प्राचीन भारत में शिक्षा (डॉ. ए.एस. अल्तेकर - गुरुकुल एवं बौद्ध विहार शिक्षण इतिहास)

230 EDUCATION IN ANCIENT INDIA [Ch.
like those of Nālandā, Valabhi and Vikramaśilā
became international centres of learning and spread
the fame of Indian education in Central and Eastern
Asia. Nālandā could get an endowment even from a
king of distant Java. Kings and merchant-princes in
India vied with each other in giving rich endowments
to these famous centres of education, and they in
turn used to give not only free tuition but also free
food and clothing, certainly to monks and probably to
lay students also. How these institutions were
organsied and managed has been already explained
in connection with the account of the Nālandā Univer-
sity (pp. 114-123). Buddhist monasteries were either
independent and self-sufficient townships or situated
on the outskirts of towns and villages. They therefore
enjoyed the advantage of a quiet atmosphere.
Non-sectarian and comprehensive Courses :—
Though organised and managed by Buddhists, monastic
colleges were neither sectarian in their outlook nor
purely theological in their courses. Buddhist philo-
sophy naturally played an important part in their
scheme of education, but adequate attention was also
given to the study of the religion and philosophy of
the different sects in Hinduism and Jainism. More
than two fifth of the time of Yuan Chwang was spent
in studying Hindu religion and philosophy in Buddhist
monasteries in India. ( Nor was the education confined
only to theology, philosophy and logic. Sanskrit
literature, astronomy-cum-astrology, medicine and
works on law, polity and administration were also
taught for the benefit of lay students in order to enable
them to get government service or follow useful and
learned professions in society. 1 Books being fragile and
costly, students were naturally encouraged to commit