Sensei (teacher)
Sensei (先生, Sensei) is a Japanese title used to refer to or address teachers, professionals such as lawyers and doctors, politicians, clergymen, and other authority figures. It is also used to show respect to someone who has achieved a certain level of mastery in an art form or some other skill: accomplished novelists, musicians, and artists are addressed with the title in this way; for example, Japanese manga fans refer to manga artist Osamu Tezuka as "Tezuka-sensei." Sensei is also one of the common Japanese martial arts titles.
The Japanese expression sensei shares the same characters as the Chinese word, pronounced xi"nshēng in Mandarin. Xiansheng is a courtesy title for a man of respected stature; the English equivalent of xi"nshēng is gentleman, or more commonly,– mister. It can also be attached to a man's name to mean "Mr." Prior to the development of the modern vernacular, Xiansheng was used to address teachers of both genders; this has fallen out of usage in Standard Mandarin, though it is retained in some southern Chinese dialects such as Hokkien and Hakka where it still has the meaning "teacher" or "doctor". In Japanese, sensei is still used to address people of both genders. It is likely both the current Southern Chinese and Japanese usages are more reflective of its Middle Chinese etymology.
Use in Buddhism
In Sanbo Kyodan related zen schools, sensei is normally used to refer to ordained teachers below the rank of roshi. However, other schools of Japanese Buddhism use the term for any priest regardless of seniority; for example, this title is also used for Jodo Shinshu ministers in the United States, whether they are ethnic Japanese or not. In the Kwan Um School of Zen, according to Zen master Seung Sahn, the title Ji Do Poep Sa Nim is much like the Japanese title "sensei."
Use in martial arts
Sensei is often used to address the teacher in Japanese martial arts classes such as aikido, judo, or karate.
Ōsensei, DaiSensei and WakaSensei
Ōsensei (大先生, Ōsensei?) is a Japanese title used to distinguish between two teachers (or doctors, etc.) with the same name. The elder or superior one is then called "sensei, and the other one WakaSensei (若先生, WakaSensei?). In most cases, "sensei is the father of waka sensei.
In martial arts and spiritual practice, another use for this term is DaiSensei (大先生, DaiSensei?), or Master Teacher, such as may be found at a Buddhist Temple. Also pronounced with an 'o' sound is the term Ōsensei ("先生, Ōsensei?), for the founder of aikido, Morihei Ueshiba. Another famous martial artist, Masutatsu Oyama, founder of Kyokushin Karate was referred to as "sensei within his organization, the Kyokushinkai.
Usage with negative connotations
Sensei can also be used with negative connotations. Sometimes enthusiastic supporters and admirers use it fawningly, when addressing or talking about charismatic business, political, and spiritual leaders. Japanese speakers are particularly sensitive to this usage when it concerns members of an in-group who spontaneously associate or identify sensei with a particular person-many if not most Japanese speakers readily see this usage as indicative of adherents speaking of a charismatic spiritual or cult leader. When talking about such situations, Japanese speakers will sometimes use the term sarcastically to ridicule overblown adulation, and the Japanese media frequently invoke it to highlight the megalomania of those who allow themselves to be addressed in this manner. In the speech, a sarcastic sensei is intoned for emphasis, whereas in print it is rendered in katakana, akin to scare quotes or italics in English.
Uses in English
Sensei has also come to be used in English outside martial arts and other similar cultural contexts. In business and industry, sensei is often used to refer to an outside, third-party expert who coaches or advises on operational and organizational excellence. In particular, James Womack's book Lean Thinking advises companies to seek out a "lean sensei" who can provide expert coaching on how to achieve organizational effectiveness. Lean sensei has since become a common term for describing an expert who can provide advice on operational and organizational strategy. See also [ Criteria for a Sensei ]
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