C. Nirmala Devi*

* Assistant Professor,  Sarah Tucker College, (Autonomous), Tirunelveli.

Abstract
Buddhist education aims at a personality transformation into a highest form of humanity through ethical, intellectual and spiritual perfection.  These three faculties of perfection of human life undoubtedly lead a man through mundane happiness to supra mundane happiness, which is the highest achievement we all are equally looking for.  Education is seen or expected to shape the character of a society.  This paper attempts to discuss on Buddhist teaching methods in ancient India.  It is well-known that with the rise of Buddhism in India there dawned the golden age of India’s culture and civilisation.  With the rise of Buddhism in India, there arose many centres of learning which did not exist before.  Buddhist Education made revolutionary change in the society.  We still remember the glory of the Universities like Nalanda, Vikramsila, Sompouri, Salban, Jagaddal, Pandit Vihar, Taxila.  This paper also highlights the important role played by the Buddhist monasteries in the promotion of education in India as well as other Asian countries.
Introduction
The most important contribution of ancient India is not only for India, but also for the world in the field of education.  It may also be remembered that education is not an abstract term.  It is manifested in the cultural, economic, individual, philosophical, scientific, social and spiritual advancement.  In other words, education is the means for developing the mind for the betterment of the individual and society.
Lord Buddha was the founder of Buddhism.  It is counted as one of the eleven religions of the world.  Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment under a Pipal tree in Bodh Gaya and came to be known as ‘Tathagat’ or ‘Buddha’.   ‘Buddha’ means learned, wise or intelligent and ‘Tathagat’ is one who knowns the truth. Lord Buddha visualizing the existing condition showed the way to the people to lead a highly moral life.  Buddhism not only showed noble path to the people of India but shed its lustre over the whole world.  It is due to this reason that Gautamas’s name is still remembered with respect and reverence.
Development in Education
In the field of education, Buddhists made an amazing contribution.  The Buddha first started his teaching career wandering from house to house, village to village and street to street.  Then he founded his Centres of education in the monasteries such as Veluvanarama in Rajagraha, Jetavanarama and Pubbarama in Savathi.  The Buddhist Sanghas and Viharas served as great Centres of Education.  Students came to these places to receive education not only from different parts of India but also from Tibet and China etc.  Nalanda, Taxila and Vikramshila which gained reputations as great educational Centres were actually originally Buddha Viharas only.  Nalanda particularly enjoyed great reputation as an educational Centre and has been described as the Oxford University of Buddhism.  It may be noted that these institutions did not impart instructions only in religion but also in other subjects such as secular literature, logic, philosophy, medicines, military science and economics.
Aims of Buddhist Education
The goal of Buddhist education is to attain wisdom.  In Sanskrit, the language of ancient India, the Buddhist wisdom was called “Anuttara-Samyak-Sambhodi” meaning the perfect ultimate wisdom. The Buddha taught us that the main objective of our practice or cultivation was to achieve this ultimate wisdom.
i.    The chief aim of Buddhist education was all round development of child’s personality.  This included his physical, mental, moral and intellectual development.
ii.    The principal goal of the Buddhist Education is to change an unwise to wise, beast to priest.
iii.    The chief aim of education was propagation of religion and inculcation of religious feelings and education served as a mean to achieve salvation or nirvana.
The Nature of Mass Education
In the early period Buddhist Education was limited within the monasteries and only for the members of the monastery.  But, later on it was open to all. Buddhist Education made revolutionary changes in the society.  The monasteries or Buddha Vihars were the chief Centres of learning and only the Buddhist monks could be admitted to them for education.  The people in general received moral and religious education from the monks.
Women’s Education
It appears that women did not occupy the same position as they did in the Vedic period.  It is well-known that Buddha refused to admit women into his Sangha.   But after some time due to the insistence of his dear pupil Ananda, Buddha had permitted about 500 women along with his step- mother for admission in Viharas with many restriction and reservations.  Buddhist Sangha  had given attention to the cultural development and social uplift of the women.
There were Bhikshunis whose spiritual knowledge was very high and they could influence a good number of people.  Many Bhikshunis took the duties of social services also.  Some of them had studied the philosophy deeply and had become poetess and writers.  Some of them had studied even politics and took active part in politics of the day.  Some of them had even gone to foreign countries to preach Buddhism.  Sheelbhattarika, Prabhudevi and Viyanka were famous in those days as poets and writers.  The daughter of the Emperor Asoka Sanghamitra was very famous Bhikshuni, who had done remarkable services for Buddhism.
