Daishonin
Daishonin is a honorific title used within Japanese Zen Buddhism to recognize a teacher or master who has achieved a high level of spiritual attainment and authority. The term derives from the Japanese rendering of the Chinese title Daōshī (道師), which literally means “master of the Way.” In Zen tradition, a daishonin is not simply a teacher but embodies the integrated practice of teaching, meditation, and living in accordance with the Dharma.
The title is usually prefixed to the posthumous or honorific name of senior Zen practitioners. For example,
Although the term is used almost exclusively within Japan, it has occasionally appeared in translations of