History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c10.21.2

v1.c10.21.2

The development of Nyāya philosophy which Buddhism to some extent made its own lent indeed a scholastic character to such discussions and there was no criterion of truth except the opponent's defeat in discussion. Yet they have an interest and a value of their own as reason was held supreme or in other words as the argument from revelation was never resorted to. Bāṇa's work gives ample testimony to the popularity of such discussions in his time. Especially, Hiuen Tsang records the great assemblies of learned men which were convened at the time of the quinquennial alms-giving ceremonies which Harsha used to hold at Prayāga and at the last of which Hiuen Tsang himself was the president of the assembly. The usual procedure in such assemblies was that some one made a declaration of his doctrines and called upon all present to refute them. Sometimes a written declaration was posted at the gate of a monastery calling upon adversaries to tear it. Hiuen Tsang tells us of one such declaration posted by a Brahmin opponent to the door of the Nālandā monastery which no body daring to tear, he himself tore and then entering upon a controversy with the Brahmin defeated him, he having first sworn to be a slave of the man who would defeat him. Hiuen Tsang, however, relieved him from his oath and allowed him to depart a Buddhist.