Nalanda International University - the Buddha factor and India

The 17th Karmapa's monastery in Himachal Pradesh is among the highest seats of Tibetan Buddhism in the world. There is an air of unease here after the state police filed charges against the Karmapa for possessing unaccounted foreign currency. But commentators say the case will have little impact on the strategic nature of India's hospitality for Tibetan monks.

After the Dalai Lama fled Chinese-controlled Tibet to India in 1959, several key monks of Tibet have followed suit. “The presence of all the religious heads of Tibet on Indian soil gives India a kind of power that China cannot match... India hosts the emotional and cultural core of a vast part of Chinese territory,” said Tsering Phuntsok of Norbulingka Institute for preservation of Tibetan culture.

Sources in the Tibetan Government in Exile say China is faced with a unique security concern, as it fears that the Tibetan followers of the India-based lamas can unsettle Tibet any moment. About 30 per cent of the Tibetan refugee population in India constitutes lamas or monastic students. In Tibet, the students are initiated into the schools of the four top India-based lamas. The Chinese media claims that the network among the lamas leads to sedition in Tibet. A spate of self-immolation by Tibetan monks in China in recent months has affirmed this fear in the state-backed Chinese media.

The Chinese have been wooing Tibetan refugees to reduce the Indian influence. “The Chinese embassy in New Delhi will issue a fresh Chinese passport to any Tibetan who wants to return to Tibet or visit relatives for a short while,” said Phuntsok. However, the Embassy of China did not comment on this. Refugees in India complain they cannot speak to relatives in Tibet frequently, as the Chinese agencies regularly hack international calls. Last month, India-China border talks were postponed after China objected to the Dalai Lama speaking at a function on Buddhist philosophy in Delhi.

India's stand can be seen as a means to utilise historic ties with Buddhism to re-warm its Greater Asia policy, according to Ravni Thakur, associate professor at Delhi University. As part of South Block's Buddha-intensive policy, India is reviving the Nalanda University with Buddhist nations in East and Southeast Asia. Communist China is also playing the Buddha card by offering to develop Lumbini, birthplace of the Buddha, in Nepal and donating $1 million for the Nalanda University project.

Tibetans question this when China denies religious freedom in Tibet. Commentators point out that Buddhist ties have been a key factor in India-Sri Lanka relations and now Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Japan are also on the same page with India's Buddhist focus. “Our silent hosting of the Tibetan spiritual leaders has boosted India's image and indicates our willingness to play the cultural card actively to forge durable partnership with other neighbours of China,” said Shashank, former foreign secretary and a veteran of India's Look East policy.
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Let's build on Mauryan inspiration, says APJ Kalam

That modern India has been inspired by the Mauryan concepts of statecraft and governance is one of the significant insights provided in “The Dancing Girl: A History of Early India,” by Balaji Sadasivan (1955-2010), a neurosurgeon and Singapore's former Senior Minister of State for Foreign Affairs.

Capturing this facet of the author's findings, the former President, A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who launched the book at a function organised by The Hindu and SRM University here on Wednesday, said Chandragupta Maurya had built an empire based on a strong central government and a large, powerful army. “This model is virtually akin to the model being followed after our Independence.”

Another contribution of the Mauryas during the reign of Asoka, the former President noted, was the provision of moral and ethical dimension. “He defined that the primary purpose of the government was to provide peace, prosperity and welfare to all the citizens. The author rightly brings out that modern India looks to the Mauryan Empire for inspiration and has taken Mauryan Lion as the state emblem.”

Attributing the attainment of Independence to the phase of the freedom struggle which was led by Mahatma Gandhi, Mr. Kalam said people had to cherish and nurture Independence with the ethics and value system of the era of Chandragupta Maurya.

Quoting the author, Mr. Kalam said the Bhakti movement in India developed from Tamil-speaking south to Sanskrit-speaking north. The spiritual development of Hinduism was based on devotional songs, expressing ecstatic love for God. The compositions were mainly in Tamil, though the numbers of popular hymns were in Sanskrit. The Bhakti movement, encompassing Saivites and Vaishnavites, made Hinduism accessible to Indians of all States in both Sanskrit and regional languages, the former President pointed out.

S.R. Nathan, former President of Singapore, who presented copies of the book to donors, said it was labour of love written by an author who was captivated by the history of his ancestral homeland.

Pointing out that the rise of South Asia, like East Asia, was a civilisational one — though attention has been focussed on the economic potential — and the history of civilisations provided profound insights into their contemporary standing and the possible road ahead, Mr. Nathan said that from this perspective, the book offers much not only for the Diaspora but also for those who are in India itself.

Ma Swan Hoo, wife of Balaji Sadasivan, who accompanied him on numerous visits to historic sites across India, provided the rationale for naming the book ‘The Dancing Girl', which refers to a bronze statuette excavated from Mohenjodaro and a showpiece in the National Museum in Delhi. This 10.8-cm statue, a symbol of an advanced civilisation that existed about 4,500 years ago, was important to the history of India, she said.

