Main Points Of Asokas Edicts example essay topic

Colin Wood 630-26-9442 The Righteous Reign: How King Asoka Institutionalized Buddhism Buddhism and Jainism in Ancient and Medieval India Fall 2000 Profe res Dhamma sadhu, kiya m cu dhamme ti Apasinave, b ahu kayne, daya, dane, sage, so caye. - Dhamma is good, but what constitutes Dhamma (It includes) little evil, much good, kindness, generosity, truthfulness and purity. In the third century BC there lived a king described by the historian H.G. Wells as a ruler who stood out amidst the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the columns of history... and shines almost alone, a star. Wells was referring to the legendary Buddhist king, Asoka.

The exact dates of Asokas birth and death are still debated by scholars even today. However it is generally excepted that he was born sometime late in the fourth century BC or early third century BC. Although Buddhist literature preserved the legend of Asoka, for many years there was not any definitive historical record of his reign. It was in the 19th century that these records were provided. Many edicts were found in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. These edicts were inscribed on rocks and pillars and exhibited Asokas reforms and policies.

During his reign (c. 265-238 BC; also given as c. 273-232 BC) Asoka practiced his policy of conquest by Dhamma (principles of right life). The policy was three pronged; administration based on Dhamma, instruction in Dhamma for the populace, and personal practice of Dhamma by the ruler.

The results of this practice were instantly visible among Buddhist circles across India as well as in neighboring countries. The durability and significance of these edicts are a testament to the legacy of King Asoka and are still visible in everyday Buddhist life. I. Administration based on Dhamma Perhaps the most striking example of Asokas policy of administering his domain based on the Dhamma is his adoption of Buddhist philosophy after his bloody conquest of Kalinga. Centered in east-central India, Kalinga had recently succeeded from the Magadha n dynasty in about 321 BC. Shortly thereafter Kings Asoka, in only his eighth year of reign, reconquered the area in a battle described as one of the most brutal clashes in Indian history.

Supposedly the hardships suffered by the defeated people moved Asoka to give up violent conquest. It was also about this time that Asoka spiritually embraced Buddhism. The time was 261 BC Although Asoka had encountered Buddhism and formally converted the year earlier, it was in 260 BC that he truly adhered to Buddhisms teachings. The first evidence of this true conversion is found in and edict released after the war. In it, he evinced great remorse at the carnage he had caused, and expressed the desire to govern, please and protect his subjects according to Dhamma. Asokas administration took several steps to implement this edict.

Governing according to Dhamma required Asoka to improve the quality of his subjects lives. He created public wells and rest houses, supported medical aid for both people and animals, and set up provisions for the same benefits outside his realm. Asoka was ever vigilant over his administration. While he worked to strengthen and unify Buddhism, the occasional schism was unavoidable. In Asokas seventeenth year of rule, differences of opinion arose among some Buddhism monks. There were many lazy and bad monks given to evil ways.

These willful sanya sins were a curse to Buddhism. Asoka was upset by this trend. In order to save Buddhism from what he considered a total eclipse, Asoka dismissed many monks. He then invited the serious-minded monks to Ashoka rama in Pataliputra for a conference. Asoka met with each of the current great teachers of Buddhism and asked them What did Lord Buddha teach After long discussion, their ideals came out clearly and unambiguously. Asoka now considered Buddhism stronger as a result of this conference.

While legislation played a large role in his administration, Asoka also relied on persuasion to further the Buddhist cause. One of the main virtues found in his edicts was ahimsa, or non-injury. This idea is a central concept of Buddhism and other Indian traditions. Although Asoka kept his army, he did so only to prevent invasion, never for the purpose of conquest. One way he used persuasion to influence the populace was to encourage respect for ones parents and good behavior towards friends and relatives. Furthermore, good treatment of servants was encouraged and many game animals were protected.

The virtues supported by Asoka included, Mercy, truthfulness, sexual purity, gentleness, and contentment... Realizing that the success of his policy rested with the people, Asoka greatly advanced what was then considered the Buddhist cult practice of relic worship through the construction of stupas. Richard Gombrich has argued that the principle point of this practice was to unite an empire which was fundamentally divided. The tactic seemed to have worked because now there was a favorable climate for the acceptance of Buddhist ideas... This was probably the greatest contribution Asoka gave to Buddhism.

In fact A.L. Basham has maintained that prior to Asokas rule, Buddhism was a relatively minor factor in the religious life of India. Perhaps a quote conveying the wishes of Asoka best expresses his ideology, All men are my children. As for my own children I desire that they may be provided with all the welfare and happiness of this world and of the next, so do I desire for all men as well. King Asoka undertook an unprecedented attempt to institutionalize a religion.

