Than Hsiang DMS

Lord, this Nalanda is rich, prosperous, filled with people, crowded with those devoted to the Lord.

Huien Tsiang tells us that the gatekeeper would put a series of extremely difficult questions to all who wished to gain admission and only those who could answer quickly and accurately would be allowed o enter: ‘One must have studied deeply both old and new books before getting admission. Those students, therefore, who come here as strangers have to show their ability by hard discussion. Seven to eight out of every ten fail.’ Despite these stringent standards, at Huien Tsiang’s time there were 8500 students and 1510 teachers.

Huien Tsiang arrived at Nalanda and settled down to five years of study and teaching (635-640 CE) during which he visited Bodhi Gaya and other parts of India from time to time. His profound learning earned him the respect. He finally announced his intention to return to China. Unable to dissuade him, the monks took him to his teacher, Silabhadra. Huien Tsiang answered eloquently and movingly: ‘This country is the place of the Buddha’s birth; it is impossible not to regard it with affection. Huien Tsiang’s only intention in coming hither was to inquire after the good Dhamma for the benefit of his fellow creatures. Since my arrival here, you, sir, have condescended on my account to explain the Yogacarabhumi Sastra and to investigate doubtful passages. I have visited and worshipped at the sacred places of our religion and heard the expositions of the different schools. My mind has been overjoyed and my visit here has, I protest, been of the utmost profit. I desire now to go back and translate and explain to others what I have heard so as to cause others also to be equally grateful to you, with myself, in hearing and understanding these things; and for this reason I am unwilling to delay my return and remain here.’

Dharmasvamin visited Nalanda, where he studied with the great scholar Rahula Sri Bhadra, who was then ninety yeards old and abbot of the great monastery. But the quiet studious atmosphere of Nalanda was soon to be brutally shattered.

Muslim soldiers had already sacked the monastic university of Odantapuri, one day’s march north of Nalanda, and were now using it as a base for their raids. A disciple of Rahula Sri Bhadra had been detained by the soldiers, but had managed to smuggle a message out to his teacher, warning him that the soldiers planned to attack Nalanda soon. All the students begged the old teacher to flee, and when he refused they themselves fled, leaving only the old teacher and Dharmasvamin. ‘The teacher said: “You, Tibetan, is it not foolish of you to stay with me? All the inhabitants and disciples have fled. If you do not flee also you will be killed.’ Dharmasvamin replied: “I shall not go even if I am to be killed.” The teacher was pleased and said: “You are keep your vow and great is your burden. Now, if I were to be carried by you, would you go? If you go, we could both flee.” So Dharmasvamin took the teacher on his shoulders, and turning round one of the pillars, the teacher said: “We are off! Let us take a small basket of sugar, some rice and our favorite books. We shall not be able to go far. I know how we can save ourselves.”

After burning brightly and shedding its radiance in India for one and a half millennia, the lamp of the Dharma was about to be snuffed out.

Dharmasvamin’s biography is of great interest because it gives us a rare eye-witness account of Buddhism’s tragic end in India.