寺

Originally denoted a government office or administrative department, but from the Han dynasty (漢代) onward, it came to mean a Buddhist temple or monastery.

This semantic shift occurred as Buddhism entered China, and the word took on a sacred association through cultural adaptation.

Originally an ideogrammatic compound composed of:

土 (흙 토) — symbolizing ground, foundation, or place.

寸 (마디 촌) — symbolizing a hand or official measurement, an act of administration or control.

Together, they represented a place where official duties were carried out — a government office.

However, early bronze inscriptions (金文 jinwen) show a slightly different structure:

止 (그칠 지) — foot or halt; the idea of “to stop or reside.”

又 (또 우) — hand; action or authority.

Thus, the original meaning was a place where one halts and handles affairs — hence “administrative office.”

Over time, this form was simplified to 土 + 寸, producing the modern 寺.

Shuowen Jiezi (說文解字):

「寺，廷也。从寸，土聲。」

“寺 means an administrative court; composed of 寸 (hand, authority) and 土 (phonetic).”

The structure reflects official measurement and jurisdiction — the act of regulating affairs within a defined place.

Semantic development:

Ancient meaning — “government office” (官署):

In pre-Buddhist China, 寺 referred to administrative agencies, such as 太常寺 (Office of Rites), 鴻臚寺 (Office of Diplomatic Reception), and 大理寺 (Court of Justice).

These were bureaus of state administration where official duties were performed.

Later meaning — “Buddhist temple”:

During the Later Han dynasty (後漢), when Buddhism first reached China, Indian monks were received by the 鴻臚寺, the office that hosted foreign envoys.

Emperor Ming of Han (明帝) built a residence for them near the capital Luoyang, which became known as 白馬寺 (Baima-si, White Horse Temple) — the first Buddhist temple in China.

Thereafter, the word 寺 came to be applied to all monastic institutions, and gradually the old bureaucratic sense receded in popular usage.

As “temple”:

佛寺 (불사) — Buddhist temple

法寺 (법사) — Dharma temple

白馬寺 (백마사) — White Horse Temple (Luoyang, founded c. 68 CE)

寺院 (사원) — temple, monastery complex

As “government office”:

太常寺 (태상사) — Ministry of Rites

鴻臚寺 (홍로사) — Office of Diplomatic Reception

大理寺 (대리사) — Ministry of Justice (in imperial bureaucracy)

Common words:

寺廟 (사묘) — temples and shrines

寺院 (사원) — temple complex

古寺 (고사) — ancient temple

禪寺 (선사) — Zen monastery

The semantic transformation of 寺 beautifully illustrates how Buddhism integrated into the Chinese bureaucratic and cultural system.

A word once denoting a court office became the name of a spiritual court — the temple, where the affairs of the soul were administered rather than those of the state.

Historical note:

In the 1st century CE, Indian monks Kāśyapa Mātaṅga and Dharmaratna arrived in Luoyang with Buddhist scriptures on white horses.

Emperor Ming of Han housed them in the Honglu-si (鴻臚寺), the Bureau of Guests.

When a temple was built for them, it was named White Horse Temple (白馬寺), marking the first time 寺 was applied to a Buddhist sanctuary.

From this point on, 寺 became the standard suffix for temples throughout East Asia — e.g., 法華寺, 海印寺, 金山寺, 清水寺, 東大寺, etc.

Symbolic interpretation:

寺 embodies the transformation of human order (government) into spiritual order (religion).

Its evolution from office to temple symbolizes the continuity of discipline and reverence —

from earthly governance to moral or divine governance.

「寺者，治也。治人者，治心也。」

“The temple (寺) is for order — those who govern people must first govern their hearts.”

In Buddhism, the 寺 represents not merely a building, but the dwelling place of the Dharma (法) and the community of practitioners (僧伽).

寺 bridges the realms of administration and spirituality, symbolizing both earthly governance and sacred dwelling.