also: ざいか
noun, noun which may take the genitive case particle 'no'
Only with reading ざいけ
Buddhist term for a person who practices Buddhism while living a secular life, as opposed to a monk or nun. Often used in contrast with 出家 (しゅっけ, 'monk/nun').
See also: 出家
彼は出家せず、在家のまま仏教を深く学んでいる。
He hasn't become a monk; he studies Buddhism deeply as a layperson.
noun
country home; farmhouse; cottage
Refers to a house in the countryside, often a traditional farmhouse or rural dwelling. Not a Buddhist term.
祖父母の在家は田んぼに囲まれている。
My grandparents' farmhouse is surrounded by rice fields.
週末は山の在家で過ごすのが好きだ。
I like spending weekends at the cottage in the mountains.
在家の信者でも、修行に参加できる。
Even lay believers can participate in the training.
出家 means a monk or nun who has left home to join a monastic order, while 在家 refers to a layperson who remains in secular life.
From Middle Chinese 在家 (dzojX kɛ, 'to be at home'). The Buddhist sense developed from the idea of remaining in the secular world rather than entering a monastery. The 'country home' sense is a straightforward extension of 'being at home' in a rural setting.