Book Title: Story of Nation Buddhist India
Author(s): T W Rhys Davids
Publisher: T Fisher Unwin Ltd

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Page 317
________________ 296 BUDDHIST INDIA Rock Edicts, Nos. 9 and II. Rock Edict, No. 12. Pillar Edict, No. 2. according to the Dhamma. Therefore should one-whether father or son or brother or master-interfere and say: "So is right. Thus should the ceremony be done to lasting profit. People say liberality is good. But no gift, no aid, is so good as giving to others the gift of the Dhamma, as aiding others to gain the Dhamma." 12. Toleration. Honour should be paid to all, laymen and recluses alike, belonging to other sects. No one should disparage other sects to exalt his own. Self-restraint in words is the right thing. And let a man seek rather after the growth in his own sect of the essence of the matter. 13. The Dhamma is good. But what is the Dhamma? The having but little, in one's own mind, of the Intoxications '; doing many benefits to others; compassion; liberality; truth; purity. 1 This is a technical term of the Buddhist system of self-training. They were originally threefold, -the mental intoxication arising from lusts, that arising from the craving after a future life, and that arising from ignorance. Then a fourth was added-the intoxication of mind arising from dogmas, or speculative metaphysics. The Arahat has none at all of these. Asoka's good layman is to have but little."-See Rhys-Davids, Dialogues of the Buddha, vol. i., p. 92. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com

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