Asoka
Priyadarsin |
|
|
Temples
Of India |
|
|
|
|
ASOKAS
AS A PREACHER |
|
SECTION II: DIFFUSION
Asoka became a full member of the Buddhist order in 259 B.C. after nearly a year and a half of his
conversion. To mark this great transformation, he put on the monastic robe and
thence forward established his absolute paramountcy over the Buddhist
church. No sooner did he complete this, than he turned to philanthropic
administration and introduced radical changes in his government to match the changed outlook of his
foreign policy and home-affairs. He based his foreign policy on peaceful co-existence. Perhaps he
is the first military monarch to introduce such a far-sighted policy
after a clean resounding victory.
Then, he set to work to make his people share his belief and divine bliss. Moral reform and religious
propagation received wide publicity and his personal attention. He organized a net - work of preaching
missions to spread his gospel throughout the world. He deputed the members of his family to distant
lands, beyond seas too for diffusion, besides enlisting the services of monks and other
religious men. His daughter Sanghamitra and brother Mahendra visited Ceylon in this
connection. Thus, the sphere of activities of his mission went beyond India and
extended upto Japan in the Far East and Russia in the West.
|
[ Back ] [ Up ] [ Next ]
|
|
|
|
About
Asokas As A Preacher |
|
|
|