Asoka\'s Dhamma - Grade: 9 PDF

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Write an essay on Asoka’s Dhamma. Do you consider it as Buddhism?...

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Question : Write an essay on Asoka’s Dhamma. Do you consider it as Buddhism?

Answer: The Maurya realm was created by a string army and maintained by an efficient administrative machinery. Besides these two factors, the integration of the empire probably required an ideology that would provide an overarching framework, accommodating many diversities at local and regional levels. While the expansion and consolidation of Magadhan power were achieved by powerful rulers like Bimbisara, Ajatasatru, Mahapadma Nanda and Chandragupta Maurya, Asoka was possibly the first ruler to have realised the need of an ideology for ensuring coalescence in the empire. This is evident in his idea and propagation of what he called Dhamma. Dhamma was indeed the central theme of the edicts issued by Asoka. Most of the Asoka’s inscriptions are about dhamma. Pillar edict 6 reveals that the practice of having inscriptions on dhamma inscribed in various parts of the empire began 12 years after the abhisheka. From this time onwards, until the end of his long reign, Ashoka seems to have been obsessed with explaining and propagating dhamma.

The word dhamma is the Prakrit form of the Sanskrit word dharma. The term dharma has been variously translated as piety, moral life, duty, righteousness and religion. As far as Ashoka’s policy of dhamma is concerned, it was non-ritualistic and non-doctrinaire. It was a synthesis of moral principles of all the religions and aimed at promoting moral and social consciousness among the people. The dhamma was related to guiding individual behaviour in society according to universal moral laws which transcended all sectarianism. The dhamma of the edicts was basically a social and an ethical code. It contained no astute exposition of doctrine or metaphysical dogma. It was solely a moral code.

Dhamma as religion. It was also not an arbitrarily formulated royal policy. Rather it was a way of life, a code of conduct and a set of principles to be adopted and practiced by the people at large. The policy of Dhamma was an earnest attempt at solving some of the problems that a complex society faced. However, the policy was nurtured in the mind of Ashoka and through it he attempted to resolve some of the tensions within the society. In propagating the Dhamma, he aimed at the social integration of the groups with the rest of the society and wished to cement the relations between the government and the people.

The best way to understand what Ashoka means by Dhamma is to read his edicts. Ashoka used the medium of his edicts to expound the policy of Dhamma. The edicts were written primarily to explain to the people throughout the empire the principles of Dhamma. Most of the edicts have something or the other to say about Dhamma, i.e., about how keen Ashoka was that his subjects should practice Dhamma and how keen he was that the affairs of the state too were carried out according to the principles of Dhamma. To make principle of Dhamma accessible and understandable to all, he put up edicts or inscriptions at the important points throughout the empire and sent messengers of Dhamma outside the empire. Ashokan inscriptions are of various kinds such as Major rock edicts, Minor rock edicts, and Pillar edicts. The rock edicts containing the principles of Dhamma have been found at Shahbazgarhi, Mansera, Kalsi, Sopara, Girnar, Dhauli, Juagada, Chitaldroog, Rupnath, Sasaram,Bairat, Maski, and Bhabra. The pillar edicts have been found at Topara,Meerut, Kasumbi, Lauriya – Araraj, Lauriya – Nandangarh, Rampurva, Sanchi, Rummindei, and Nigliva. Ashoka’s Dhamma emerges as a way of life incorporating several ideals and practices. The theme of ahimsa is an important aspect of Ashoka’s Dhamma and is frequently mentioned and emphasized. Rock Edict I declare prohibition of animal sacrifice and holiday of festive

