Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c31.46

c31.46

**Self-government in Monasteries.** Apart from their studies and discipline, which were controlled by their teachers, the monks had other matters in their own collective control. If we may generalize on the basis of what I-tsing says of a particular but a typical monastery (viz. that at Tāmralipti), the monasteries in his time were democratically governed and not governed by a bureaucracy of the kind described in the Vinaya. The bureaucratic element in their management was represented by the solitary official called *Karmadāna*, the managing monk, but his powers seem to have been very limited, being only to announce the commencement of any ceremonies or service, etc., by striking a bell and to superintend the preparation of food (p. 148). At the Tāmralipti monastery, "no principal office was appointed; when any business happened, it was settled by the assembly; and if any priest decided anything by himself alone, or treated the priests favourably or unfavourably at his own pleasure without regarding the will of the assembly he was expelled from the monastery" and dubbed a *Kulapati* (householder). In the case of any improper and immoral act done by any monk, a special investigation was instituted by the monks meeting in an assembly where the culprit, his accomplices, and the witnesses were subjected to a cross-examination, and the due punishment was pronounced. "Thus all the priests submitted to their own laws without giving any trouble to the public court" (p. 63).