Perhaps due to misunderstandings by early Western scholars attempting to understand Tibetan Buddhism; the term 'Lama' has historically been erroneously applied to Tibetan monks generally. Similarly; Tibetan Buddhism was referred to as 'Lamaism' by early Western academics and travelers who did not understand that what they were witnessing was a form of Buddhism; they may also have been unaware of the distinction between Tibetan Buddhism and Bon. The term 'Lamaism' is now considered derogatory.