King Asoka and Buddhism - Urban Dharma

Buddhist countries, 47 namely, Burma, Thailand, Cambodia andLaos — have given Aśoka in history is as a pious and generouspatron of Buddhism. The main aspects highlighted are asfollows:(1) Aśoka was attracted to Buddhism because of the serenedemeanour of a Buddhist monk as contrasted with the usualconduct of the brahmin priests whom the court had traditionallysupported. He began to seek the association of monkswhich proved intellectually and spiritually more satisfying. 48(2) His munificence to the Buddhist Order was immense. Hewas a great builder and the number of shrines constructed allover his empire on his command is held out as 84,000, possiblya traditional symbolism for “innumerable.” 49 (N.B. SanskritBuddhist sources mention the same figure whereas Chinesesources have it as 80,000.)(3) He was convinced that his patronage of Buddhism wasnot complete until and unless a child of his entered the Saṅgha.Accordingly, his son Mahinda and daughter Saṅghamittā wereordained. They became the missionaries to establish Buddhismin Sri Lanka and, as such, the heroes of the Sri Lankantradition. 50(4) Aśoka’s generosity had a negative effect on the Saṅgha inthat many joined it to enjoy its privileges. The need arose forpurge and reform. Aśoka himself gave his patronage to thecleansing process. At first, he even attempted to enforce hisimperial authority. But in due course he had to seek the assistanceof the senior monk, Moggaliputta Tissa. 51(5) The reformed Saṅgha undertook a programme of missionsto propagate Buddhism in and around the empire of200