KING ASHOKA
King
Ashoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan dynasty, has come to be
regarded as one of the most exemplary rulers in world history. The British
historian H.G. Wells has written: "Amidst the tens of thousands of names
of monarchs that crowd the columns of history ... the name of Ashoka shines,
and shines almost alone, a star."
Although Buddhist literature preserved the legend of
this ruler -- the story of a cruel and ruthless king who converted to Buddhism
and thereafter established a reign of virtue -- definitive historical records
of his reign were lacking. Then in the nineteenth century there came to light a
large number of edicts, in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. These
edicts, inscribed on rocks and pillars, proclaim Ashoka's reforms and
policies. These edicts, based on earlier translations, offers us an
insight into a powerful and capable ruler's attempt to establish an empire, a
reign which makes the moral and spiritual welfare of his subjects its primary
concern.
In 1837, James Prinsep succeeded in deciphering
(decoding) an ancient inscription on a large stone pillar in Delhi. Several
other pillars and rocks with similar inscriptions had been known for some time
and had attracted the curiosity of scholars. Prinsep's inscription proved to be
a series of edicts issued by a king calling himself "Beloved-of-the-Gods,
King Piyadasi."
In the following decades, more and more edicts by this
same king were discovered and with increasingly accurate decipherment
(decoding) of their language, a more complete picture of this man and his deeds
began to emerge. Gradually, it dawned on scholars that the King Piyadasi of the
edicts might be the King Ashoka so often praised in Buddhist legends. However,
it was not until 1915, when another edict actually mentioning the name Ashoka
was discovered, that the identification was confirmed. Having been forgotten
for nearly 700 years, one of the greatest men in history became known to the
world once again.
Questionable Hereditary Succession
Ashoka became the new emperor or ruler of the Mauryan
Empire in 274 BC. His grandfather, Chandragupta Maurya, had set out to conquer
the weaker surrounding kingdoms to expand the territory of his people in 324
BC, and was the first to rule over a unified India. Ashoka's father,
Bindusara, established a reign much the same as his father's, controlling a
larger kingdom than ever before known. When Bindusara became gravely ill,
Ashoka succeeded him, although one hundred of his other brothers were eligible
for the throne.But Ashoka becomes the king with the help of a minister
Radhagupta. Many historians believe that Ashoka killed his 99 brothers leaving
only one brother Tissa to become the king.
A Sudden Change of Heart
Ashoka's reign as an emperor began with a series of
wars and bloodshed. He was very short tempered person. At that time he was
called ‘Chandaashoka’, which means "Ashoka the Fierce".
Eight years after his rule, Ashoka's army attacked and
conquered Kalinga, a country that roughly corresponds to the modern state of
Orissa. The loss of life caused by battle, reprisals and the turmoil that
always exists in the aftermath of war horrified Ashoka so much that it brought
about a complete change in his personality. He subsequently became deeply
influenced by Buddhism, and adopted the dharma, which consists of basic
virtuous teachings that can be practiced by all men regardless of social
origins. "Dharma" is derived from the Sanskrit word for
"duty".Ashoka saw dharma as a righteous path showing the utmost
respect for all living things. The dharma would bring harmony and unity to
India in the form of much needed compassion. Serving as a guiding light, a
voice of conscious that is the dharma can lead one to be a respectful and
highly responsible human being.
Ashoka's dream was to unify a nation so large that its
people of one region shared little in common with those of another region.
Diversity of religion, ethnicity and many cultural aspects held citizens
against each other, creating social barriers (I guess this was the time from
where we get our present scenario). The moral order of dharma could be agreed
upon as beneficial and progressive by all who could understand its merits. In
fact, the dharma had long been a primary practice for members of Hinduism,
Jainism and Buddhism. Dharma became the link between king and commoner.
Everyone lived by the same law of moral, religious and civil obligations
towards others.
Pillars of the Earth
The reign of AshokaMaurya could easily have
disappeared into history as the ages passed by, if hadn't he left behind a
record of his trials. The testimony of this wise king was discovered in the
form of magnificently sculpted pillars and boulders with the various actions
and teachings he wished to be published, etched into the stone. What Ashoka
left behind was the first written language in India since the ancient city of
Harrapa. Rather than Sanskrit, the language used for inscription was the
current spoken form called Prakrita. In translating these monuments, historians
learn the bulk of what is assumed to have been true fact of the Mauryan Empire.
It is difficult to determine whether or not some actual events ever happened,
but the stone etchings clearly depict how Ashoka wanted to be thought of and
remembered.
