L-tsing’s India

Summary

Drawing on the seventh-century travel record of the Chinese monk I‑tsing (Yijing), this article paints a vivid picture of Indian education and monastic life under the later Gupta and early post‑Gupta rulers. I‑tsing sailed from China to India to study Buddhism and stayed for years in Nālandā and other centres. His memoir, summarised here, reveals the high level of organisation in Indian universities: students memorised texts, recited them aloud and then listened to teachers expound the meaning; grammar was a foundational subject and hundreds of works were used; and logic, astronomy, medicine and even archery were part of the curriculum. I‑tsing admired the discipline of the monks—classes began at dawn, novices learned household duties before formal study and two classes of students, bhikṣus and lay brahmacārīs, were recognised. The article highlights his detailed accounts of daily life: food was simple, clothing minimal and there were three meals a day; students often spent a decade mastering the scriptures; and examinations tested whether they were fit to teach. He also noted cultural differences, from the simplicity of Indian dress to the caste system’s acceptance in education. Although Buddhism was declining, large monasteries still flourished, and eminent teachers like Ratnasīṁha, Divākara and Tathāgata‑garbha taught students from across Asia. I‑tsing’s record thus serves as a unique source for historians of Indian religion and education and provides corroboration for the accounts of Hiuen‑tsang and other Chinese pilgrims.