Gompa

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A monastery or temple complex belonging to the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, often found in the Himalayan regions
2. A Buddhist religious building in Tibet, Nepal, Bhutan or Ladakh that houses monks and a shrine for worship
3. The residence and place of worship of Tibetan Buddhist monks, typically set high in mountain villages and valleys

Etymology: Gompa is a Tibetan Buddhist monastery, and the English word came straight from the Tibetan language, where "dgon pa" originally meant a remote or solitary place. The term reflects the Tibetan monastic tradition of building religious communities in secluded spots, away from settlements. The word is a loanword with no English roots of its own. Its Tibetan form, "dgon pa", is written with letters that are rarely pronounced as spelled, so English speakers adopted it as "gompa" based on how it sounded to them. The original sense of withdrawal from the world is still present in the idea of a monastery set apart in the mountains.

Synonyms: lamasery, monastery