Education in Ancient India c4.77

c4.77

Caste System and Buddhist Education: The caste system did not at all influence the education imparted in Buddhist centres of learning. This was but natural, for the Buddha was against the system and argued that the worth of a man should be determined by his actual merit, and not by his descent or family status. Persons were admitted to the Order irrespective of their castes; Upāli, one of the favourite disciples of the Buddha, was a barber before he joined the Order.² But though it is true that everybody could become a preacher after a certain number of years, it is interesting to note that among famous Buddhist teachers and scholars, the vast majority consisted of those who had originally hailed from Brahmanical families. Thus Moggallāna, Sāriputta, Nāgasena, Vasubandhu and Nāgārjuna were all Brahmanas before their conversion. As far as the curriculum is concerned, it was predominently religious and philosophical, as it was primarily intended for monks and nuns and not for the laity. We therefore need not consider whether the caste system in any way determined or affected the imparting of useful or professional education in Buddhist colleges.