Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c29.3

c29.3

**Value of the Account of a Foreigner, and an Eye-witness.** From the account of education as built up on the basis of the materials and indirect allusions scattered through the Buddhist sacred texts, we now turn to that given by an eye-witness himself from his first-hand observation of the working of the educational institutions then flourishing at the chief centres of Buddhist learning in India. Such an account would be doubly interesting and trustworthy when it proceeds from an eye-witness who is a foreigner. We have no means of positively ascertaining how far the educational conditions referred to in the sacred texts, were in actual existence, for the sacred texts are naturally more concerned with the exposition of the *ideal* conditions, precepts, and maxims, with what *ought* to be than with what *is*. The evidence of Fa-Hien is, therefore, all the more valuable, because, as picturing the existing conditions and realities, it helps us to obtain a confirmation of the sacred evidence which, by itself, cannot lead to definite and positive conclusions.