Balaji Sadasivan, whose roots were in Arcot of Tamil Nadu, was a great lover of the history and civilisation of many countries. He chose to write on the history of India, a country he was so much in love with. He had originally planned to cover the history from ancient times to the present period over five volumes. This book is a combination of the first two volumes of 30 chapters and covers the ancient period up to the start of the decline of the Mughal reign in the 17 century.

Addressing the gathering, N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, praised Balaji Sadasivan's approach to history, and said the author regarded himself as an amateur but he was a gifted amateur. He instinctively realised that history was not an “unending catalogue of dull facts.”

By reading “The Dancing Girl,” one could learn a good deal about the mind and interests of the neurosurgeon and professional politician-turned historian. “He selects; draws out facts of significance, ignoring the dross and the trivial, and invests them with meaning. He provides interpretation. All interpretation is disputable but the historian must venture out to recreate, even trans-create, the historical picture. This is what this gifted amateur does in an engaging, accessible, enjoyable manner,” Mr. Ram added.

He appealed to Mr. Kalam to provide a push and use his moral influence for the Nalanda University revival project as there were reports of slow release of funds by the Union government to the project although the Bihar government had been very supportive.
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Dr. Amartya Sen on Nalanda's Critics-NIU

NIU Nalanda-The Ancient Buddhist University

The most famous International Buddhist center, Nalanda university campus of Ancient times, is present in Bihar state,India.It is about 120 Kilometers away from state capital-Patna.Archeological evidences have proved that it belongs to 5th century A.D.The place is well linked both by road and rail.Nalanda is the name given to the district also, in respect of the great center of Buddhist learning.

Visit this place, to know the grandeur of ancient Education system that prevailed in India.
How was Nalanda?

In its hay days,Nalanda was one of the five topmost universities teaching Buddhism. Though all the six philosophies of India were taught there, Buddhism was the main subject.The campus was spread over 14 hectares area. Of this only 10% has been excavated so far. if this small area sxposes so much, imagine how much must be still hidden!

Nalanda unversity had 10,000 learners then. Learners came from different countries like-present Afghanistan(that was not under Muslim influence then),China, Burma, SriLanka,Indochina, Nepal etc, let alone different states in india.

Hiuen-Tsang -the famous Chinese traveler stayed here for 10 long years,first as astudent, and later as a teacher

Courses of study.

At Nalanda, both Mahayana and Hinayana Schools of Buddhism were taught.Along with these, Logic(Hetu Vidya),Grammar(Shabda Vidya),Medicine(Vaidya) etc were also taught.
Residential University

Nalanda was a residential university. It was monastic tye of education.Monks were the teachers.The ruins show us the rooms meant for monks and students, with diffeent arrangements.
The ruins

The present ruins show us-teaching halls, prayer halls, dormitories, open parks,cemetries, kitchen and dining halls, water canal system, etc.

Visiting Nalanda is a wonderful experience.Well informed guides are available there to help tourists. Guide charge is also not much. Presently they are taking Rs100/-only per batch of about 50.

Near this campus there is a well built museum that houses so many important materials. That should also be seen.

Buddha visited this place many times before and after his enlightenment.That's this place got the prominence and this center of higher learning was started here.
Decline

Muslim invasion to India was the cause of decline of this famous center of higher learning.That started after 12the century.those invaders burnt many monks alive. They burnt the libraries here.But even after that, Nalanda had its breath.But by 16th century, it was attacked again by muslim army. And the remaining students and teachers were forced to flee.
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Dr. Amartya Sen: Nalanda stood for the passion of propagating knowledge and understanding !!

"Science has to fight parochialism, and Nalanda was committed to doing that”

Science has to fight parochialism, and Nalanda University (which existed in Bihar during the early fifth century and the 12th century) was firmly committed to doing just that, according to Amartya Sen, Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University in the U.S. and chairman of the Interim Governing Board of Nalanda University.

Recalling that the university was “violently destroyed” in an Afghan attack led by Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193, Prof. Sen, who addressed the Indian Science Congress at SRM University in Kattankulathur near here on Tuesday, said it was being re-established through an Asian initiative, involving India, China, Singapore, Japan and Thailand.

Delivering a talk on Nalanda and the pursuit of science, Prof. Sen, the recipient of the 1998 Nobel Prize in Economics, said Nalanda stood for the passion of propagating knowledge and understanding. This was one reason for its keenness to accept students from abroad. “If the seeking of evidence and vindication by critical arguments is part of the tradition of science, so is the commitment to move knowledge and understanding beyond the boundaries of locality.”

Noting that Nalanda had attracted students from many countries, particularly China, Korea and Japan, he said there were students from Turkey too. It was a residential university and at its peak, it had 10,000 students, studying various subjects. “Incidentally, Nalanda is the only non-Chinese institution in which any Chinese scholar received higher education in the history of ancient China.”

