The Reflection of Buddhist Philosophy In The Light Of Aśokan Edict.

Author - Biswarup Chatterjee.             

           Down the ages, many great men came to the Indian soil. Generations of people remember them for their social, political and religious contributions. To us, they act as the Pole-Star who provides us with strength, inspiration, direction, at the hour of crises. Indeed, Lord Buddha was one of such pole stars whose life and messages had been instrumental behind the foundation, growth and progress of human civilization. But, it is a truism that people of the later generations could know hardly about the preachings of Buddha in the absence of king Aśoka, the third king of the Mauryan Empire. At one level, coming at close proximity with Lord Buddha, a metamorphosis took place in the mind of Asoka so much so that he gave up the course of violence forever. At another leave!, Aśoka erected lots of pillars, though only nineteen are survive to let the world know the valuable preachings of Buddhism.  

          The carnage of Kaliriga war brought about a sea change in the mind of Aśoka. He apprehended that the four noble truths of Buddhism may solve the major problems of the world. These noble truths are (i) Life is full of sufferings, (ii) The cause of sufferings is desire, (iii) The cause of desire must be overcome, (iv) When desire is overcome, there is no suffering. It is important to note that here 'suffering' denotes 'rebirth' being inspired by these four noble truths, As'oka introduced six cardinal perfections, the paramitas. According to the emperor, these paramitas will enable man to lead a happy. peaceful life. Suffice to say that philosophy lies at the centre of all these paramitas. 

          One of Aśoka's first artistic programs was to erect the pillars that are now scattered throughout what was the Mauryan Empire. The pillars vary from 40 to 50 feet in height. They are cut from two different types of stone-one for the shaft and another for the capital. The shaft was almost always cut from a single piece of stone. Laborers cut and dragged the stone from quarries in Mathura and Chunar, located in the northern part of India within Asoka's empire. The pillars weigh about 50 tons each. Only 19 of the original pillars survive and many are in fragments. The first pillar was discovered in the 16th century. A debate has been going on in regard to the preservation of the messages of Lord Buddha. It was a practice to preserve the preachings of the great men in the pages of the book. But, from his earlier experiences, learnt that valuable books were often destroyed and burnt owing to foreign invasion. As a consequence, the emperor gave up the project of the preparation of the religious books. Again Asoka himself was a philosopher. He aptly apprehended that if the messages of Buddha remained in the full view of the common people, through the pillars, it would be help full and fruit full to them at the same time. In the words of Prof W.W. Lawrence, "Aśoka was a practical philosopher. 

          The physical appearance of the pillars underscores the Buddhist doctrine. Most of the pillars were topped by sculptures of animals. Each pillar is also topped by an inverted lotus flower which is the most pervasive symbol of Buddhism. In other words, a lotus flower rises from the muddy water to bloom unblemished on the surface- thus the lotus became an analogy for the Buddhist practitioner as he or she, living with the challenges of everyday life and the endless cycle of birth and rebirth, was able to achieve Enlightenment, or the knowledge of how to be released from sarhsara, by following the Four Noble Truths. This flower, and the animal that surmount it, form the capital, the topmost part of a column. Most pillars are topped with a single lion or a bull in either seated or standing positions. The entire perception demands explanations The Buddha was born into the Shakya or lion clan. The lion, in many cultures, also indicates royalty or leadership. The animals are always in the round and carved from a single piece of stone. A few sentences should be written about the edicts of Lord Buddha inscribed on the pillars, the walls of the caves, and on the stupas. Some pillars had edicts (proclamations) inscribed upon them. The edicts were translated in the 1830s. Since the 17th century, 150 Ashokan edicts have been found carved into the face of rocks and cave walls as well as the pillars, all of which served to mark his kingdom, which stretched across northern India and south to below the central Deccan plateau and in areas now known as Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan. The rocks and pillars were placed along trade routes and in border cities where the edicts would be read by the largest number of people possible. They were also erected at pilgrimage sites such as at Bodh Gaya, the place of Buddha's Enlightenment, and Sarnath, the site of his First Sermon and Sanchi, where the Mahastupa, the Great Stupa of Sanchi, is located. 

       Some pillars were also inscribed with dedicatory inscriptions, which firmly date them and name Aśoka as the patron. The script was Brahmi, the language from which all Indie language developed. A few of the edicts found in the western part of India are written in a script that is closely related to Sanskrit and a pillar in Afghanistan is inscribed in both Aramaic and Greek-demonstrating Aśoka's desire to reach the many cultures of his kingdom. Some of the inscriptions are secular in nature. Aśoka apologizes for the massacre in Kaliriga and assures the people that he now only has their welfare in mind. Some boast of the good works that has done, underscoring his desire to provide for his people. 

          To recapitulate, we are leaving in the 21st century. The computer and the internet have brought the entire universe within the four walls of our drawing room. Man is going to make the moon his next destination. But, Lord Buddha is yet relevant to us. Today when the entire world is tormented by the menace of terrorism, the massages of Buddha may show us a new horizon of life. At this point, I cannot resist my temptation to make a little comparison. Indeed, Swami Vivekananda was the spokes man of Sri Ramakrishna. Many critics opine that Vivekananda was the mirror who reflected the preachings of Sri Ramakrishna. Likewise, emperor Asaoke and his pillars had been instrumental behind the spread of the massages of Lord Buddha among the masses. Nighter Asoke nor Buddha was a philosopher in the categorical sense of the term. But, both of them spoke of the ideal philosophy of life which should be adapted by one and all. In a final analysis, it maybe remarked that presently, the human civilization has been passing through the period of crisis. We are leaving with terrorism, global warming and intolerance. There is also the possibility of tsunami and atomic explosion. But, regarding the universal philosophical revelation of the massages of Lord Buddha, inscribed on the pillars of emperor Aśoka, I would like to quote a few lines from William Shakespeare: "So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see / So long lives this and this gives life to thee". 

                             . ____________. 

References :- 

Apte, Vaman Shivrsm (comp. and ed.). The Practical Sanskrit English Dictionary. Delhi : MLBD, 1975. 

Bhandarkar D.R. Asoka. Calcutta (now Kolkata): University of Calcutta, 1928. 

Mookerji, Radha Kumud. Asoka. London : Macmillan and Co, 1928. 

Sircar, DC. Inscriptions Of Aśoka. Calcutta (now Kolkata): Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Government of India, 1967 (Rpt.). (1st edn. 1957).