Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c11.12

c11.12

A fuller version. The Buddhist tradition of the origin of society and government is faithfully reproduced in the fifth volume of the Tibetan Dulva, the Vinaya compilation (in thirteen volumes). It appears as the story of the renovation of the world after its destruction. Many of its previous inhabitants had been born in the region of the Ābhāsvara devas where they had ethereal bodies, free from all impurity, perfect in appearance, radiant with light, feeding on joy, moving at liberty through space and living to great ages. Gradually, solid earth was formed, the sun and moon and stars appeared; distinctions of time became perceptible. The manifestation of sex was followed by feelings of love and conjugal relationships. When the practice of eating commenced, differences in the quantity and quality of food produced differences of colour. Then "sinful beings" commenced the practice of building houses and of hoarding, which led to heart-burning and to the deterioration of the grain itself. "Then these beings assembled together in sorrow, grief, and lamentation, and said, "Sirs, formerly we had ethereal bodies......Let us draw lines of demarcation and establish boundaries between each one's property." They did so and said, "This is thine—this is mine." Theft appeared a little later. Then the people thought, "Let us, in view of what has just happened, assemble together, and choose from out of our midst those who are the finest-looking, the largest, the handsomest, the strongest, and let us make them lords over our fields, and they shall punish those of us who do what is praiseworthy, and from the produce of our fields and of the fruits we gather we will give them a portion." So, they selected a Chief and made him lord over their fields with these makes another startling effort of the imagination. It paints a paradise of kalpavṛkṣas, trees of plenty, lovely rivulets, no mountains, and perfection in physique and mind.