Nalanda
Nālandā was a small village about 11 kilometres north of Rajagaha on the main road to Pāṭaligāma. The Buddha passed through or sometimes stayed at Nālandā and delivered several important discourses there. One of his disciples, Kevaḍḍha, described the village as "rich, prosperous, filled with people, crowded with those devoted to the Lord" (D.I,211).
During the early Gupta period (4th century CE) a monastery was built at Nālandā which gradually evolved into a monastic university and became the premier seat of Buddhist learning in India. Much of what we know of this university is derived from the accounts of Chinese monks who came to study there. The university was established in about 427 CE, which makes it the oldest Buddhist university and also one of the oldest universities of any kind. At its height during the 7th century there were 8,500 students and 1,510 teachers. Students are known to have come from all over India and also from China, Korea, Tibet, Sri Lanka and Java. The curriculum included early Buddhism, Mahāyāna, Hindu philosophy and secular subjects like grammar, prosody, logic and rhetoric. There were three large libraries housing books from different countries and in a variety of languages. When Nālandā was sacked and burned by Muslim invaders in 1193 it had already been in decline for several centuries. Today the ruins of Nālandā cover a huge area and are a popular destination with pilgrims and tourists. A nearby museum displays many of the sculptures that once graced the university’s halls.
Sariputta was born and passed away in Nalanda. King Ashoka built a stupa commemorating Sariputta. Today Nalanda University is undergoing a revival and offers several courses in Buddhist studies. A former center of higher education for mostly the Mahayana, today it is becoming a central place of higher education for primarily Theravada monks and nuns.
References
- http://www.BuddhismA2Z.com/
- The Complete Book of Buddha's Lists -- Explained. David N. Snyder, Ph.D., 2006.
- http://www.thedhamma.com/