Zen master

(also: Ch'an master; roshi; sensei) Because the Chan (Zen) tradition eschews traditional Buddhist textual, institutional, and ethical guides for the attainment of Buddhahood, the master has a critically important role in directing his or her students along the right path. The Japanese Zen tradition distinguishes between the sensei, or teacher, and roshi, or venerable teacher, the latter requiring years of additional experience for its attainment.