gatherings. Pillar Edict 5 refers to more sweeping prohibitions promulgated by Ashoka, 26 years after his consecration. The good conduct and social responsibilities that were part of Dhammawere anchored to certain key relationships. Rock Edict IX begins with a criticism of ceremonies performed by people, especially women, on occasions such as illness, marriage, birth, and setting forth on journeys. Rock Edict XI refers to the gift of Dhamma being the best of all gifts. It emphasised on respecting our elders, proper courtesy to slaves and servants, abstaining from killing animals, and liberty towards friends which is also the way in which ceremony of Dhamma is performed. Another important aspect of Ashoka’s Dhamma was the generation of mutual respect and concord among people belonging to different sects or religious communities. This aspect of Dhamma has often been referred to as ‘religious toleration’, a very poor understanding of Ashoka’s policy. Rock Edict XII reflects the anxiety the king felt due to the conflict between sects and carries his plea for harmony. Ashoka’s inscriptions have a great deal to say about the Dhamma of the king. Rock Edict VI talks of his ideas and goals – to promote the welfare of all his people, discharge the debt he owes to all beings, and ensure their happiness in this world and next. Rock Edict II mentions medical treatment of humans and animals, mentions construction of roads, wells,

tree planting, etc. In his Rock Edict VII, Ashoka proclaims his desire that “all sects should settle everywhere”. The edict is a plea for toleration amongst all the sects. From Ashoka’s statements in his inscriptions the Dhamma he propagates consists simply of a set of desired forms of conduct and attitudes of mind. Rock Edict III declares that liberty towards Brahmanas and Sramanas is a virtue, respect to parents, etc. are all good qualities. Rock Edict IV comments that due to the policy of Dhamma the lack of morality and disrespect towards Brahmanas and Sramanas, violence, unseemly behaviour to friends, relatives and others and evils of this kind have been checked. Rock Edict V refers to the appointment of Dhamma –mahamattas for the first time in the twelfth year of his reign. These special officers were appointed by the king to look after the interests of all sects and religions and spread the message of Dhamma in each nook and corner of the society. Rock Edict VIII states that Dhammayatras (tours) would be undertaken by the emperor. This enabled the emperor to encounter various sections of people in the empire. Rock Edict X denounces fame and glory and reasserts the merits of following the policy of Dhamma. The Dhamma is also negatively defined as aparisravam, i.e. freedom from evil. Rock Edict XIII is of paramount importance in understanding the Ashokan policy of Dhamma. The Dhamma that is thus presented in these

Edicts is another name for the moral and virtuous life and takes its stand upon the common ground of all religions. Regarding the Ashoka Dhamma, Dr. Ray Chaudhari has pointed out that “Ashoka preached the virtues of concord and toleration in an age when religious feelings ran high and disruptive influences were at work within the fold of the Jains and Buddhists. He preached non-violence when violence in war, religious rituals, royal pastime and festive gathering was the order of the day. He eschewed military conquest not after defeat but after victory and pursued a policy of patience and gentleness while still possessed of the resources of a mighty empire”. He considered that Dhamma highlighted the moral and ethical principles common to all religious beliefs. D.R. Bhandarkar points out that: “Ashoka’s idea was to promote material and spiritual welfare of the whole world consisting not only of men but also of beasts and other creatures, not only again in his own kingdom but also over the world known or accessible to him”. The source of his idea was his Dhamma. Ashoka’s Dhamma is a code of certain ethical principles and humanitarian ideals with its universal dimension.

In its positive aspect, we find the mention of certain virtues in the edicts, viz, Sadhuta (saintliness); apasinavam (freedom from sin); Daya (kindness); Danam (liberality); Satyam (truthfulness); Saucham (purity); Mardavam (gentleness); Samyama (self-control); and Dharmarati (attachment to morality). In Pillar Edict I, love to Dharma, self-examination, obedience, fear of sin and enthusiasm are mentioned as requisites for the attachment of happiness in this world and the next. In Rock Edict III and IV the king gave the direction and even enforced it that the lower animals must be met kind treatment by their human masters. In Rock Edict XIII, the Dhamma is described in a nutshell as the right attitude towards all manifesting itself in non-injury, restraint, equal treatment and mildness in respect of all creatures, human beings as well as beasts and birds. In its negative aspect, Ashoka has pointed out certain vices which should be avoided and not be practiced by human beings viz Krodhah (anger); manam (pride); irsa (envy) nisthuryam (cruelty); chandyam (rage or fury). In Pillar Edict II, Ashoka himself refers to his many and various kindnesses and good deeds in respect of man and beasts, birds and aquatic creatures. Ashoka also insists on dharmanusasanam, preaching morality as the supreme duty of the king, and accordingly he himself undertook a part of this public instruction in morality by moving among his subjects in different parts of the country, instructing them in morality and

