Shantarakshita was a scholar of
Nalanda, who pioneered the propagation of Buddhism in Tibet in the 8th century.
He was invited by the Tibetan king, Khurisron deutsang, and established the
monastery at Samye.
Serving as its first abbot. He and his disciple
Kamalashia (student of Nalanda) essentially taught Tibetans how to do
philosophy.
Padmasambhava
who was also invited from Nalanda Mahavihara by the king in 747 AD, is credited
as a founder of Tibetan Buddhism.
The
Nalanda student and scholar Dharmakarti AD 7th century was one
of the Buddhist founders of Indian Philosophical Logic.
As well
as one of the primary theorists of Buddhist
Atomism.
Mahayana
Buddhism followed in Vietnam, China, Korea and Japan, flourished within the
walls of the ancient school.
A number
of scholars have associated some Mahayana texts such as the" Shurangama
Sutra".
An important sutra in East Asian Buddhism, with the
Buddhist tradition at Nalanda.
Ron
Epstein also notes that the general doctrinal position of the sutra does indeed
correspond to what is known about the Buddhist teachings at Nalanda toward the
end of the Gupta period when it was translated.
Traditional sources state that Nalanda was visited
by both Mahavira and the Buddha in BC 6th and 5th century.
It is also the
place of birth and nirvana of Sariputra , one of the famous disciples of
Buddha.
- Aryabhatt – Great Astrologer
- Aryadev - student of Nagarjuna
- Atisha - Mahayana and Vajrayana scholar
- Chandrakirti - student of Nagarjuna
- Dharmkirti - logician
- Dharmpal - King of Pal Dynasty.
- Dignath - founder of Buddhist Logic
- Nagarjuna - formaliser of the concept of Shunayata or Zero
- Naropa - student of Tilopa and teacher of Marpa
- Shilabhadra - Head Nalanda Visva Mahavihara – Vidalaya and teacher of Xuanzang
- Xuanzang (also known as Hiuen Tsang) - Chinese Buddhist, scholar, traveler
- It – sing or Yijing – Chinese scholar, Nalanda student and traveler.
7. Excavations
@ Nalanda -
In 19th
century the site was surveyed and preliminary excavations were conducted by
the Archaeological Survey of India.
Systematic
excavations commenced in 1915 which unearthed 11(eleven) monasteries and 6
(six) brick temples, which are neatly arranged in ordered layout on
ground.
In
excavated ruins today it only occupies an area of around 1,600 feet
(488 m) North to South and around 800 feet (244 m) East to West or
roughly 12 hectares of area. Nalanda Mahavihara occupied a far greater area in
medieval times.
It was
considered an architectural masterpiece, and was marked by a lofty wall and one
gate. Nalanda had eight separate compounds and ten temples, along with many
other meditation halls and classrooms. On the grounds were lakes and parks .
A 100 ft (30 m) wide passage runs from
north to south with the temples to its west and the monasteries to its
east.
A trove of sculptures, coins, seals, and
inscriptions have also been discovered in the ruins many of which are on display
in the Nalanda Archaeological Museum situated nearby.
Most structures show evidence of multiple periods
of construction with new buildings being raised atop the ruins of old ones.
Many of the buildings also display signs of damage by fire on at least one
occasion.
All the monasteries at Nalanda are very similar in
layout and general appearance.
Their plan involves a rectangular form with a
central quadrangular court which is surrounded by a verandah which, in turn, is
bounded by an outer row of cells for the monks.
The central cell facing the entrance leading into
the court is a shrine chamber.
Its strategic position means that it would have
been the first thing that drew the eye when entering the edifice.
With the exception of those designated 1A and 1B,
the monasteries all face west with drains emptying out in the east and
staircases positioned in the south-west corner of the buildings.
Monastery 1 is considered the oldest and the most
important of the monastery group and shows as many as nine levels of
construction. Its lower monastery is believed to be the one sponsored by
Balaputradeva, the Srivijayan king, during the reign of Devapala in the 9th
century.
The building was originally at least 2 storey’s high and contained a
colossal statue of a seated Buddha.
Numerous
sculptures, murals, copper plates, inscriptions, seals, coins, plaques,
potteries and works in stone, bronze, stucco and terracotta have been unearthed
within the ruins of Nalanda.
Surviving Nalanda manuscripts -
Fleeing
monks took some of the Nalanda manuscripts. A few of them have survived and are
preserved in collections such as those at:
Los Angeles County Museum of ART,
Asia Society
Yarlung Museum, Tsetang (From the On ke ru
Lha khang monastery.
Present
or Modern or New Nalanda Mahavihara -
In 1951,
the New Nalanda Mahavihara), a modern centre for Pali, Prakrit and
Buddhism in the spirit of the ancient institution, was founded by the
Government of Bihar, India near Nalanda's ruins.
It was Deemed to be a
University in 2006.
September
1, 2014, saw the commencement of the first academic year of a modern Nalanda
University, with 15 students, in nearby Rajgir.
It
has been established in a bid to revive the ancient seat of learning.
The
university has acquired 455 acres of land for its campus and has been allotted
₹2727 crores (around $454M) by the Indian government.
It is also being funded
by the governments of China, Singapore, Australia, Thailand, and others.
This is
not the end of the story of Nalanda.
Even a book is not enough for it. Many
books have written on it. My work is just a drop in the ocean of Nalanda.
I
have personally visited this place more than 20 times from my
childhood.
The End.
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