Citing the accounts of Chinese chroniclers such as Xuangzang and Yi Jing, Prof. Sen said that among the subjects taught in Nalanda were medicine, public health, architecture and sculpture, in addition to religion, history, law and linguistics. Going by Indian accounts, logic was a subject taught and “my guess is that eventually, evidence would emerge on this part of the curriculum in Nalanda as well.”

Noting that the mixture of religion and science was by no means unique to Nalanda, he said the Buddhist foundation made much room for the pursuit of analytical and scientific subjects within the campus of Nalanda University.

The faculty and students in Nalanda loved to argue and very often, they held argumentative encounters. “There were plenty of organised argumentative matches going on in Nalanda and this too fits, in a very general way, into the scientific spirit that was present in Nalanda,” he added.
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Nalanda International University Funding

Japan and Singapore are financing the construction work, with contributions totalling around US$100 million. Gopa Sabharwal has been appointed the first Vice Chancellor of this university in February 2011.

It has been estimated that US$500m will be required to build the new facility, with a further US$500m needed to sufficiently improve the surrounding infrastructure. The group is looking for donations from governments, private individuals and religious groups.

The State Government of Bihar handed over 443 acres of sprawling land acquired from local people, to the University, where construction work has begun. It is a dream project of the former Indian president APJ Abdul Kalam.

Nalanda University orphaned: Governing Board term expires

A constitutional crisis threatens the Nalanda University as the one year term of its Governing Board came to an end on November 25. But thanks to the lethargy of the authorities, no new governing board is not in sight.

As per Section 8 (2) of the Nalanda University Act, the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was authorized to exercise and discharge the functions of the Governing Board for a period of one year or till such times when a new governing board came into existence, whichever was earlier. But whereas the Governing Board (earlier Nalanda Mentor Group) met thrice for board meetings during 2011 – New Delhi (February 22), Patna (July 6-7) and Beijing (October 14-15) it neither framed the statutes expected from it under Clause 28 (1) of the Act within six months nor worked on any succession plan.

The composition and tenure of the regular Governing Board is described in Clause 7 of the Nalanda University Act. It will include an officer from the MEA not below the rank of Secretary; two members representing Government of Bihar; one member not below the rank of Additional Secretary from the Ministry of Human Resource Development; three educationists or academicians to be nominated by the central government.

The Nalanda University was aware of the approaching deadline. But it was interested in scouting for types that will fill a particular slot. Five members from amongst the ‘member states’ (of the East Asia Summit) that would provide maximum financial assistance will get their places in the new Governing Board. Nalanda University publicized only the last type on their website. The obvious reasons were two a) to emphasize ‘international’ character of the University though the institution is being built with Indian taxpayers money b) second to get donations from aboard. It seems except for China no ‘member state’ has actually donated anything. And even China’s donation of $1 million can not be used immediately, but kept in reserve for building a ‘Chinese style University’ at Nalanda University campus. But China might end up getting five seats for three years for this peanut.

But as of date there is no Nalanda University Governing Board. Any further exercise of power by Amartya Sen-led group will be ultra vires to the Nalanda University Act, 2010. The Nalanda Mentor Group turned Governing Board has exercised power without authority, responsibility and accountability. First, the Nalanda Mentor Group (NMG) was ‘appointed’ merely through a D.O. letter dtd June 27, 2007 by then Minister of External Affairs without any office order, gazette notification and press release. Its nine month life-span was extended to three year plus without any officer order or Gazette notification. Its recommended candidate was appointed as ‘Vice Chancellor-designate’ though the terms of conditions did not authorize them to search and select any person for the post.

Then NMG, on being converted in the Governing Board, co-opted Prof. Prapod Assavavirulhakarn, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand though it never had co-option powers. They also kept both George Yeo, former foreign Minister, Singapore and Prof. Wang Gugwu, National University, Singapore in the Boardwhereas the later was only a replacement candidate for the former in the NMG.

The Governing Board could not identity the Visitor of the University during the whole year. Whether it is the President of India or Prof. APJ Abdul Kalam? Both the Chancellor and Vice Chancellor are to be appointed by the Visitor as per Clause 15 of the Act. The new Governing Board must have Visitor, Chancellor and Vice-Chancellor. At present there are none of them (Dr. Gopa Sabharwal is Vice Chancellor-designate though she claimed herself as Vice Chancellor until challenged).


But the most difficult legacy for the new Governing Board would be legal vacuum. There are no statutes- framed and approved- from which a new Governing Board can derive its powers.

The latest crisis is another example of inept handling of the project. The Governing Board was more interested in travelling abroad, delivering flowery speeches and recruiting cronies but did no spadework for the University.

Naturally it would now look towards the government (of India) to salvage the project. Under Clause 41 (1) the government has the power to remove difficulty the project might run into. But the government’s action as per the clause must be consistent with the provisions of the Act, and must be published in the gazette of India. Any such order, however, must be placed before Parliament as soon as it is passed. Extending the term of the older Governing Board would entail an amendment of the Act.
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