Transliteration: gnas brtan
<noun> "Elder". Translation of the Sanskrit "sthavira". 1) A term from the Vinaya section of the sūtras which is used to refer to a monk who is senior because of having much training and knowledge and thus who is venerable. 2) The same term is used in the three yana system of Tibetan Buddhism to mean the teacher-principle of the lesser vehicle. In the Lesser Vehicle, the elder is the guide for practitioners; in the Great Vehicle, the spiritual friend is the guide and in the Vajra Vehicle, the guru is the guide.
