Abstract: This review is to understand the principles of Ashoka’s Dhamma. Why dhamma was so important and a need in that time and what led to the reasons to the start of such an ethical approach of Dhamma which did not focus on any particular religion or class of society but to all the people as a whole leading the people of Emperor Ashoka’s to peace and harmony .but the importance of Ashoka’s Dhamma is questionable and how much is it or can it be followed in today’s world is a big question mark
What is dhamma?
Dhamma is a set of edicts which laid down the foundation of a policy of the Mauryan emperor which was being ruled by king ashoka , during 269 B.C.The word Dhamma is taken from the Sanskrit word Dharma which means one’s duty . The
…show more content…
The immediate social environment in which Ashoka grew up influenced him in later years.[11][12][13] The Mauryan kings adopted a different viewpoint towards life and religion . Chandragupta Maurya adopted and started following Jainism as his religion in his later years .Bindusara favoured the Ājīvika where as Ashoka adopted Buddhism in his personal life, but he never imposed Buddhism as the strict religion to be followed by his …show more content…
Ashoka had only a few options to maintain the structure of his empire that was either by force—which meant to incur huge expenses—or to define a set of social norms which would be acceptable to all social practices and religious beliefs.[15][16] Ashoka was well aware of the tensions which the heterodox sects—Buddhism, Jainism and Ajiviksim—had generated in society. They were all opposed to the domination of the Brahmans and had a growing number of supporters. But Brahmans continued to control society and hostility was inevitable. Thus it became necessary to find out a way to maintain peace and mutual trust among the people of various backgrounds in the empire was .[15][16] There were many areas within the empire where neither the Brahmanical system or the heterodox sects prevailed. Ashoka referred to the country of Yavanas, where neither Brahmanical nor Sramanical culture were in vogue. In many tribal areas, people were unfamiliar with Brahmanical or heterodox ideas. To make the empire survive and to bring some cohesion within the empire in the midst of this diversity, some common patterns of behaviour and common approaches to the society 's problems were needed.[15][16]
The complex situation of the state system required such an an imaginative and unique policy from the emperor that would have required minimal use
In Herman Hesse’s novel, Siddhartha, the main character's path to enlightenment goes through a series of obstacles and is in constant adaptation to Siddhartha's current situation. After coming to the realization about how he is not content with his spiritual and physical life, Siddhartha leaves his family behind and seeks the path to eternal enlightenment. To Siddhartha's realization, he experiences divergent situations that could potentially lead him to enlightenment. There were various factors in which disparate aspects led to the different building of Siddhartha’s character and potential path to enlightenment. The Samanas, were widely responsible for many of the ideas and predetermined mindset that Siddhartha continued.
Ashoka saw what Buddhism was and how it brought enlightenment and he set on a path to bring this faith into India. But he didn't just want one part of India to become Buddhist he
For example, Akbar the Great of the Mughal dynasty conducted interviews with scholars of Hindu, Buddhist, and Christian backgrounds to learn about each religion’s foundation, reasoning, and secrets (doc 2). As a result, Akbar who believed that discovering the truth is the main goal of humanity couldn 't be determined without the acknowledgement of other religions, including the native people in India and without the initiative to want to learn about them. Akbar’s respect of other religions caused the religions to further develop in the empire. Allowing these religions to develop caused for new ideas to grow and leaders used them to improve their rule. In addition, Suleiman the Magnificent, a leader of the Ottoman Empire, gave individuals government positions based on their character and abilities to complete their tasks and not their wealth or their parentage (doc 3).
desire, dreams, pleasure and sorrow –to let the self die. No longer to be self ,to experience the peace of emptied heart, to experience pure thought-that was his goal.(p:11). Through these lines we can see that how Siddhartha is longing for emptiness and his struggles for high values of life it self is a symbol of quest. He is searching harmony of life with that of nature and environment, he tries to get knowledge from teachers and also looks external sources for finding the meaning of life.
It is the main system. Whenever there is a problem the people to ask the person who is leading them for help and guidance. So when an empire’s leadership is weak problems start to build and it causes chaos threw out the whole empire. Rome didn’t realize that assassinating each other to become emperor was not the right way until it was too late. The emperor didn’t care about the people in the empire all he cared about was the title of being emperor.
The Marāthās, in particular, became so enraged that they eventually gained their independence from the Mughals and established their own empire,” (Gale). The departure of the Marāthās proves the lack of religious tolerance the Mughals had at times. The Marāthās were so enraged at the lack of acceptance that they left the empire rendering it smaller and weaker. This is just one example of the Mughals not only only neglecting to practice religious tolerance, but how refusing to accept all people for their beliefs backfired in the empire’s overall growth and unity.
Ashoka Maurya, commonly known as Ashoka and Ashoka The Great was an Indian emperor of the Mauryan Dynasty who ruled over most of the Indian subcontinent from 268 to 232 BCE. In about 260 BCE, Ashoka waged a bitterly destructive war against the state of Kalinga, although he was triumphant in the battle, the victory cost the lives of 200,000 people. (Document A) Soon after, he realized his mistakes and strived to spread pacifism and friendship throughout India.
The story of Siddhartha tells the tale of a boy who grows up in a wealthy Brahman family. He grows to be intelligent and handsome and is loved by all his family and friends. Siddhartha seems to have everything he could want but eventually becomes frustrated with his life. He seeks enlightenment and believes that the elders in his community have nothing more to teach him spiritually. Much to his parent’s frustration, Siddhartha decides he needs to leave home and find the inner peace he seeks.
Two men, both similar and different, each had a unique governing style. From a time of chaotic strive within their nations; each had a way to subside such conflict. In the Classical Age, Ashoka and Shi Huangdi had similar governing styles, in that they had a similar political and economic vision of success for their empire; however differed in philosophies that influenced their governing styles because Ashoka eventually renounced his brutality and became a peaceful and tolerant ruler. Through-out each man’s rule, walls stretching the length of an empire and towers of stone were built, but the means by which they were created varied greatly. Under Ashoka and Shi Huangdi’s rule extensive building projects were carried out.
Building an Empire becomes problematic when the colonizers know nothing about the territory being colonized. Britain began colonizing India in the 1700s, completely ignorant about the people of India and their cultural and religious beliefs. Ignorance comes from a lack of knowledge. This lack of knowledge can be by choice, like in this situation. Despite their ignorance, Englishmen still came into India with an arrogant attitude.
Therefore, their political control was more controlled by spiritual beliefs. The king even appointed Dhamma Mahamatras to look after the spiritual well being of the people. The two civilizations both differed in their views for keeping peace within the empire but still the ultimate goal for each was to keep
From the days of the Buddha himself, the most enthusiastic and highly motivated converts joined monastic communities where they dedicated their lives to search for enlightenment and preaching Buddhist dharma to lay audiences. ”(pg.126) The Mauryan dynasty reinforces the Buddhist movement. Ashoka found Buddhism as belief that could grant unity to his culturally various and far-flung realm. On other hand, Hinduism induces political