Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c22.22

c22.22

**Upādhyāya and Āchārya as Teachers.** We shall now discuss the arrangements for educating the monks. Even the higher ordination of Upasampadā does not give the ordained monk liberty of conduct or independent status. As has been already indicated, he was placed in charge of two superiors qualified by learning, character, and standing, who were called the *Āchārya* and *Upādhyāya*. It is difficult to distinguish their functions from the texts. They are described in *Mahāvagga* [i, 25–33]. The distinction seems to be that the *Upādhāya* was the higher authority entrusted with the duty of instructing the young Bhikkhu in the sacred texts and doctrines, while the *Āchārya* assumed responsibility for his conduct and was thus called also *Karmāchārya* in reference, probably, not merely to his part in the ecclesiastical Act but also to his tutorial responsibility as regards discipline. [See I-tsing, tr. Takakusu, pp. 106, 198.] According to Buddhaghosha [commenting on *Mahāv.*, v, 4, 2], the *Upādhāya* is to be of ten years' and the *Āchārya* of six years' seniority. But, of course, mere seniority is no qualification unless the monk was also learned and competent [ib., i, 35]. In Brahmanical education, however, the *Āchārya* ranks higher than the *Upādhyāya* [Manu, ii, 145; Yājñavalkya, i, 35; and *S.B.E.*, xiii, p. 179 n.]. Thus an *upasampanna bhikkhu* has to live under the control of two teachers for his mental and moral training. This period of training or dependence (*nissaya*) is for at least ten years [*Mahāvagga*, i, 32, 1; but in i, 54, 4 the period is reduced to five years for "a learned and competent Bhikkhu"