Page 52 - The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand Vol.XIII-2021

The International Journal of the Royal Society of Thailand
Volume XIII – 2021

books and people to travel across distant lands. Nonetheless, we can see the
intellectual vigor and dynamism that was present at Nalanda during Xuanzang’s

time. Books and treatises were constantly written; their content expounded to
learned audience who evaluated their content as to their quality. There were
numerous debates and discussions. Monks and scholars were genuinely interested

in learning, as we can see from Xuanzang’s request of books that had been lost
during his journey back to China. At Nalanda we can imagine classrooms where
student-monks studied with their masters, timetables of lectures, students
deliberating on which classes to attend, which professors’ lectures they should
attend. Undoubtedly there were many, many books housed in libraries where the

students and faculty could make use of. So it is clear that Nalanda was not only a
place where knowledge was transmitted, but also one where new knowledge was
constantly produced. This is a very important point that Thai universities must

learn from. The subjects taught and produced at Nalanda were not limited to
Buddhist ones, but all kinds of knowledge available at that time—grammar, logic,
medicine, and so on—were available. One can also imagine a student thinking of
which discipline he (it was always a ‘he’) should specialize. A monk could easily
contemplate a career as a scholar, and it was a highly rewarding one also given the

infrastructure at Nalanda.

15
There was also a story of the Buddhist master Shantideva, whose work
Bodhicaryāvatāra (A Guide to the Bodhisattva’s Way of Life) was one of the most
16
widely loved and studied in the entire Buddhist literature. Shantideva was a
prince, who became really interested in Buddhism and became a student at
Nalanda. However, while he was studying there, he did not show any sign of talent
or diligence at all. Instead of going to the library or reading the texts, all Shantideva

seemed to be doing during his time at the University was, in the words of his
17
classmates, “eating, sleeping, and shitting.” As a result, Shantideva was asked by

15 His name, spelled in the Sanskrit transliteration form, would be Śāntideva, but his name has also become
quite familiar to those outside of the Buddhist Sanskrit studies circles too.
16 There are many editions of Shantideva’s Bodhicaryavatara. A more recent one is translated by B. Alan
Wallace and Vesna A. Wallace, 1997. A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life by Śantideva. Ithaca, NY:
Snow Lion Publications. The story of Shantideva’s life is taken from this book, pp. 11 – 13.
17 “Introduction,” in: Shantideva, A Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life, p. 12.

A Reflection on Nalanda Monastery as an Inspiration for Promoting Scientific and Technological Capabilities in
42 Thailand