Will the ‘Lotus-Giver’ Bloom Again?

by Varsha Sreenivasan

[box]It served eager students of the 5^thand 6^thcenturies as the most advanced centre for learning of its time. But most importantly, it also served as the nurturing grounds for a rich culturally diverse population of students and scholars. It’s been a long time since then and Nalanda University is trying to shake off the centuries-worth of ashes and dust to reach out to humankind all over again. Dear readers, meet the spunky phoenix – Nalanda. Varsha Sreenivasan writes.[/box]

I don’t know if you remember me. I’m Nalanda, the age-old university in your very own country. I can’t help but laugh at the way I feel when someone calls me a Phoenix, makes me feel more like a fizzled out volcano. Haha. Speaking of volcanoes, I’m not the dead one… just dormant. And now I feel is the right time to come forward and meet you all – dear students of the new age. Watching you guys zip around with your super-bikes and fast cars and jumbo jets… makes me feel so old. Yup, it is I who will need to do most of the catching up. See, I’m already catching up with the way you guys speak… On that note, come let’s have a chat..just you and me. I’ll tell you some stories about me and we’ll share some stories about you. So here we go…

You know what, if I had my way, I’d invite all you students home to the beautiful Bihar. It’s a fine place for a nice cup of tea and a chat. If my memory serves me right, I remember an enlightened being who used to visit our premises often… I remember the name as Buddha. Back then, you see, they used to say my name meant something. Half my name means ‘Lotus’ and the rest means ‘Giver.’ I guess the lotus symbolised knowledge in full bloom and I was seen as the one capable of imparting it. Oh but, lots of water has flown under the bridge since then. What you probably read in history books, I have actually seen on campus… and  was it grand! I have no other term to describe these happenings my friend.., for whatever happened, happened on a very grand scale out here. Wars and veneration… I guess I’ve seen it all.

There was a time friends and students came in search of me… from faraway lands. They said they came from Tibet and China, also Korea, Japan and Indonesia, and yes, from Persia and Turkey as well. Oh I’m not boasting. Just happy that such diversity, friends and students from such different lands and faiths, mingled and lived as one family… right here before my eyes. You should’ve heard the stories they told each other… the students from Tibet spoke of the lofty mountains back home and their way of life and described passionately some fierce tantric deity called Demchog who along with someone called Dorje Phagmo stayed on one mountain of theirs called Khang Rimpoche. Then, some Indian students would put in their bit about their deities Dakshinamoorthy and Uma Parvathi. Some others would talk about their holy mountain Ashtapada something. Can’t remember the details. But I recollect secretly comparing notes of all their entertaining stories and finally chuckling to myself when I realised they were all talking about the same phenomenon differently… what I know as Mount Meru or Mount Kailash.

I’ve had some super fun time with my vast family who were like the many-hued flowers in my garden. They came to learn what they called Buddhist studies, also fine arts, medicine, math and surprise – astronomy! These were for the quieter, more inquisitive ones. But there was no dearth of other ambitious types who came to study politics and the art of war. The balance was perfect. Our family was ever expanding. So our resources had to expand too. The scholars got my library stocked with texts and literature from all corners of the world… whatever they could get their hands on. They stocked nine storeys full of study material and the students simply flocked to my library. You see, back then there were no malls and cinemas, which I am told are your favourite social places. Plus, they had great examples of scholars they wanted to be like. Their heroes did not hail from any wood – bollywood, hollywood etc. Not that it is wrong. Nope. But such were the times. And after having read through the texts, they would hold debate sessions which were very interesting. Multiple points of view on the same teachings… everyone had a jolly good time!

Then, what happened, came quite suddenly. Everybody was running around saying something about invaders and someone called Bakhtiyar Khalji. No idea who they were. But they were an angry lot and had a go at my library… which burned for days at a stretch. There was smoke and commotion everywhere. I couldn’t see where everybody fled to. Then, I just took a break and went underground for a while.

But these new age historians or archaeologists dug around and got me out. I guess they thought I’d had enough of rest. But hey, am I glad to see the light of day and you. You’re a bright lot. You talk on your cell-phone and I’m told someone in Tibet or China can hear. You must’ve been really busy figuring out such fun stuff while I’ve been asleep. I’m told you’ve figured out new modes of education, through some devices called satellite and video cameras, and then teachers and students can be miles apart. But I don’t know how to feel about that. If I were you, I’d miss seeing my students in person, smiling and sharing their stories with me. I don’t know how it will be if I have to hear them from miles away. And if they don’t come to see me and live and share with everyone, how will that be, I don’t know. Oh, it’s a new age… I have to let go of my old ways.

There are always groups of scholars coming to visit me often these days. I hear them talk of putting me back on the pedestal, or something like that. Whatever it may be, I feel the days of good fun are round the corner. And you’ll all have new stories and new adventures, and to keep pace with your faster lives, I’m going to have to put my running shoes on.

Come my friend, I’ve had my say. Why don’t you write in now and share your stories with me? Who knows, one day maybe, we’ll all be on my new-avatar campus together… under the same old stars and the same old sky, sharing new stories, living and learning as one blooming lotus family.

Varsha Sreenivasan is an ex-media professional currently involved in the field of filmmaking. She prefers to describe herself as a student of Nature like everyone else is. She believes, as such a student, she is still learning. She dabbles in juvenlie poetry and prefers rhyme to reason.

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