Dharma Name
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A Dharma name or Dhamma name is a new name acquired during both lay and monastic
Buddhist initiation ritual The Lay Buddhist Ordination (, Japanese: , Korean: ''sugye'' (수계) refers to the public ordination ceremony wherein a lay follower of Zen Buddhism receives certain Buddhist precepts. The particulars of the ceremony differ widely by country ...
s in Mahayana Buddhism"Dharma Names." Khandro Net. Khandro.Net, n.d. Web. 22 Jun 2010
/ref> and monastic ordination in
Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' () ( si, ථේරවාදය, my, ထေရဝါဒ, th, เถรวาท, km, ថេរវាទ, lo, ເຖຣະວາດ, pi, , ) is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school' ...
(where it is more proper to call it Dhamma or Sangha name). The name is traditionally given by a Buddhist monastic, and is given to newly ordained
monks A monk (, from el, μοναχός, ''monachos'', "single, solitary" via Latin ) is a person who practices religious asceticism by monastic living, either alone or with any number of other monks. A monk may be a person who decides to dedica ...
,
nuns A nun is a woman who vows to dedicate her life to religious service, typically living under vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the enclosure of a monastery or convent.''The Oxford English Dictionary'', vol. X, page 599. The term is o ...
and laity. Dharma names are considered aspirational, not descriptive. Most of the well-known Buddhist teachers are known to have had many different Dharma names in the course of their careers, and often each name represents a stage of their career. For example,
Prince Shotoku A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
was also known as Prince Umayado and Prince Kamitsumiya. Shinran's original name was Matsuwakamaru; he was also known as Hanen, Shakku, Zenshin, Gutoku Shinran and Kenshin Daeshi.
Nichiren Nichiren (16 February 1222 – 13 October 1282) was a Japanese Buddhist priest and philosopher of the Kamakura period. Nichiren declared that the Lotus Sutra alone contains the highest truth of Buddhist teachings suited for the Third Age of ...
's original name was Zennichi and his Dharma names were Zenshobo Rencho and Rissho Daishi. Similarly, the tradition of various Dharma names was also used by
Zen Zen ( zh, t=禪, p=Chán; ja, text= 禅, translit=zen; ko, text=선, translit=Seon; vi, text=Thiền) is a school of Mahayana Buddhism that originated in China during the Tang dynasty, known as the Chan School (''Chánzong'' 禪宗), and ...
monks, who also used art to promote Buddhism. The famous monk-painter Hokusai was also known as Shunro, Kako, Sori, Taito, Iitsu, Gakyojin and Manji. Even the famous samurai
Miyamoto Musashi , also known as Shinmen Takezō, Miyamoto Bennosuke or, by his Buddhist name, Niten Dōraku, was a Japanese swordsman, philosopher, strategist, writer and rōnin, who became renowned through stories of his unique double-bladed swordsmanship a ...
had several names, including the Dharma name Niten Doraku and the birthname Miyamoto Masana. The zen monk
Thích Nhất Hạnh Thích Nhất Hạnh ( ; ; born Nguyễn Xuân Bảo; 11 October 1926 – 22 January 2022) was a Vietnamese Thiền Buddhist monk, peace activist, prolific author, poet and teacher, who founded the Plum Village Tradition, historically recogni ...
also has used various Dharma names in the course of his career. If the student does not have a relationship with the monastic teacher and the ceremony is a public one with a congregation present, their new name will tend to reflect the lineage/tradition rather than the individual person. When it is given by a monastic who knows the disciple, however, the name is often tailor-made. Dharma names are generally given in the language of the particular
sangha Sangha is a Sanskrit word used in many Indian languages, including Pali meaning "association", "assembly", "company" or "community"; Sangha is often used as a surname across these languages. It was historically used in a political context t ...
where the name is bestowed.


Naming practices by tradition


Burma (Myanmar)

In Burmese Buddhism, Dhamma names (''bwe'') are in
Pali Pali () is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent. It is widely studied because it is the language of the Buddhist ''Pāli Canon'' or '' Tipiṭaka'' as well as the sacred language of '' Theravāda'' Buddh ...
and chosen by the head monk of the monastery in which one is ordained. The traditional Burmese naming system, in which the monastic's day of birth stipulates the first letter of one's name, is used to select the name.


