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Non-Violence
thus the most fundamental virtue even prior to sila and that is why when the lay people visit the monastery, they offer gifts to the monks and then repeat the saranas and silas recited by the monk. It is said that the laity try to compensate by dāna whatever they lack in their conduct owing to incomplete observance of silas.
Whatever the case may be killing is frequently denounced in the Buddhist texts meant for the laity. In Sigalovādasutta it is accounted as one of the four vices of conduct that they have to put away, as it is said, "The wise do not praise killing, stealing, lying and adultery."
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The Buddhist texts mention certain special fields to which the moral principle of non-violence is mainly applied; it should be seen, however, that to what extent and degree it has really been employed and how far it has deviated from the main concept.
The first and foremost in these fields is the field of diet, i.e. the question of flesh-eating and abstention from it. This question has become very controversial ever since the days of Buddha.
Aśoka was a staunch follwer of Buddhism. His role is extremely significant in this field as his Edicts reveal. He promulgated forcefully: "Here (in my kingdom) no animal shall be slaughtered for sacrifice, nor may holidays feasts be held, for his Majesty King Priyadarsin sees many evils in holiday feasts." Then in the first Edict of Asoka we read: "Formerly in the kitchen of His Majesty King Priyadarsin, each day many thousands of living creatures were slain to make curries. At the present moment when this pious edict is being written only three living creatures, namely two pea
1. पाणातिपातो अदिन्नादानं मूसावादी पवुच्चति,
परदारगमनं चेवा-नप्पसंसंति पण्डिता ति ।
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2.
-Digha., Sigalovadasutta.
Essence of Buddhism-P. L. Narasu, p. 52.
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