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Budhism and Asoka
91 The schismatic tendencies in the Buddhist Samgha had made their ugly appearance during the life-time of the Buddha himself. After Asoka had extended royal patronage to Buddhism, made a serious attempt to consolidate the Buddha's teachings by convening a Buddhist Council and planned systematic programme for propagating them not only within his empire but also in foreign lands by sending missionaries, it was only natural for him to deal with such tendencies with a firm hand. The action appears to have been two-fold: educative as in the Bhabru Edict and punitive as in the Schism Edicts.
Asoka has spoken of his diligence in several edicts. The Bhabru Edict is an example of his diligence; it not only settles the controversy about his conversion to Buddhism but it also portrays him as a diligent Buddhist who had studied the scripture and obtained such mastery of the religious tenets that he could recommend even to the Samgha what it should specially read.
He was, however, not a bigot. Buddhism was his personal faith and although he did much for its propagation, he was tolerant of the different creeds and gave patronage to all alike as a king. This tradition of secularism was followed by all the great kings of ancient India. Khāravela, coming fifty years after Asoka, was a follower of Jainism and his services to Jainism were also comparable to those of Asoka to Buddhism, but he took pride in styling himself as 'the embellisher of all temples' and as the worshipper of all religions'.
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