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Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c40: Chapter XIV: Aśoka's Dhamma

Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c40

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Chapter XIV: Aśoka's Dhamma

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There is nothing in the Edicts nor in the Buddhist traditions to prove that Aśoka took up the cause of Buddhism as against Brāhmanism, though there are ample evidences to show that Aśoka had a great, if not the highest, regard for Buddha and his teachings. During the first few years of his reign, he maintained the family tradition of feeding the brāhmaṇas¹ which even now is regarded as a meritorious act. This institution came into vogue for supporting a spiritually minded cultured class, who were unmindful about earning their livelihood. In course of time, it became a ritualistic affair, the original object of which was lost sight of. It did not however take Aśoka long to find out that the essential object of feeding the brāhmaṇas was more overlooked than observed. With his discriminating vision he took the right course of replacing the undeserving brāhmaṇas by deserving monks or ascetics, brāhmanical or non-brāhmanical. He no doubt deviated from the traditional convention, and it behoved a man of his courage and conviction to do so. That Aśoka was an out and out radicalist and a rationalist is clearly revealed in his Edicts. He cared neither for the brāhmanical rituals and traditions nor for the Jaina or Buddhist forms of ceremonies and observances. He was neither fond of a brāhmanical *guru* nor of a Buddhist *thera* nor of a Jaina *sādhu*. He had his own ideals of religion—an ideal which would not bear a sectarian name. In forming the conception of his ideal, he was undoubtedly influenced by the Buddhist and Jaina teachings, but he was not enamoured of the Buddhist or Jaina ideal of retirement from worldly life. He stood against the brāhmanical practice of killing animals for religious purposes, and dissuaded his subjects from performing brāhmanical rituals, which to him were meaningless. From a study of his inscriptions we may outline his religion (Dhamma) thus:—

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¹ Cf. *Mahāvamsa*, V, 34: Pitā saṭṭhisahassāni brāhmaṇe brahmapakkhike bhojesi, so pi te yeva tiṇi vassāni bhojayi. R.E. VIII, says “Aśoka gave gifts to brāhmaṇas and ascetics.”

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(i) Heavenly life hereafter: Aśoka repeatedly stressed upon the desirability of a happy life hereafter, and for that he advised his subjects to be virtuous, to make gifts and to earn merits, as these would bring about happiness in this as also in the next world.¹ There is no pessimistic vein in his teachings nor does he speak of the impermanence of worldly objects. Nowhere do we find in the Edicts any reference to the attainment of Nirvāṇa or the Absolute as the summum bonum of life. This shows that Aśoka espoused the religion of the laity and not that of the recluses, to whom heavenly existence was as much undesirable as worldly existence.

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¹ R.E. VI: That they may gain heaven in the next world. R.E. IX: With this, it is possible to attain heaven (G.D. & J. Texts); it begets endless merit in the next world (K.S. & M. Texts). R.E. XIII: That which concerns the next world, the Beloved of the gods esteems as alone bearing great fruit.. . . .That (the conquest through Dhamma) is for here and hereafter (p. 332). See Bhandarkar's *Aśoka* (3rd ed), pp. 331-2, 340, 341, 342.

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(ii) Ethical teaching (elementary): The ethical teachings imparted by Aśoka were the usual day to day rules and customs followed by an average householder. These were,—hearkening to parents, reverence to teachers, liberality and seemly behaviour towards friends, acquaintances and relatives, and towards Brāhmaṇa and Śramaṇa ascetics, and also towards slaves and servants.¹ This teaching, as pointed out by Profs. Bhandarkar, Barua and others is an echo of the instructions given by Buddha to Sigāla the householder, and may be traced in the Dhammapada, Suttanipāta, Aṅguttara Nikāya and other works, in passages which were addressed to some householders and had nothing to do with the precepts prescribed for the Buddhist monks and laymen. It will be observed that Aśoka imparted this teaching only in the earlier years of his reign, the Edicts being dated mostly in the 12th year.

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¹ Bhandarkar, op. cit., p. 124.

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(iii) Ethical teaching (higher): Aśoka wanted that some of his subjects should reach a level higher than that of an average householder and it was from these he expected sādhave (much good), apāsinava (freedom from evils) such as strong desire (caṃdiya), cruelty, anger, conceit, and envy (P. E. III), dayā (mercy), dāne (liberality), sace (truthfulness), socaye (purity), and mādave (gentleness). (Bhandarkar, p. 104). In this list of duties and virtues there is nothing particularly Buddhistic, and if, as Prof. Bhandarkar suggests, that Aśoka utilised the Lakkhaṇasutta, it should be observed that he omitted the words śīla and uposatha, occurring in the verse referred to,² indicating that his dhamma was different from that of the lay-Buddhists.

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² Digha, III, p. 147:

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(iv) Ethical teaching (highest): There

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Sacce ca dhamme ca dame ca samyame
Soceyya-silālay-uposathesu ca
Dāne ahiṃsāya asāhase rato
daḷhaṃ samādāya samattam acari.

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were in Aśoka's *dhamma* some teachings which were meant, it seems, for the recluses living within his domain. He wished them to live a saintly life by practising self-restraint, purity of mind,¹ gratefulness (*kataññatā*),² by cultivating regard for all sects and by keeping themselves engaged in the preaching of *dharma*. For them self-restraint (*saṃyama*) was more important than gifts and worship,³ and their gifts should be the gifts of religious instructions (*dhammadāna*).⁴

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¹ By *bhāvasuddhi* Aśoka perhaps had in mind *cittasuddhi* (mental purification), a discipline which Buddhism and all other religions insist immediately after *brahmacarya* (physical purity) which is attained by *kāyika* and *vācasika saṃyama*. Bhikkhus attain *cittasuddhi* by means of meditation whereas the laity have it by love (*mettā*) and toleration.

