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Buddhist System of Education
61
The preceptors of allied subjects were given seats close to one another, while those teaching different subjects had their seats in different cells.
As already observed, the monasteries were the residential centres of the learners. They came into existence first for spiritual training of the monks. But they gradually changed into great centres of learning. Later on they turned into big universities to which flocked students from far and near to gather knowledge on different subjects.
Righteousness, generosity and alms-giving are peculiar to the Indian people. Charity to noble causes is indeed a meritorious deed. History furnishes us with ample instances of such gifts to the noble causes by the people of India. Kings, nobles and the like used to meet the cost of running these Universities. Rich merchants also contributed largely for the upkeep of the Universities. The Buddhist monasteries of the times became the seats and centres of both sacred and secular learning, and being freely resorted to by both Buddhist monks and laymen, and even by non-Buddhists, materially aided in the diffusion of learning and culture in the country.1 Of them the Univer. sity of Nalanda to which flocked students from far off countries attracts our attention most. It accommodated ten thousand pupils and one hundred scholars to teach them. The noted Chinese pilgrim HiuenTsang himself studied in this University for five years. By virtue of their character and erudition the teachers of Nalanda became the ideal teachers in those days. During this period there were other Universities like Vallabhi, Vikramsila, Jagaddal, Odantapuri and the like which deserve mention here. This shows the vastness of cultural activity carried on in the domain of education by the monks of the monasteries.
1. R. K. Mookherji, Ancient Indian Education, p. 546.
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