householder ［居士］ ( griha-pati; Pali gaha-pati;  koji): In Buddhist scriptures, a male lay practitioner of Buddhism. Griha-pati, which means the master of a house, referred especially to wealthy householders of the Vaishya class, one of the four castes in ancient India and the class of merchants and artisans. Griha means house, and pati means master, owner, or ruler. The term householder also refers in general to a layman well versed in Buddhism, or simply a layman.