The University of Nalanda c13.36

c13.36

But, there were some subjects, mainly pertaining to the religious side of Buddhism and not to the philosophical, in which, we can, with some propriety, say that lectures were delivered. Hwui Li is quite clear on this point. He writes, "Within the Temple they arrange every day about 100 pulpits for preaching, and the students attend these discourses without fail, even for a minute."⁴ Even these lectures, very often took the shape of personal discussion between the teacher and the student, who could not follow the lecture or had some doubts regarding some topics in the lecture.¹ Numerous instances of such nature are met with in the *Vinaya Texts*: *Cullavagga*, *Mahāvagga*, etc. Sometimes, a professor lectured on knotty problems referred to him by the students, who, while discussing among themselves, could not solve them. Or as Buddha very often did, the professor lectured to the whole mass of students on some important problem that he had solved, or on some truth that he had divined.