noun
temple kitchen; monastery kitchen
Buddhist term for the kitchen area within a temple or monastery where meals are prepared.
庫裏では朝早くから精進料理の準備が始まる。
In the temple kitchen, preparations for vegetarian meals begin early in the morning.
noun
head priest's quarters
Refers to the living quarters of the head priest and his family within a temple compound.
住職は庫裏で家族と静かに暮らしている。
The head priest lives quietly with his family in the quarters.
The kanji 庫 (storehouse) and 裏 (back, rear) together suggest a building at the back of a temple used for storage and daily living; the exact historical derivation is uncertain.