Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c31.42

c31.42

All these men, says I-tsing, were renowned as much for their character as for their learning, in both of which they aspired after the highest ideal. In character they were "anxious to follow in the footsteps of the Sages"; in learning, if it was Logic (Hetuvidyā) they studied, "they aspired to be like Jina," and if it was Yoga, they had Asaṅga as their model. In discourse, they followed Nāgārjuna, and, in philosophical exposition, Saṁghabhadra. With these distinguished scholars, our pilgrim had the benefit of a personal contact. Says he: "I, I-tsing, used to converse with these teachers so intimately that I was able to receive invaluable instruction personally from them. I have always been very glad that I had the opportunity of acquiring knowledge from them personally which I should otherwise never have possessed, and that I could refresh my memory of past study by comparing old *notes* with new ones" (p. 185).