts of Lamaism and the complex religious ceremonials.

From Time Magazine Archive

In the 15th Century, through a shift in its priesthood which brought in a "Yellow" or reformed sect, Lamaism acquired a theocratic and infallible rule, divided between two men who both were Buddhas incarnate.

From Time Magazine Archive

This isolated table-land is the seat of a former Buddhism better known by the name of Lamaism.

From Wealth of the World's Waste Places and Oceania by Gilson, Jewett Castello