questioning them also about morality as stated in Rock Edict VIII. In Rock Edict VI, he asserts the promotion of good of all as the most important duty of the king, which could only be discharged by exertion and dispatch of business. The policy of non-violence, according to some historians is a powerful cause for the downfall of Mauryan Empire. The Dhamma mahammattas destroyed the prestige of the Brahmans. Ashoka’s advocacy of non-violence and the principles of Dharma Vijaya demoralized the army as well as bureaucracy in the successive ages. Ashoka’s principle of co-existence strove to bring together people following different faiths and to bind them in a harmonious union. His idea of peaceful co-existence suggests that there should not be shown dishonor and condemnation to another sect; all other sects should be honored by all men and in all ways. The principles of non-violence and peaceful co-existence reflected in Ashoka’s Dhamma are the instruments of global force of “peace, progress and prosperity” that plays by the rules without hegemonic designs based on military might. Hence, it was an empire of righteousness, an empire resting on right and not on might. He also gave to his people belonging to different communities and sects, certain common ideas of thought and conduct which entitle him to be the humanity’s first ruler with universal love and morality. He lives with us even today in our national emblem. Such is the influence of Ashoka’s Dhamma on history.

Dhamma vs Buddhism Dhamma is often taken in the sense of the religious leaning of an individual or a group of persons. Thus Ashoka’s dhamma is commonly viewed as his personal religious leaning. The much cherished notion is that Ashoka out of his deep and genuine remorse of the violence perpetrated during the Kalinga war, became a Buddhist. As a devout Buddhist, he steadfastly practised non-violence (ahimsa), eschewed war for good since the victory over Kalinga and followed a pacifist policy. In other words, Ashoka after the Kalinga war governed his empire as a devout Buddhist. That is why he is celebrated as a Buddhist ruler and a sage-like king. It is therefore not surprising that many scholars hold that through the progression of dhamma, Ashoka turned Buddhism into a state religion, and his dhamma was but a synonym of Buddhism. Recent scholarship however examines the nature of Ashoka’s dhamma primarily in the light of his edicts as contemporary records dealing with his understanding of dhamma. He did not clearly define what dhamma was but spoke several features of dhamma in his edicts. The edicts leave little room of doubt for Ashoka’s ppersonal leaning towards Buddhism. He categorically calls himself an upasaka or a lay Buddhist devotee. There are several examples from the known

history which cannot but show him as a pious and practising Buddhist, his familiarity with canonical texts, his concern for the unity of the Samgha and his perceived role in the far flung spread of Buddhism. But his edicts on the other hand, are conspicuously silent on certain essential tenets of Buddhism. He never spoke of the Four Noble Truths (Chaturaryasatya) and the Eight Fold Path (Ashtangikamarga) in his edicts. He also never instructed his subjects to aspire for Nirvana, the highest goal for a Buddhist; on the other hand , he considered the attainment of heaven (svarga) as his highest goal for a subject to strive for. As these foundational principles of Buddhism are conspicuous by their absence from his concept of Dhamma, it is a pertinent question whether through dhamma he was propagating Buddhism. S.J. Tambiah feels that Ashoka’s dhamma was strongly embedded in Buddhist principle. He has critiqued Thapar’s attempt at separating Ashoka’s personal faith in Buddhism for his public official policy of dhamma. Tambiah argues that Ashoka’s edicts do not contain any hint at this crucial separation. He suggests that the content of Ashoka’s edicts were an outcome of the Buddhist stress on metta (loving kindness), mudita (sympathetic joy), karuna (compassion), dana (donorship). In the light of the debates on the nature of Ashoka’s dhamma lies the special significance of his Aramaic and Greek edicts, which had not made their impact on Maurya historiography when

