Bhante

Bhante (Pali; Burmese: ဘန္တေ, pronounced [bàɰ̃tè]; Sanskrit: bhavantaḥ),[1] sometimes also Bhadanta, is a respectful title used to address Buddhist monks, nuns, and superiors, especially in the Theravada tradition.

It is the vocative form of the word bhadanta, which confers recognition of greatness and respect.

[3] The Nepali terms bare and bande have the same derivation and are used to address Buddhist clergy.

[4] 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 (now Myanmar), Rinpoche in Tibet.

The Pali Canon abounds with references to the Buddha's disciples addressing their seniors in this way.