Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c24.31

c24.31

**The Jetavana Vihāra as an ideal Vihāra.** The best example of a Vihāra was that constructed for the Saṁgha by the merchant prince Anāthapiṇḍika in the Ārāma made in the garden of Prince Jeta. The ideal site for such an Ārāma as indicated by the Buddha was that it must be "not too far from the town and not too near, convenient for going and for coming, easily accessible for all who wish to visit him, by day not too crowded, by night not exposed to too much noise and alarm, protected from the wind, hidden from men, well fitted for a retired life". The Jetavana being such a site, the merchant was anxious to acquire it for his Master but was told by the owner: "It is not, Sir, for sale even for a sum so great that the pieces of money would be sufficient to cover it if they were laid side by side." The merchant took advantage of this supposed offer by saying: "I take, sir, the garden at the price." The Prince, puzzled at this unexpected reply, tried to back out, saying: "No, O householder, there was no bargain meant." But the merchant insisted on this unusual bargain being closed, though he had everything to lose by it: he was serving his religion in the manner of a Shylock. He took the matter to law, demanding the specific performance of the contract, and "asked the Lords of Justice whether a bargain of sale had been made or not. And the Lords decided thus: 'The Ārāma is taken, Sir, at the price which you fixed.' " In pursuance of the Court's judgment and decree, the merchant "had gold brought down in carts" and covered the entire space of the extensive garden with the gold pieces laid side by side (the pieces being not round but square ones according to their representation on a bas-relief at the Bharhut Stūpa). But there was left one small space close by the gateway which could not be covered by the gold brought. The donor was sending for a fresh supply when he was stopped by the Prince, now moved by this charity which, he declared, "was no ordinary matter": "It is enough, O householder. You need not have that space covered. Let me have that space, and it shall be my gift." Anāthapiṇḍika, considering the Prince to be a valuable acquisition to the Order, yielded to his wishes. "And Jeta, the Kumāra, erected thereon a gateway with a room over it." "And Anāthapiṇḍika, the householder, built dwelling rooms, retiring rooms, storerooms over the gateways, service halls, halls with fire-places in them, storehouses outside the Vihāra, closets, cloisters, halls for exercise, wells and sheds for the wells, bath-rooms and halls attached to the bath-rooms, ponds and open-roofed sheds or arbours (*maṇḍapas*)" [*Chullav.*, vi, 4].