PDBS04 – Buddhist Culture

2021/Sing/PDBS/E/002 - Lee Ju-Lyn

meekfreak@gmail.com

The Buddhist Library, Singapore and University of Kelaniya

Post-graduate Diploma in Buddhist Studies
PDBS04 – Buddhist Culture
Lee Ju-Lyn (meekfreak@gmail.com), 2021

Explain how King Asoka spread Buddhism within and outside of

India

King Asoka was a powerful Indian Mauryan emperor, having reigned

between 265 to 238 BCE1. His empire spanned from the Himalayans to all but

the tip of the Indian subcontinent and Sri Lanka. He was known for the spread

Buddhism within and outside India and this paper explains how.

Accounts differ on when Asoka’s converted to Buddhism. One account

explains that he was nominally a Buddhist before the Kalinga war2, and others

suggest that he converted after. All accounts, however, point to how the war

impacted him. Apparently, in the eighth year of Asoka’s reign, hundreds of

thousands died during his conquest of Kalinga3. The sufferings of the war

moved him to remorse and since then, Asoka adopted Buddhism as his ruling

ideology and resolved to live according to and to preach the Dhamma and to

1
Also given as 273 to 232 BCE. Sen, A. Chandra (Invalid Date). Ashoka. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ashoka.
2
Ven. S. Dhammika. (2013). “The Edicts of King Asoka", Access to Insight (BCBS Edition). Assessed on 22 Dec
2021, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/dhammika/wheel386.html .
3
Tripathi, Rama Shankar. (1942). “History of Ancient India”, Facts and Details.
https://factsanddetails.com/india/History/sub7_1a/entry-4110.html

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serve humanity. His attitudes and administrations changed to be those

informed by the Dhamma of Buddhism.

Through Buddhist-influenced Policies

Thus, one of the main ways Ashoka spread Buddhism is through the

Buddhist-informed policies he adopted and implemented throughout his

kingdom. Since the Kalinga war, Asoka renounced armed conquest4 and

adopted a policy of non-violence (ahimsa). He also set up a Department of

Religious Affairs with officers titled Dhamma Mahamatras whose job was to

look after the affairs of various religious bodies and to encourage the practice

of religion. Another example is how his administration took responsibility for

the welfare of not only its people but also its animals by suppressing

ceremonious animal slaughter sacrifice. Moreover, hunting of certain wild

animals was banned; forest and wildlife reserves were established and cruel

treatment of domestic and wild animals was prohibited.5 These could be seen

as the influence of the Buddhist precept to abstain from killing.

By personal example

Asoka also spread Buddhism by setting and leading by personal example.

It was recorded that non-vegetarian items from the royal menu were gradually

removed and Asoka also gave up pleasure-tours which consisted of hunting.

4
Sen, Op. Cit.
5
Dhammika, Op. Cit.

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Instead, he toured the rural regions periodically to check on their welfare, and

encouraged his ministers to do the same.6 He also paid pilgrimages to Lumbini,

where the Buddha was born, and Bodhgaya, where he attained enlightenment.

Through Dhamma promulgation

Thirdly, Asoka promulgated Buddhist Dhamma directly to people by

making the Dhamma more physically accessible.

One notable way he did this was by erecting edicts on rocks and steles,

known as the Asokan pillars.7 These edicts were written personally, in his own

words as if “explaining something to one who has difficulty in understanding”.

While the edicts do not typically expound Buddhism directly, they informed

people of his reforms and encouraged more generosity, kindness, and morality,

which were forms of Buddhist values of compassion, moderation, tolerance,

and respect for all life. Asoka encouraged behaviours as informed by the

Buddha’s advice to Sigala (Sigalovada Sutta, Digha Nikaya, no. 31)8.

Furthermore, while most of the edicts were found in or near important

population centres so that they could be read by as many people as possible,

some of these edicts marked important Buddhist locations, such as Lumbini. In

this way, the edicts might be symbolic of the Buddhism spreading in his empire,

6
Tripathi, Op Cit.
7
Tripathi, Op Cit.
8
Dhammika, Op Cit.

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as the people would have made connections between the Edicts and Buddhism

sites as well.9

Asoka also erected monuments such as stupas. The most famous of

which is Sanchi Stupa, which was built near the hometown of Asoka’s wife. It

was discovered to house the remains of the Buddha’s disciples, Venerables

Sariputta and Maha Maggallana.10 This stupa is one of the oldest stone

structures in India and no doubt an impressive monument in its time and a

testament to Empire’s commitment to Buddhist ideology. Legend has it that

Asoka opened most of the original stupas that housed the Buddha’s remains

and redistributed them to 84,000 stupas throughout his empire.11

Protected the practice of Buddhism from Schisms

Asoka was also encouraging and protective of the practice of Buddhism.

He even permitted his son, Mahinda, and daughter, Sanghamittaa, to join the

Order, and they were in turn, known for their piety, attainments, learning and

profound knowledge of the Dhamma.12

Under Asoka’s reign, the convocation of the Third Buddhist Council was

convened in his capital, Pāṭaliputra (modern Patna), to resolve the differences

9
Dhammika, Op Cit.
10
Nyanaponika Thera (Ed. Trans.) (2013). "The Life of Sariputta", Access to Insight (BCBS Edition). Assessed on
22 Dec 2021, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel090.html .
11
Davids, T. W. R. (1901). Asoka and the Buddha - Relics. Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain
and Ireland, 397–410. http://www.jstor.org/stable/25208320
12
Perera, H.R. (2013). "Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A Short History", Access to Insight (BCBS Edition). Assessed on
22 Dec 2021, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/perera/wheel100.html .