However some scholars have pointed out the Asokas edicts bare a strong resemblance to the teachings of Ven. Moggaliputta-tissa, a Buddhist teacher of the time. Whether King Asoka selected the edicts on his own or at the advice of his mentor, Ven. Moggaliputta-tissa, no one knows. Still it is possible to gain some insight into the Dhamma of which Asoka approved, whether or not it originated with him. One of the main points of Asokas edicts is that Dhamma is a quality of a person, rather than of doctrines or ideas.

The central passage in the edicts, (and its only extended poem, The Sage, ) paints a picture of the Dhamma as personified in the deeds, words, and attitudes of the people who practices it. Only if the Dhamma finds concrete expression in people's lives will it last and have value. It was for this reason that Asoka undertook the instruction of his populace in Buddhist traditions. II.

Instruction in Dhamma for the Populace India in the third century BC was not a particularly humanitarian time. There was ritual animal sacrifice, a huge number of neglected orphans, the accepted reality of underprivileged women, and forgotten destitute elderly. In addition the courts regularly handed down biased sentences based on the judges own personal beliefs. Punishment for many crimes was severe, even to the point of torture and death.

Asoka set out to right what he perceived as injustices, and his primary means of doing so was to appoint several high ranking Dhamma Ministers. These ministers, (including his own son and daughter), were sent to various parts of his empire as well as to outlying countries to encourage virtue, look after old people and orphans, and ensure equal judicial standards throughout the empire. By encouraging virtue, Asoka did not expressly promote Buddhism. Actually he was tolerant of all harmonious religious practices and insured that all of his subjects could adhere to whatever creed they so chose. Asoka had such an interest in the instruction of his people that he ordered matters concerning public welfare to be reported to him at all times. His interest in the elderly and orphans seems to come only from his wish that they suffer no discomfort.

In some cases his protection even extended to condemned prisoners. [T] hey work among all religions for the establishment of Dhamma, for the promotion of Dhamma, and for the welfare and happiness of all who are devoted to Dhamma. They work among the poor, the aged and those devoted to Dhamma - for their welfare and happiness - so that they may be free from harassment. They (Dhamma Mahamatras) work for the proper treatment of prisoners, towards their unfettering, and if the Mahamatras think, This one has a family to support, That one has been bewitched, This one is old, then they work for the release of such prisoners. They work here, in outlying towns, in the women's quarters belonging to my brothers and sisters, and among my other relatives.

They are occupied everywhere. These Dhamma Mahamatras are occupied in my domain among people devoted to Dhamma to determine who is devoted to Dhamma, who is established in Dhamma, and who is generous. This zeal was for neither personal nor political gain. The only glory he sought, according to Asoka, was for having led his people along the path of Dhamma. The Rock and Pillar edicts issued by Asoka were not randomly placed nor randomly ordered. They were set up to portray a particular message, with the placement and order reinforcing and strengthening this message.

One edict in particular, the Bha bru Rock Edict, explains how Dhamma can be carried on throughout time. The edict, That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time, explains the idea nicely. The title of the first passage, the Vinaya samukasa, explains that the principles of Buddhism are innate. They arise of their own accord, they are implicit.

Moreover this means that whether or not a Buddah arises to rediscover these virtues, they are valid in and of themselves. The second passage, The Traditions of the Noble Ones, emphasizes the idea of time, a recurring theme throughout Asoka's selections. It relies on the past to show how venerable, time-tested, and pure the traditions of the Dhamma are. The four discussions on Future Dangers present a warning - it is imperative to practice the Dhamma as soon as one encounters it. By no means should the practice be put off because there is no guarantee that opportunities for practice will exist in the future. These dangers can be broken down into two categories.

The first set of dangers include death, aging, illness, famine, and social turmoil in ones own life. The second category of dangers centers around the religion of Buddhism itself. Primarily, that Buddhism will decay or degenerate as a result of improper exercise by its practitioners. When those who are supposed to practice it ignore the noble traditions and teachings, and instead do many unseemly, inappropriate things simply for the sake of material comfort. The point of these passages is to give a sense of urgency to the practice of Buddhism, so that an effort will be made to take advantage of the teachings while one can. The next passage, The Sage is a poem which presents the ideal of inner safety, an ideal already embodied in the lives of those who have practiced the religion in full.