Tambiah presented his position. In the translation of the term dhamma in Aramaic and Greek, no association with Buddhism is indicated. B.N. Mukherjee’s studies in these edicts demonstrate that Ashoka had no intention of equating dhamma with Buddhism, his personal faith. Infact Ashoka does not attach any sectarian approach to Dhamma. It will be therefore a futile exercise if his Dhamma is studied merely from the point of view of his personal devotion to Buddhism. Ashoka prescribes the inculcation of certain virtues for the practice of Dhamma. These are, little sin (apasinave), many meritorious deeds (bahukayane), kindness (daya), charity (dane), truthfulness (sache) and purity (sochaye). To these are added the recommendations for avoiding some vices: violence (chamdiye), cruelty (nithuliye), anger(kodhe), pride(mane) and jealousy. Dhamma, therefore, appears to have consisted of practising a set of virtues and avoiding a number of vices. These conducts have no sectarian approach nor are they typical of a particular religious belief. Such principles were infact intended to cut across religious differences. The relevance of Ashoka’s stress on self restraint (sayame), mental purity (bhavasudhi), and gratefulness (kitanata) is therefore not difficult to appreciate. He strongly promotes the enhancement of the essence of all sects and in that context, restraint of speech is of paramount importance. The ideal of his Dhamma denounces the overpraising of one’s own

sect and disparaging other’s sect, because by doing so, one’s own sect suffers. This undoubtedly marks his Dhamma with the spirit of accommodation of and respect for plurality; there is little scope of championing any particular creed, let alone Buddhism in these ideals. Daily life and chores were also within the purview of Dhamma. Ashoka banned the performance of various rituals (mangala) which he found trivial and replaced these with Dhammamangala. Once again, these principles and ideals are neither specific nor typical of Buddhism; these could be observed by and applicable to various groups irrespective of their ethnic, socio-cultural and material differences. This may explain why Ashoka perceived that Dhamma was based on age-old values, norms and codes, thereby underlining the long standing commonalities among diverse socio-cultural, ethnic, economic and religious groups. The above discussions on Dhamma point out that it was not identical with Buddhism, nor was Buddhism reflected in it, though Ashoka’s personal leaning to Buddhism is beyond any doubt. There was no attempt to impose Buddhism as a state religion. R.G Basak, however, finds in the universal appeal of Dhamma some affinity with the teachings of the Dhammapada. Ray Chaudhuri considered that Dhamma highlighted the moral and ethical principles common to all religious beliefs. Nilakantha Sastri was the first to suggest that Dhamma represented an ethical code of conducts placed before all his subjects. This idea seems to have been further refined

and elaborated by Romila Thapar who perceived that Dhamma was largely an ethical concept related to the individual in the context of his society. “In the propagation of his Dhamma, Ashoka was attempting to reform the narrow attitude of religious teachings, to protect the weak against the strong, and to promote throughout the empire a conscious social behaviour so broad in its scope that no cultural group could object to it”. It is evident that, according to Thapar, Dhamma was therefore an ideology intended to weld a subcontinental society. R. K. Mukherjee rightly stated that, “The Dhamma or religion which he preached in his edicts was not Buddhism orany particular creed. It was really the code of morals, the common foundation ofthe essence of all religions”. In conclusion; although Ashoka’s Dhamma was clearly inspired by the Buddhist upasaka dhamma, it was not identical to it. Ashoka was an innovator. His insistence on mutual respect and concord between people of different sects and beliefs was a feature that was not emphasised in any religious tradition of the time. His dhamma was a set of teachings that could not be identified with narrow sectarian belief. This is clear from the fact that the dhamma mahatamas were to occupy themselves with all sects....