Qualities and Responsibilities of the Teacher
The teacher must spend at least ten years as a monk and necessarily must have the purity of character, purity of thoughts and generosity.  Both the teacher and student were responsible to the monastery.  But regarding education, clothes, food and residence of the student monk, the teacher was fully responsible.  The teacher was also responsible for any treatment of the student whenever he fell ill. They kept eyes on the all round development of the student.  There was mutual esteem between the teacher and the pupil.  Their relations were like father and son.  The teacher was regarded as spiritual father or intellectual father of the student.
Concept of Student
The aim of Buddhist Education is to make a free man, wise, intelligent, moral, non-violent and secular man.  Students became judicious, humanist, logical and free from superstition.  Students became free from greed, lust and ignorance. Buddhist Education was wide open and available to the people of all walks of life.
The student was expected to serve his teacher with all devotion.  On rising in the morning the student will arrange everything for the daily routine of the teacher.  The student had to prepare himself to receive education at any time whenever the teacher required him.  The Buddhist system enjoins upon the pupil the duty of serving this preceptor as part of education.
Admission Process
Monasteries were the Centres for imparting education during the Buddhist period.  For admission the student had to present himself before the teacher and request him for giving education.  The teacher was fully responsible for the education of his pupil.  In turn, the pupil had also to be responsive to the instructions received from the teacher.  The student was not at all accountable to any other Bhikshuk in monastery.  The novices first entered into the Sangha (Bhikkhy Sangha), then had to follow the monastic rules and Sangha rules.  Even today these rules are followed.
Teaching Method
At first there was a private and group teachings.  Later it developed into class room.  In due course Sangharamas developed into residential College and universities.  In the history of Education  universities played major role in the propagation of Buddhism, Buddhist history, Art and Culture.  In the Universities world famous scholars like Atisa Dipankar, Silabrada, Santarakshit were the teachers.  Many valuable books were written.
We still remember the glory of the Universities like Nalanda, Vikramsila, Sompouri, Salban, Jagaddal, Pandit Vihar and Taxila.  The supremacy of those Universities were unparallel. Students from China, Myanmar, Thailand, Gandhara and all parts of ancient India came to have their education in those Universities.  Buddhist Education is a combination between individual and class-room education.
The curriculum was spiritual in nature.  The aim of education was to attain salvation or nirvana.  The method of teaching was mostly oral in nature.  The following were the methods:-
·    Verbal Education
·    Discussion
·    Prominence of Logic
·    Tours
·    Conference
·    Meditation in Solitude
The Six Buddhist Universities of Ancient India
It is well-known that with the rise of Buddhism in India there dawned the golden age of India’s culture and civilisation.  There was progress in all aspects of Indian civilisation under the impact of Buddhism.  There arose many centres of learning which did not exist before.  Buddhist India came to have six major Universities which achieved wide fame.  These six were   Nalanda,  Vikramashila, Odantapuri, Jagaddala, Somapura and Vallabhi.
Nalanda University
Nalanda is the best known of ancient Indian Universities, and its ruins have been preserved by Archaeological Survey of Indian (ASI).  It is situated in Bihar State, the ancient Magatha country.  Magadha is well-known as cradle of Buddhism.  Nalanda was a prosperous city during the days of the Buddha.  He visited it during his preaching itineraries.
Nalanda University was established by Shakraditya of Gupta dynasty in modern Bihar during early 5th Century and flourished for 600 years till 12th Century.
Nalanda was the world’s first University to have residential quarters for both students and teachers.  It also had large public lecture halls and three libraries.  Students from countries like Korea, Japan, China, Tibet, Indonesia, Persia and Turkey came to study in this University.
The seal of Nalanda University set in terracotta on display in the AST Museum in Nalanda.  We get a comprehensive account of Nalanda University from Hieun Tsang, the brilliant Chinese scholar who came there for his studies during the reign of King Harsha-Siladitya.  Back in Chinese he wrote this famed “Ta – Tang – Si – Yu – Ki” Buddhist Travels in the western world.  I-Tsing (675-685) was another Chinese monk who came to India and studied at Nalanda. At the time of Fa-Hions visit it was an ordinary Buddhist monastery.
Nalanda University occupied an area of 30 acres.  Nalanda was graced by the presence of India’s most brilliant luminaries.  Some of them were Nagarjuna, Aryadeva, Dharmapala, Silabhadra and Kamalaseela.   The works they left behind are mostly available in Tibetan and Chinese translations.  The originals perished when Muslim invaders under Bhaktiar Khilji, the invader of Mahadha set fire to Nalanda.