It stresses that true happiness comes not from relationships, but from the peace gained in living a solitary life, existing off alms and free to meditate in the wilderness. The fifth passage, Sagacity analyzes the ideal presented in The Sage into three qualities; body, speech, and mind. Sariputta's (Upatissa's) Question, the sixth passage, shows these ideals in action. Ven. Assai simply by the graciousness of his manner, inspires Sariputta the wanderer to follow him; and with a few will-chosen words, he enables Sariputta to gain a glimpse of the Deathless. This is thus no empty ideal.

While the fifth passage best expresses the goal of training ones actions in body, speech and mind, the sixth passage contains what is considered to be the most succinct expression of the Four Noble Truths; suffering, its cause, its cessation, and the path to its cessation. The last passage, Instructions to Rahul a, show how these goals may be realized by focusing on two main qualities - truthfulness and constant reflection. These qualities underlie every aspect of Buddhist practice. The idea of the passages combined is meant to inspire Asokas subjects. Although the early passages portray the monk as the ideal, the message as a whole show that practice in Dhamma builds upon the qualities in everyone - the lay follower and the monk; men, women and children.

The message also emphasizes again the theme of time, or more appropriately, the timelessness of the Dhamma. Whoever in the past, future or present develops purity - or sagacity - in thought, word or deed, will have to do it in this way, and this way only. There is no other. Asokas edicts show something of the educational strategy Asoka recommended for the use of his Dhamma officials, both Buddhist and non-Buddhist, to make the Dhamma a reality in their lives.

Asokas edicts follow a pattern to impress on their listeners first that the ideals of the Dhamma are timeless and well-tested, and that there is a need to embrace them as quickly as possible. Then they analyze the ideal, present a picture of it in action, and end with the basic principles for putting it into practice. This approach matches Asokas three pronged approach to governing based on the Dhamma.. The Personal Practice of Dhamma by the Ruler Buddhism was perhaps the most influential force in Asokas life. Asoka viewed his reforms as being part of the duties of a Buddhist.

Although he tolerated most religions, he nevertheless hoped that his subjects would adopt Buddhism for themselves. Asoka undertook several pilgrimages to Lumbini and Bodh Gaya to spread the word of Dhamma. He also sent monks to various regions in India and beyond with the same purpose. Asokas commitment to Buddhism was such that he familiarized himself with enough of the sacred texts to recommend some of them to the monastic community. Some scholars have advanced that Asoka had a simplistic view of Dhamma. Their claim, that the edicts say nothing about the philosophical aspects of Buddhism.

The purpose of the edicts however was not to promote philosophical discourse among the monks, but rather to inform and educate Asokas subjects, to encourage them to be more generous, kind and moral. As such, there was no reason for Asoka to delve into the deep philosophy underlying Buddhism. Asoka was concerned with being an administrator and a Buddhist more than a source of original Buddhist insight. He took as keen an interest in Buddhist philosophy as he did in Buddhist practice. Another example of Asokas personal adherence to Buddhist principles can be found in Asokas court. Prior to Asoka, hunting was commonly accepted as the royal sport.

In accordance with his ideal of non-injury, Asoka replaced this practice with a pilgrimage to sites associated with the Budda. It was during some of these pilgrimages that Asoka erected his edicts and according to some, even erected the original ten stupas said to contain relics of the Budda. Furthermore, Asoka demanded that his entire royal household become vegetarian. The Brahmanical practice of animal sacrifice was prohibited in the capital, and a large number of animals enjoyed protection, similar to the endangered species laws of today. Asoka has come to represent the ideal Buddhist monarch. He combines the leadership qualities of a strong leader with the compassion of a saint.

The edicts of Asoka are testament to a standard of morality seldom seen throughout history. The path which led Asoka into the pages of history started with his administration based on Dhamma. Administration however is not enough to convince a populace and transform a religion. Asoka realized this and took the next logical step, educating his people in the Dhamma.

Once again though Asoka knew that any movement is only as good as its leader. That is why Asoka so reverently adhered to Buddhist principles in his own life. Insight and inspiration. Reverence and respect. These ideals led Asoka to greatness and Buddhism to the rank of world religion.

In light of current political situations around the world as well as in the United States, a ruler like Asoka could be just what our time needs - a united. Babb, L.A. Absent Lord: Ascetics and Kings in a Jain Ritual Culture. U of Cal., 1996. Dundas, P. The Jains.

Routledge, 1992. ENCYCLOPEDIA BRITANNICA. Britannica. com. Asoka web = asoka North Park University History Department, History Department.

Asoka Rock and Pillar Edicts. web That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time web Ven. S. Dhammika. The Edicts of King Asoka An English rendering web.