Introduction
In Buddhist circles the barbaric stories some pansy Asoka (around 268239 B.C.E.) are so well cognise that they might seem to enquire no further elaboration. merely the tremendously romanticized image that many Buddhists acquit of this king cannot perchance be historically correct. One-sided versions of any historical effect or person are to be looked upon critically. In the national of king Asoka we only read despotic descriptions, al more or less to a fanatical level, even from historians. For this reason I result have got a critical analysis in which I examine to explore the possibility that Asoka might have had both positive and negative effects on the future of Buddhism, and that perhaps he wasnt even an exceptionally good lay-follower of the Buddhist Sangha.
When exhausting to get an idea of who king Asoka was, and what his values were, we only have two kinds of sources to rely on: 1) the historical evidences left piece of tail by himself, in the form of inscriptions on rocks and stone pillars, and 2) the myths and legends about him found in chronicles of all Buddhist traditions.
Since Asoka himself composed the former, in an attempt to appear as a perfect ruler, and Buddhists who overstate Asokas purity to elevate Buddhism as a gilt-edged religion wrote the latter, we cannot trust any of these sources objectivity. However, to make an analysis of the kings negative influence on Buddhism we just need to read his edicts with a slightly more critical encephalon than we are used to. In this text I will mainly refer to the edicts as sources.
King Asokas values
Asoka is most famous for having tried to build a society on what he called Dhamma-values. According to his edicts he interpreted the word Dhamma as meaning, quote: proper behavior towards servants and employees, respect for mother and father, humanity to friends, companions, relations, Brahmans and ascetics, and not killing living beings (Rock Edict 11). In a word, he interpreted...If you want to get a full essay, assure it on our website: Ordercustompaper.com
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