EMPEROR ASOKA SPEAKS by Sona Kanti Barua

Cultural liberation War over the Tragedy of Vedic Caste system: 

All Hindus pay respect to the Buddha. Problems come only in making Indian Governments and in following the Vedic caste system.  Those glorious days of Buddhists have gone due to Brahmin and Hindu rulers’ conspiracy Hindu and Brahmin rulers take over Buddhism, Buddhist symbols and Buddhist temples in India. A large number of Buddhist Viharas were usurped by Brahmins into Hindu temples where the untouchables (Dalits) were no entrance in South Asia. Emperor Asoka did not like Brahmin’s religion or Hinduism and he inherited a large empire that had been built up gloriously by his grandfather Chandragupta Maurya and his father Bindusara. The Asoka’s legend (Asokavadana) recorded that Emperor Asoka defeated the three kingdoms (modern Orissa) in about 256 B.C. – the sixteenth year of his reign and the eighth year and the eighth after his consecration. Who was the Emperor Asoka ? Asoka’s father Bindusara and his grandfather was Chandragupta who followed the Brahmin minister Kutilya’s theory of statecraft of the Vedic Caste system. In the name of the Vedic religion abuse of humanity is wrong in any civilization. What is abuse in the caste system? Dalits or so called lower castes people have been abused when higher caste man hurt him or her badly. The abuse can be physical, sexual, emotional, psychological or financial.

 The caste system of Manu was shown to be unjustifiable.  Hindu saint Manu was encouraged relating to abuse women and Dalits by physical abuses are: hitting, slapping, pushing, punching and kicking etc.  But King Asoka – the third generation member of the Mauryan dynasty was already predisposed to react against the brahmanical statecraft *( Kautilya’s Arthashastra) after his Kalinga war. The Kalinga war was changed the heart of King Asoka and the ideal of conquest by dharma. Mentally emperor Asoka was reborn as the King Priyadarsi, Beloved of the Gods, in the eighth year of his reign.1

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* Ling, Trevor, The Buddha, p. 172

1 Ling,       The Buddha p. 171

After Emperor Asoka Buddhist Holocaust was started by Hindu rulers in India: 

Brahmanism was started to destroy Buddhism in India. About the Buddhist killing fields of Kerala’s Sankhara Swami Vivekananda said, “And such the heart of Sankhara that he burnt to death thousands of Buddhist monks by defeating them in argument. What can you call such an action on Sankhara’s part except fanaticism.” (C.W. works of Vivekananda, Vol.Vll p. 118).  

There are no Human Rights in Hindu social system. The Bhagavad Gita teaches the theory of the divine origin of four caste system (1V. 13) and human dignity was destroyed in the name of the Vedic caste system. Everyday poorest untouchable people are converting into Buddhism in India. Hindu fundamentalists have been killed the Buddhists more than one thousand years.

Written orders were issued (in Hindu Puran Books) to kill Buddhists in India.

South Asian Buddhists have lost their survival from 1200 A. D. to 1900 A.D. due to Hindu and Brahmin rulers united conspiracy. Muslims did not take over Buddhagaya in India.  After 2500 years Hindu Brahmin rulers and politicians purportedly made the Buddha as their God and confiscated World Buddhists’ Pilgrimage Buddhagaya Great Temple for money and political power. Chinese, Japanese, Thai, Tibetan and many people are converted into Buddhism. Shame on Hindu politicians who have converted the Buddha as their God and there are no Buddha Puja or prayer in Hindu temples.  A case been filed by the Mahabodhi Society of India in 1930s and later All India Buddhagaya Mahabodhi Mahavihar Action Committee, Buddhist organizations against the Hindu Political conspiracy of Bihar Government’s Buddhagaya Temple Act, 1949 under which is management committee and an advisory Board were set up to undermine Buddhism.

It must be sadly mentioned here that Mahabodhi Mahavihar of the Buddhagaya is the only religious worship place in the world which is not managed only the followers of that particular religion. Presently it is managed by a body of 4 Hindu and 4 Buddhists members headed by the Hindu district collector. Hindu rulers and politicians took over the Buddhagaya Mahabodhi Great Temple. Buddhists have no human rights in India. The Hindu ruler Pushyamitra Sunga demolished 84,000 Buddhist stupas which had been built by Emperor the Great. King Sashanka and king Jaluka destroyed the Buddhist viharas and temples in India. The important Buddhist temples at Tirupati Ahoble, Undavalli, Ellora, West Bengal, Puri, Badrinath, Mathura, Ayodhya, Sringeri, Buddhagaya, Sarnath, Delhi, Nalanda, Gudiallam, Nagarjuna Konda, Srisailam, Sabrimaal (Lord Ayyappa) in Kerala are some of the striking examples of the Brahmanic usurpation of the Buddhist centers.

