Philosophy:Bhante
Bhante (Pali; Nepali; Burmese: ဘန္တေ, pronounced [bàɴtè], Sanskrit: vande and vandanā[1]) is the polite particle used to refer to Buddhist monks in the Theravada tradition. Bhante literally means "Venerable Sir."[2]
The Pali word "bhante" is a sex neutral term, unlike "bhikkhu" or "bhikkhuni". It is equivalent to Sanskrit verb 'Vande' or 'Bande' as in the song Vande Mataram. Vande means a reverential action of 'bowing' to someone or something. The Nepali terms for the Buddhist priestly caste, bare and bande, have the same derivation.[3] The Pali term Bhante can also be used as an honorific or a form of address to specific Buddhist monks, similar to Ajahn, Phra or Luang Por in Thailand or Ashin in Burma.
Some famous bhantes are:
- Bhante Cintita
- Bhante K. Sri Dhammananda
- Bhante Shravasti Dhammika
- Bhante Dharmawara
- Bhante Henepola Gunaratana ("Bhante G.")
- Bhante Dhammalok Mahasthavir
- Bhante Kumar Kashyap Mahasthavir
- Bhante Pragyananda Mahasthavir
- Bhante Sitagu Sayadaw
- Bhante Vimalaramsi
Grammatically "bhante" is a vocative case form of a Pali word "bhadanta" (venerable, reverend).[4] The vocative case denotes and is used for address.[5]
See also
- Ayya
- Ajahn
- Phra
- Namaste
References
- ↑ The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art by John C. Huntington, Dina Bangdel. Serindia Publications: 2003 ISBN:1932476016 Page 29
- ↑ Rhys Davids, Thomas William; Steele, William, eds (1905). The Pali-English dictionary (Reprint of Oxford 1905 edition, circa 1997 ed.). New Delhi / Chennai: Asian Educational Services. p. 498. ISBN 81-206-1273-6.
- ↑ The Circle of Bliss: Buddhist Meditational Art by John C. Huntington, Dina Bangdel. Serindia Publications: 2003 ISBN:1932476016 Page 29
- ↑ Value Bhadanta, bhaddanta Pali Text Society Pali-English Dictionary
- ↑ Buddhist Precept & Practice Gombrich, Richard F. Claredon Press: 1995 ISBN:0710304447, Page 141
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