The University of Nalanda c15.28

c15.28

The pilgrim inspired so much confidence and struck his tutor so much with his devotion, zeal and mental abilities, that we find Śilabhadra deputing Hiuen Tsiang on his return visit to Nālandā, to expound, to the congregation, the Mahāyāna-samparigraha-śāstra and comments on the difficulties of the Vidyā-mātra-siddhi-śāstra.¹ But Hiuen Tsiang occupied a much more honourable post at Nālandā, than even the teacher and expounder of the above works. He attempted, in a work called Hwui-Tsung, to reconcile the two contradictory doctrines: that there is nothing to be attained by effort; and its opposite, that we may attain the one true nature (by Yoga). The composition, when presented to Śīlabhadra and to the assembly of eminent pandits was very highly spoken of and it was included in the curriculum for study.²