Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c31.22

c31.22

To the ordinary and traditional curriculum of specialized priestly studies in the monasteries which included the Vinaya works, the Sūtras and the Śāstras (p. 181), some new works seem to have been added in course of time. Among these, I-tsing mentions the two hymns of 150 and 400 verses attributed to Mātṛicheta (the former of which was translated by I-tsing during his stay at Nālanda). "Throughout India," says our pilgrim, "everyone who becomes a monk is taught Mātṛicheta's two hymns as soon as he can recite the five and ten precepts (*śīla*). This course is adopted by both the Mahāyāna and Hīnayāna schools" (p. 157). "After one is able to recite them, one proceeds to learn other Sūtras" (p. 158). These two hymns were valued not merely for their contents but also for their language showing "how to compose verses". Next to them I-tsing mentions the *Buddhacharitakāvya* of Aśvaghosha which "is widely read or sung throughout the five divisions of India, and the countries of the Southern Sea" (p. 166), as well as the two other works already mentioned, viz. Nāgārjuna's *Suhṛillekha* and the *Jātakamālā*.¹ Advanced studies and specialization were also carried on in a few other subjects on which considerable literature had been developed, as described by I-tsing. Thus some Bhikshus might elect to study the *Yoga* system for which the curriculum included, as the first book of study, the *Yogāchārya-Śāstra*, to be followed by Asaṅga's Eight Śāstras, which are named. If a priest wanted to distinguish himself in the study of *Logic* he was to master Jina's Eight Śāstras, which are also named. Similarly, six Pādas or treatises are mentioned in connection with the study of the Abhidharma or Metaphysics and four Nikāyas or classes of works in connection with the Āgamas. The mastery of the Abhidharma and Āgama works was regarded as essential for any Bhikshu who wanted to successfully combat heretics and disputants (pp. 186-7).