Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t1.2

v1.c7.s7.t1.2

Indian Buddhist monks were learned people; many of them were Hindu Brahmins by birth. They customarily studied the prominent sciences of time in their childhood. Biographies of Indian monks, who visited China from the 2^nd century onwards, mention that they learnt five secular sciences or *Pańcavidyā* as a basic training course. These sciences were also taught at the Nalanda University along with other religious training.