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² *Kataññatā* (=Pāli *Kataññutā*) means gratitude. Bhandarkar explains *Kṛtajñatā*, as knowing what is right. See his *Aśoka*, p. 321. Cf. *Aṅguttara*. i, p. 61: *Kataññū* = *Katavedi*.

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³ Bhandarkar, *op. cit.*, p. 320.

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⁴ Cf. *Dhammapada*: *Dhammadānaṃ sabbadānaṃ jināti*.

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(v) Rejection of rites and ceremonies as also of Samājas: Aśoka discouraged rites and ceremonies, specially those performed by women on auspicious occasions, or for averting evils. He condemned Samājas (festive assemblies), which indirectly gave occasion for "drunkenness, revelry and infatuation" (See Barua, *Inscriptions*, ii, p. 226). It is very likely that Aśoka's dislike of rites and ceremonies was derived from the Buddhist teaching of the avoidance of *śīla-vrata-parāmarśa* (contagion of rules and rituals) and that of Samājas from the admonitions found in the *Sigālovāda-Sutta* (*Dīgha*, iv, p. 163; Cf. *Śivālakasūtra* in the *Mahākarma-vibhaṅga*, p. 56).

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(vi) Aśoka's toleration: There can be no doubt that though Aśoka was favourably inclined towards the Buddhists, he was not therefore unmindful of the interests of the other religionists. In the Edicts, he harped on the virtue of toleration, which even the Buddhists lacked inspite of Buddha's prohibition of attukkaṃsanā (self-praise) and parapāsaṃnā (other's denunciation). He appointed officers (dhammamahāmātras) to look after the interest of the members of all sects (R.E.V.). Their main duty was the promotion of dharma among the different sects as also to make money-grants to them. He himself paid visits and made gifts to the brāhmanical and non-brāhmanical ascetics (samaṇas) (R.E. VII). But he wanted that all religious men, irrespective of their creed, should freely dwell at all places (R.E. VII) provided they exercised self-restraint, possessed purity of mind and knew what is right. In R.E. XII, he is more explicit regarding toleration. He says that he honoured members of all sects, ascetics, and even non-ascetics (lay-devotees) and he expected that there should be not only absence of sectarian squibbles but also they should meet and try to acquaint themselves with, and if possible appreciate, one another's views. There must be mutual appreciation, and he enjoined his Dharma-mahāmātras to promote it as far as possible. He did not insist that the several sects should agree regarding their ultimate views but they must all be pure in speech, thought and action. (See also P.E. VI). In the seventh Pillar Edict, he specifically mentioned the Ājīvikas, Nirgranthas and the Buddhists (Saṅgha), for whose welfare he appointed the Dharma-mahāmātras. It is remarkable that he would not distinguish between ascetics and householders, if the latter be religious. In his opinion all religious men, whether ascetics or not, were good and as such should be looked after for their spiritual development, which he believed, consisted mainly in the purity of speech, thought and action, and in avoiding self-praise and other's denunciation,¹ in other words, mutual appreciation of one another.

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¹ Cf. Majjhima, I, p. 409: n'ev' attān' ukkaṃseti na paraṃ vambheti.

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(vii) Aśoka's practical measures: Aśoka did not merely express pious wishes for the moral and spiritual uplift of all religious men. He introduced several practical measures to see that his wishes might be effectively carried out. Some of these measures were, (a) Mandatory orders prohibiting slaughter of animals for sacrifice; (b) Appointment of Dharma-mahāmātras to look after the moral uplift of the people and to give relief to the people in distress; (c) Directing officers like the Yuktas, Rajjukas and Prādesikas to undertake special tours of inspection every five years for propagating his Dhamma,² and (d) An empire wide organisation to see that the people of his empire as well as those living in border countries might be righteous and become godlike.

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² See Barua, op. cit., pp. 181, 254.

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(viii) Aśoka's attitude towards Buddhism: Aśoka as the emperor showed toleration to all religions, although he had a personal fancy for Buddhism, and very probably he became a Buddhist upāsaka. In R.E. VIII issued in the 10th year of his reign, Aśoka says that he paid a visit to the Sambodhi, by which he probably meant Gayā, the place where Buddha attained Sambodhi. In the 14th year of his reign he enlarged the stūpa of Kanakamuni, and in the 20th year he worshipped the stūpa of Kanakamuni as also the birthplace of Buddha (Vide Nigliva Inscr. and Minor Pillar Edict). In the Bhabru edict, he expressed his admiration for Buddha's teachings and recommended certain texts for special study of the monks while in the Sarnath and Sanchi inscriptions, he revealed his solicitude for the well-being and concord of the Saṅgha. In the Allahabad Pillar inscription he directed his officers to avert any schism in the church. Lastly, towards the end of his reign when 256 years had elapsed after the death of Buddha, he admitted that out of the two and a half years that he formally became an Upāsaka, he observed the śīlas (i.e., eight śīlas) for only one and a half-year,—the period he lived in a monastery with the monks. There is nothing in the inscriptions to show that Aśoka became an ordained monk nor is there any reference in the Buddhist traditions to such a possibility. He remained a lay-devotee, and very likely he resided in a monastery as such for a certain period of time.

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