Sri Lanka

In Theravadan Buddhist tradition as practiced in Sri Lankan lineages the day of the week determines the first letter of the person’s Dharma name, when a traditional naming methodology is followed. This is the system used by
Bhante Gunaratana Bhante Henepola Gunaratana is a Sri Lankan Theravada Buddhist monk. He is affectionately known as Bhante G. Bhante Gunaratana is currently the abbot of the Bhavana Society, a monastery and meditation retreat center that he founded in High Vie ...
when giving Dharma names to his students at Bhavana Society of West Virginia.


China

In China, ordained monks and nuns automatically revert to using the surname "Shì" (釋) as in ''Shijiamouni'' (釋迦牟尼), the Chinese transliteration of
Shakyamuni Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in Lu ...
. Vietnam also follows this tradition for its monks and nuns by changing their surname to "Thích" as in ''Thích Ca Mâu Ni'', the Sino-Vietnamese name for Shakyamuni. Likewise for the Sino-Mahayana tradition of Buddhism, the dharma name given upon ordination can reflect the lineage passed from the teacher to the student, this can result in being given several dharma names: one for usage publicly, one used especially to reflect the transmitted lineage, and a second dharma name that can also be used. In the
Shaolin Temple Shaolin Monastery (少林寺 ''Shàolínsì''), also known as Shaolin Temple, is a renowned monastic institution recognized as the birthplace of Chan Buddhism and the cradle of Shaolin Kung Fu. It is located at the foot of Wuru Peak of the So ...
, each subsequent generation takes the first part of their given name from a 70-character poem written by
Xueting Fuyu Xuětíng Fúyù (雪庭福裕), 1203–1275, was an abbot of the Shaolin Monastery of the Caodong lineage. He is famous for inviting all of the martial artists in China to the Temple to discuss, practice, and fight, refining their technique into ...
. For example, the 32nd character in the poem is "xíng" (行), and all Shaolin Temple monks and disciples of that generation take a name starting with Shi Xing. In some Chinese Pureland sects such as that of Master Renshan and Master
Chin Kung Chin Kung AM (淨空; pinyin: ''Jìngkōng''; 15 February 1927 – 26 July 2022) was a Chinese-born Taiwanese Buddhist monk and scholar from the Mahayana tradition. He was the founder of the Corporate Body of the Buddha Educational Foundatio ...
it is traditional for persons who do not have the ability to acquire a Dharma name from a teacher to use the Dharma name “Miao-Yin”, until a teacher can give them a personally chosen name. It is common among Pureland sects for all lay members to have either the same last name, such as ‘jing’ in the case of Master Renshan’s disciples, or the same first name, such as ‘jia’ in the case of
Shandao Shandao (; ja, Zendō; 613–681) was an influential writer for the Pure Land Buddhism, prominent in China, Korea, Vietnam and Japan. His writings had a strong influence on later Pure Land masters including Hōnen and Shinran in Japan. The Samg ...
lineage practitioners. There is a tradition in China for one to have a name used while alive, called the imina, and a name used after death, called the okurina.https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5cad04a670468021b884ede4/t/5d72d4d7dfb60c5a4d8b1854/1567806687151/Primer_for_Selecting_Dharma_NamesCS.pdf


Japan

In Japan, other than the standard usage of dharma names for monastics and laity, it is also tradition for the deceased to receive a dharma name (戒名, kaimyō; ) written in kanji from the priest. This name supposedly prevents the return of the deceased if his name is called. The length of the name depends also on either the virtue of the person's lifespan, or more commonly, the size of the donation of the relatives to the temple, which may range from a generally common name to the most elaborate names for 1 million yen or more. The high prices charged by the temples are a controversial issue in Japan, especially since some temples put pressure on families to buy a more expensive name. In Japanese Pureland sects one receives a Homyo (Dharma name) while living and also one after death to be used in the Western Pureland. The name must come from words spoken by Amida Buddha so a selection must be made from approximately 5000 kanji. No Kaimyo (Precept name) is given. In the Ji-Shu Pureland Buddhist lineage of
Ippen was a Japanese Buddhist itinerant preacher (''hijiri'') who founded the branch of Pure Land Buddhism. Life Ippen was born at Hōgon-ji, a temple in Iyo Province (modern Ehime Prefecture) on the island of Shikoku. He was originally named . He ...
it is customary for the priest to select a Dharma name for a person consisting of a single kanji. But one can also randomly pick a kanji from the Amida Sutra to get a syllable. Then an -A or - 阿 suffix (short for Amida Butsu) is added to that single kanji to create one’s Dharma name. In the
Soto Zen Soto may refer to: Geography *Soto (Aller), parish in Asturias, Spain * Soto (Las Regueras), parish in Asturias, Spain * Soto, Curaçao, Netherlands Antilles *Soto, Russia, a rural locality (a ''selo'') in Megino-Kangalassky District of the Sakha ...
lineage a distinction is made between the homyo (Dharma name), kaimyo (Precept name), and seigo (Sacred name). The first two characters in the name given to a student at the Precepts ceremony is one’s dogo (formal Way name). The homyo consists of the final two characters given. One might also be given a hogo (informal intimate name). The Bright Dawn Center of Oneness Buddhism, which is of Japanese Buddhist lineage, uses the -yo suffix in their Dharma names, adding it to whatever syllables are chosen for the root name.


