Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c25.22

c25.22

round of debates and discussions with the exponents of other Schools of Thought or answering of questions put to him at the Assemblies of his own disciples. The canonical Buddhist Texts are full of references to the conversions of the Buddha, following his delivery of a discourse. Indian religion had already then, as we have seen, split up into any number of Schools and Sects whose followers, organized into ascetic brotherhoods like the Buddhists, were constantly meeting at Assemblies for discussions of their different doctrines. The *Sutta Nipāta* (382) characterizes these Brāhmaṇa ascetics, *Parivrājakas*, as *Vādaśīla*, disputatious, *Vitaṇḍas*, and *Lokāyatas*, sophists, casuists, and materialists. There are many instances recorded in Buddhist Texts of the leaders of Brahmanical ascetic sects meeting the Buddha at discussions. Similarly, Jainism also had to take its part in the religious disputations of the day. We read how the followers of Pārśva led by Keśī had a fateful discussion with those of Mahāvīra under Gautama in the Park called Tinduka at Śrāvastī, as a result of which Jainism divided into two sects. There were similar controversies between the followers of Mahāvīra and Gosāla, followed by a similar schism.