King Ashoka, the third monarch of the Indian Mauryan
dynasty, has come to be regarded as one of the most exemplary rulers in world
history. Although Buddhist literature preserved the legend of this ruler - the
story of a cruel and ruthless king who converted to Buddhism and thereafter
established a reign of virtue - definitive historical records of his reign were
lacking. Then in the nineteenth century there came to light a large number of
edicts, in India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan. These edicts, inscribed on
rocks and pillars, proclaim Asoka's reforms and policies and promulgate his
advice to his subjects. The present rendering of these edicts, based on earlier
translations, offers us insights into a powerful and capable ruler's attempt to
establish an empire on the foundation of righteousness, a reign which makes the
moral and spiritual welfare of his subjects its primary concern.
The Nine Unknown Men
According to occult lore, the Nine Unknown Men are a
two millennia-old secret society founded by the Indian Emperor Ashoka 273 BC.
After he converted to Buddhism, the Emperor founded the society of the Nine to preserve
and develop knowledge that would be dangerous to humanity if it fell into the
wrong hands. It is said that the Emperor Ashoka once aware of the horrors of
war, wished to forbid men ever to put their intelligence to evil uses. During
his reign natural science, past and present, was vowed to secrecy.
Henceforward, and for the next 2,000 years, all researches, ranging from the
structure of matter to the techniques employed in collective psychology, were
to be hidden behind the mystical mask of a people commonly believed to be
exclusively concerned with ecstasy and supernatural phenomena. Ashoka founded
the most powerful secret society on earth: that of the Nine Unknown Men.
One can imagine the extraordinary importance of secret
knowledge in the hands of nine men benefiting directly from experiments,
studies and documents accumulated over a period of more than 2,000 years. What
can have been the aim of these men? Not to allow methods of destruction to fall
into the hands of unqualified persons and to pursue knowledge which would
benefit mankind. Their numbers would be renewed by co-option, so as to preserve
the secrecy of techniques handed down from ancient times.
Each of the Nine is supposedly responsible for
guarding and improving a single book. These books each deal with a different
branch of potentially hazardous knowledge.
A Well Respected Man
Somewhere along the way Ashoka became a Buddhist, and
as a result taught and persuaded his people to love and respect all living
things. He insisted on the recognition of the sanctity of all human life. The
horrors of war have often transformed savage hearts into compassionate ones.
Even the unnecessary slaughter or mutilation of animals was immediately
abolished. Wildlife became protected by the king's law against sport hunting
and branding. Limited hunting was permitted for consumption reasons but the
overwhelming majority of Indians, chose by their own free will to become
vegetarians. Ashoka also showed mercy to those imprisoned, allowing them leave
for the outside a day of the year. He attempted to raise the professional
ambition of the common man by building universities for study and water transit
and irrigation systems for trade and agriculture. He treated his subjects as
equals regardless of their religion, politics and cast. The kingdoms
surrounding his, so easily overthrown, were instead made to be well-respected
allies.
In his Own Words
“All men are my children. I am like a father to them.
As every father desires the good and the happiness of his children, I wish that
all men should be happy always”
During his reign, Ashoka became an avid Buddhist
practitioner, building 84,000 stupas across his empire to house the sacred
relics of the Lord Buddha. He sent his family on religious pilgrimages to
foreign places, and staged massive assemblies so holy men from the world over
could converse upon the philosophies of the day. More than even Buddhism was
Ashoka's deep involvement in the dharma. The dharma became the ultimate
expression of the moral and ethical standards he desired his subjects to live
by. Ashoka defined the main principles of dharma (dhamma) as nonviolence,
tolerance of all sects and opinions, obedience to parents, respect for the
Brahmans and other religious teachers and priests, liberality towards friends,
humane treatment of servants, and generosity towards all. These principles
suggest a general ethic of behaviour to which no religious or social group
could object.
In perhaps a fitting tribute to this great man of
vision and unity, the Indian government has adopted the famous lion capital
from his pillar at Sarnath as its official national emblem. The wheel design on
the capital's base has also become the central figure of the nation's flag. May
the wheel keep on turning for the sake of all men who are brothers in this
brave new millennium of ours, and may the teachings of the Light of Asia
continue to reach every corner of the earth despite what some inferior men may do
or say.
Today, the Ashoka Chakra, the Wheel of Dharma, is
featured on the national flag of India. Ashoka used this image on many of
his constructions. The wheel has 24 spokes which represent:
- Love
- Courage
- Patience
- Peacefulness
- Kindness
- Goodness
- Faithfulness
- Gentleness
- Self-control
- Selflessness
- Self-sacrifice
- Truthfulness
- Righteousness
- Justice
- Mercy
- Graciousness
- Humility
- Empathy
- Sympathy
- Godly
knowledge
- Godly
wisdom
- Godly
moral
- Reverential
fear of God
- Hope/trust/faith
in the goodness of God
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