Tibet

In Tibetan
Vajrayana Vajrayāna ( sa, वज्रयान, "thunderbolt vehicle", "diamond vehicle", or "indestructible vehicle"), along with Mantrayāna, Guhyamantrayāna, Tantrayāna, Secret Mantra, Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, are names referring t ...
Buddhist tradition one is first given a Refuge name at the Triple Refuge ceremony, then a
Bodhisattva In Buddhism, a bodhisattva ( ; sa, 𑀩𑁄𑀥𑀺𑀲𑀢𑁆𑀢𑁆𑀯 (Brahmī), translit=bodhisattva, label=Sanskrit) or bodhisatva is a person who is on the path towards bodhi ('awakening') or Buddhahood. In the Early Buddhist schools ...
name upon taking the vows of a Bodhisattva, then a secret Samaya name upon receiving certain Tantric rites. People in the
Karma Kagyu Karma Kagyu (), or Kamtsang Kagyu (), is a widely practiced and probably the second-largest lineage within the Kagyu school, one of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The lineage has long-standing monasteries in Tibet, China, Russia, ...
tradition of Tibetan Buddhism are often given the first name Karma, followed by a second name. Those in the
Drikung Kagyu Drikung Kagyü or Drigung Kagyü ( Wylie: 'bri-gung bka'-brgyud) is one of the eight "minor" lineages of the Kagyu school of Tibetan Buddhism. "Major" here refers to those Kagyü lineages founded by the immediate disciples of Gampopa (1079-1153) w ...
sect often receive the first name Konchog, and then an additional name. This makes it easy to identify the person’s Dharma lineage.
Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoche Khentrul Jamphel Lodrö Rinpoché (Tibetan: ཤར་མཁན་སྤྲུལ་འཇམ་དཔལ་བློ་གྲོས།, Wylie: shar mkhan sprul 'jam dpal blo gros) (born 1968) is a Tibetan Buddhist Rimé Master. Shar Khentrul ...
generally uses the initial letter of a person’s birth name in selecting a Shambala lineage name for the practitioner.


See also

*
Ajahn Ajahn ( th, อาจารย์, , ) is a Thai-language term that translates as "professor" or "teacher". It is derived from the Pali word '' ācariya'' and is a term of respect, similar in meaning to the Japanese '' sensei''. It is used as ...
*
Awgatha An ''Awgatha'' (ဩကာသ; from Pali: ''okāsa''), sometimes known as the ''common Buddhist prayer'' is a formulaic Burmese Buddhist prayer that is recited to initiate acts of Buddhist devotion, including obeisance to the Buddha and Buddhist ...
* Ayya (Pali word) *
Bhante Bhante (Pali; my, ဘန္တေ, ; Sanskrit: ''bhavantaḥ''), sometimes also called Bhadanta, is a respectful title used to address Buddhist monks and superiors in the Theravada tradition. The term religiously means "Venerable Sir." Etymolo ...
*
Five precepts The Five precepts ( sa, pañcaśīla, italic=yes; pi, pañcasīla, italic=yes) or five rules of training ( sa, pañcaśikṣapada, italic=yes; pi, pañcasikkhapada, italic=yes) is the most important system of morality for Buddhist lay peo ...
* Religious name *
Sayadaw A sayadaw ( my, ဆရာတော်, ; , and alternatively spelled ''hsayadaw'', ''sayado'', ''sayāḍo'' or ''sayāḍaw'') is a Burmese Buddhist title used to reference the senior monk or abbot of a monastery. Some distinguished sayadaws wo ...
*
Tisarana In Buddhism, refuge or taking refuge refers to a religious practice, which often includes a prayer or recitation performed at the beginning of the day or of a practice session. Since the period of Early Buddhism until present time, all Theravada ...


References

{{Personal names Buddhist rituals Human names Buddhism and death Buddhist monasticism