King Aśoka’s Right Approach to Buddhism: A Critique

Abstract

Aśoka was a great emperor of Ancient India. He was very famous for his nice deeds. Besides, emperor Aśoka lived from 304 to 232 BCE and was the third ruler of the Indian Mauryan Empire, the largest ever in the Indian subcontinent and one of the world's largest empires at its time. He ruled form 268 BCE to 232 BCE and became a model of kingship in the Buddhist tradition. King Aśoka promoted Buddhist expansion by sending monks to surrounding territories to share the teachings of the Buddha.
A wave of conversion began, and Buddhism spread not only through India, but also internationally. Aśoka pleaded for tolerance of different religious sects in an attempt to create a sense of harmony. The policy of Dhamma also laid stress on non-violence, which was to be practiced by giving up war and conquests and also as a restraint on the killing of animals. He sent Buddhist missionaries no many nations to expand Buddhism, which preached peace. He started a monetary system which involved entire India. He dug many wells, planted trees and levied taxes many times. Besides, Asoka built thousands of Stupas and Viharas for Buddhist followers. One of his Stupas, the Great Sanchi Stupa, has been declared as a World Heritage Site by UNECSO. The Aśoka Pillar at Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, India, has a four-lion capital, which was later adopted as the national emblem of the modern Indian Republic. This paper will highlight the major works done by king Aśoka for the propagation of Buddhism.