Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c30.30

c30.30

**Udyāna.** Udyāna was once a flourishing seat of Mahāyāna Buddhism. with 1,400 monasteries inhabited by 18,000 Brethren lining the two banks of its river, most of which were now in ruins. The few monks that lived there "occupied themselves with silent meditation; they were clever at reciting their books without penetrating their deep meaning; they lived strictly according to their rules and were specially expert in magical exorcisms". Their course of studies included the five redactions of the Vinaya of the Hīnayānists, although they were themselves Mahāyānists, viz. Dharmagupta, Mahīśāsika, Kāśyapīya, Sarvāstivādin, and Mahāsāṁghika (p. 226).