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between the various sects of Buddhism. As the suttas predict that schism

within the Sangha is a major cause for the True Dhamma’s decline and

disappearance, the devout Buddhist Asoka must have been very concerned. In

his Minor Pillar edicts, Asoka explained penalties imposed on monks and nuns

who cause schisms in the Buddhist Sangha, as follows, “Whoever, whether

monk or nun, splits the Sangha is to be made to wear white clothes and to

reside somewhere other than in a monastery.” Specifically, the edict at Sarnath

details how to manage potential schismatics in the Sangha. The Bhabru Rock

Edict deals with what may be done to keep the True Dhamma alive for a long

time, with Asoka's recommendation of a list of passages from the Buddhist

Canon for all Buddhists to listen to and reflect on frequently, includes suttas

excerpts on the Principles of the Vinaya as the edict.13

Foreign policy

In one of his edicts, Asoka documented his renunciation of military

conquest for conquest by Dhamma or “victory by dhamma” (dhamma-vijaya).

He entreated his descendants to also not consider making new conquests, or

ideally, to make conquest by Dhamma only. These edicts reassure the people

beyond the borders of his empire that he has no intentions to conquer them.

He explains that “he wishes to encourage them to practice Dhamma so that

13
Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Ed. Trans.) (2013). "That the True Dhamma Might Last a Long Time: Readings Selected
by King Asoka", Access to Insight (BCBS Edition). Accessed on 22 Dec 2021,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/asoka.html .

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 PDBS04 – Buddhist Culture
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they may attain happiness in this world and the next”.14 Asoka’s edicts were

also discovered beyond his empire, for example, in the independent kingdoms

of the Cholas, the Pandyas, the Satiyaputras, and the Keralaputras.

Charged with his mission to “conquer by Dhamma”, Asoka sent Buddhist

missionaries abroad. Records detail his sending missions to nine countries,

including Gandhara (with Kasmira, Kashmere), the “Greek People”, Himavant,

Aparantaka (Maharastra or Gurajat and Sindhu), Mahisa (central Narmada

valley), Maharastra, Vanavasa (Karnataka), Survanabhumi (lower Burma, or the

Mon country), and Ceylon (Sri Lanka).15

Of these, Ceylon or Sri Lanka was the most successful example of

“conquest by dhamma”. Asoka’s son, Mahinda, undertook the mission to Sri

Lanka when he was thirty-two, and converted the Lanka King Devaanampiya

Tissa and his forty-thousand strong entourage to Buddhism. Asoka also sent his

daughter, Sanghamittaa, to Sri Lanka to help the women of Lanka to obtain

ordination. Besides Buddhist texts, Asoka also sent a branch of the Sacred

Bodhi Tree, under which the Buddha attained enlightenment to Sri Lanka,

which King Devaanampiya Tissa planted. He went on to rule Sri Lanka for forty

14
Ashoka (304-236 b.c.): his rule, Kalinga and the spread of Buddhism (2020). Accessed on 22 Dec 2021,
https://factsanddetails.com/india/History/sub7_1a/entry-4110.html
15
Warder, A. K. (2017). Indian Buddhism. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited: Delhi, India. p. 255-
256

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 PDBS04 – Buddhist Culture
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years during which he promulgated Buddhism throughout his kingdom.16

Having taken root since then, Buddhism continued to flourish in Sri Lanka, and

from there, Buddhism spread to other regions, such as Southeast Asia and back

to India, where it lost traction.

Conclusion

King Asoka’s efforts helped promulgate Buddhism, directly and indirectly,

so that it could continue to be practised to the current day.

16
Perera, Op Cit.

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 PDBS04 – Buddhist Culture
2021/Sing/PDBS/E/002 - Lee Ju-Lyn
meekfreak@gmail.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Ashoka (304-236 b.c.): his rule, Kalinga and the spread of Buddhism (2020).
Accessed on 22 Dec 2021,
https://factsanddetails.com/india/History/sub7_1a/entry-4110.html

Davids, T. W. R. (1901). Asoka and the Buddha - Relics. Journal of the Royal
Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland, 397–410.
http://www.jstor.org/stable/25208320

Nyanaponika Thera (Ed. Trans.) (2013). "The Life of Sariputta", Access to Insight
(BCBS Edition). Assessed on 22 Dec 2021,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/nyanaponika/wheel090.html .

Perera, H.R. (2013). "Buddhism in Sri Lanka: A Short History", Access to Insight
(BCBS Edition). Assessed on 22 Dec 2021,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/perera/wheel100.html .

Sen, A. Chandra (Invalid Date). Ashoka. Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ashoka.

Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Ed. Trans.) (2013). "That the True Dhamma Might Last a
Long Time: Readings Selected by King Asoka", Access to Insight (BCBS Edition).
Accessed on 22 Dec 2021,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/thanissaro/asoka.html .

Tripathi, Rama Shankar. (1942). “History of Ancient India”, Facts and Details.
https://factsanddetails.com/india/History/sub7_1a/entry-4110.html

Ven. S. Dhammika. (2013). “The Edicts of King Asoka", Access to Insight (BCBS
Edition). Assessed on 22 Dec 2021,
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/dhammika/wheel386.html .

Warder, A. K. (2017). Indian Buddhism. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private

Limited: Delhi, India.

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