On 19.11.1958 the President of India, Rajendra Prasad inaugurated the Nava Nalanda Viharaya at a site close to the ancient University.  The Chinese Government donated five lakhs of rupees for a mausoleum which enshrines these relics.  The Muslims carried the University idea to the West, and after that Universities came up in the western world.
Vikramashila
Vikramashila University was established by Dharmapala of Pala dynasty during late 8th Century and flourished for 400 years till 12th Century.  Vikramashila University was located in the Bhagalpur District of modern day Bihar.  Vikramashila University gave direct competition to Nalanda University with over 100 teachers and over 1000 students listed in this University.  This University was well known for its specialized training on the subject of Tantra (Tantrism).  One of the most popular graduates from Vikramashila University was Atisa Dipankara, a founder of the Sharma tradition of Tibetan Buddhism who also revived the Buddhism in Tibet.  Dipankara Sri Gnana’s period was the golden era of Vikramashila.
Odantapuri
Odantapuri was considered the second oldest of India’s Universities.  This was situated in Maghada, about 6 miles away from Nalanda.  Acharya Sri Ganga of Vikramashila had been a student here.  King Gopala (660-705) was the patron who helped to found this University.  According to the Tibetan records there were about 12,000 students at Odantapuri.  This University too perished at the hands of the Muslim invaders.
Somapura
Somapura was situated in East Pakistan.  King Devapala (AC 810-850) is said to have erected the Dharmapala-Vihara at Somapura.  The ruins of these buildings cover an area of about 1 square mile.  There was a large gate and the buildings were surrounded by a high-wall.  There were about 177 cells for monks in additions to the shrines and image houses.  A common refectory and a kitchen are among the ruins.  Remains of three-stored buildings are to be seen.  This University flourished for about 750 years before it was abandoned after the Muslim invasion.
Jagaddala
King Ramapala (1077-1129) is said to be the founder of this University.  Jagaddala University was the largest construction work undertaken by the Pala Kings.  This was a Centre for the study and dissemination of Tantric Buddhishm.  It followed the methods, practices, and traditions of Nalanda.  According to Tibetan works many books were translated to the Tibetan language at Jagaddala.  The Buddhist teacher Sakya Sri Bhadra, seeing that Nalanda, Vikramshila, and Odantapuri were in ruins after the Muslim invasion, entered Jagaddala for his studies.  It is said that his pupil Danaseela translated ten books to Tibetan.   Sakya Sri Bhadra was responsible for the propagation of Tantric Buddhism in Tibet.  He lived for seven years at Jagaddala.  In 1027 the Muslim invaders sack and destroyed Jagaddala.
Vallabhi
Vallabhi University was established in Saurashtra of modern Gujarat at around 6th Century and it flourished for 600 years till 12th Century.  Chinese traveller Itsing who visited this university during the 7th Century describes it as a great Centre of learning.  Gunamati and Sthiramati, the two famous Buddhist scholars are said to have graduated from the University.  This University was popular for its training in secular subjects and students from all over the country came to study in this University.  Because of its high quality of education, graduates of this University were given higher executive posts.
Conclusion
In the ancient period Buddhist Monasteries and in the later period Buddhist Universities played major role in developing Buddhist Education.  In these institutions teachers were highly qualified and sincere to their duties.  The main aim of Buddhist Education was to make a free man, an intelligent man, a wise, moral, talented, non-violent and secular man.  Buddhist Education makes man judicious, humanist, logical and free from superstitions.
References
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2.    Anand W.P. Gurge, The Contribution of Buddhism to Education, A paper presented in International Seminar on Buddhism, Delhi, 1971.
3.    Banerjee R.D., The Age of Imperial Gupta, Ramanand Vidya Bhawan, Varanasi, 1981,
4.    Coomaraswamy Ananda, Buddha and Gospel of Buddhism, London, 1928.
5.    Four Authors, A Simple History of Ancient India (From Earliest Time to 1000 A.D.), 1997.
6.    K. L. Khurana,  Ancient India, (From Earliest Times to 1206 A.D.).
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8.    Manish Meshram, Role of Buddhist Education in Ancient India,  A paper published in International Journal of Research in Humanities, Arts and Literature, 2013.
9.    Mookerjee K.K., Ancient Indian Education.
10.    S.C. Raychoudhary, History of Ancient India (Earliest times to 320 A.D.).
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12.    V.D. Mahajan, Ancient India, 1991.

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