The University of Nalanda c13.56

c13.56

Our University student was strikingly different from the Mediæval European University student, as far as liberty was concerned. If the reader of books on Mediæval European Universities would be astonished, as Rashdall¹ thinks, at the unfettered liberty—not to say the licence—which the European student enjoyed, the reader of books on ancient Indian Universities would be astonished at what may be called serfdom, which the Indian student had to go through, in order to acquire education. But what we term ‘serfdom’ now, was deemed as duty from the Indian standpoint, and therefore the student did not feel the restraint that was put upon his freedom. The following passage from I-Tsing tells us how completely the student gave himself up to the teacher for the acquisition of knowledge, which could never be dreamt of, in the Europe of the Middle Ages nor even in modern India. Says the traveller, “ He goes to his teacher at the first watch and at the last watch in the night. First the teacher bids him sit down comfortably. (Selecting some passages) from the Tripitakas, he gives a lesson in a way that suits circumstances, and does not pass any fact or theory unexplained. He inspects his pupil’s moral conduct, and warns him of defects and transgressions. Whenever he finds his pupil faulty, he makes him seek remedies and repent. The pupil rubs the teacher’s body, folds his clothes, or sometimes sweeps the apartment and the yard. Then having examined water to see whether insects be in it, he gives it to the teacher. Thus if there be anything to be done, he does all on behalf of his teacher.”²