Of Buddhist philosophy’s numerous gifts to world, none greater than the Emptiness or number zero:

The Buddha explained in the Prajnaparamita Sutra (Heart of Perfect Wisdom), “Form here is only emptiness, emptiness only form, Form is no other than emptiness, emptiness no other than form.” Zen (Cha’n, Dhyan, Jhana) meditation system or the Indian introduction of the zero symbol owes much to the teaching of Buddha. As we read in the Heart Sutra, “O Sariputra, form does not differ from the Void, and the Void does not differ from the Form. (It is true for form, feelings, conceptions, impulses and consciousness).” During former Buddhas times, emptiness, (Paticcasamuppada or Dependent Origination) void or zero was developed in the Indus civilization. There are evidences of this system from as early as 2500 B.C. has been found in the Valleys of Indus (Sindhu) river. The earliest was preserved as examples of the number system which is still in use today are found on several stone columns erected in India by Emperor Asoka (250 B.C.). Most of the great discoveries of which Europe is so proud would have been impossible without this (zero) developed system of mathematics. We owe much in the way of Mathematics due to pre-historical Buddhas’ time in India: After former Buddhas Vedic civilization or Brahmanism was started to destroy Buddhism.

As the Great Emperor Asoka respected and honored the founders of other religions. From Buddhism Asoka understood that man biologically is one spices. Out of compassion for the world, King Asoka inscribed in rock edicts etc. that good and bad qualities are not monopoly of one class or religion, and how human beings are judged by the standard of law of righteousness or Dharma. 2

            The Buddha explained ideal theory of universal king in the Buddhist discourses on the systems of a universal king.  Emperor Asoka was fulfilled to large extent when he was converted to Buddhism after the Kalinga war. Emperor Asoka confessed his cruel karma in his 13^th Rock Edict,. “One hundred and fifty thousand people were … carried away captive, one hundred thousand were slain and many times that number died … if the hundredth part or the thousandth part were now to suffer the same fate, it would be a matter of regret.” circa 257 B.C. 3Thus emperor Asoka wished his best to communicate with his subjects. This Rock Edict’s message became his imperial message and law of the country. To confess truth is the ideal for a good ruler and king Asoka learned from Buddhism following the teachings of the Buddha, “Hatred never ceases through hatred, overcome hatred by love and compassion. This is the Buddha’s law of universal peace.”4

            After about three hundred years of Buddha’s death, King Asoka discovered that Buddhism points to the need for individuals and the state to act with compassion and wisdom. When we act selfishly, we do so out of ignorance, fear, and greed. The more we are cut off from our true nature the more destructive we will be towards others since separated self demands so much in its insecurity. So King Asoka understood the deep meaning of selflessness and compassion of Buddhism. He ( Asoka)understood that the Buddha encouraged his disciples to observe the inner world with detachment. Most of the Brahmajala (The net of God Brahma) sutra is taken up with an exhaustive list of all possible theories concerning the self and the world. The Buddha then points out that to any kind of fixed view about the past or the future to be trapped in a net like fish.

Buddhism laid down the foundation of a science of law anticipating modern jurisprudence and advocated a new system of education. So both the Buddhist view of life and the law of the land combined to see all Indians free and none of them as slaves.

            There were scholars including Sir Alexander Cunningham, James Princep, and Dr.Beni Madhab Barua who were successful in explaining the Asokan Scripts. H.G. Wells proudly expressed in his book entitled Outline of History, “Amidst the tens of thousands of monarchs that crowd the columns of history, their majesties and graciousnesses, serenities and royal highnesses and the like the name of Asoka shines, and shines almost alone, a star.” 6

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2 Ling. The Buddha p. 173

3 T. W. Rhys Davids, Buddhist India, p. 296 and Trevor Ling, The Buddha, p. 158.

4 Narada, Dhammapada,p. 2

6 Narada, The Buddha and His Teachings, p.