| The Buddha spent his life in preaching and by his | | | | liberality, truthfulness and purity." He makes no |
| personal exertions spread his doctrines over Bihar and | | | | reference to a supreme deity, but insists on the |
| Oudh but for two centuries after his death we know | | | | reality and importance of the future life. |
| little of the history of Buddhism. In the reign of | | | | Though he does not use the word Karma this is |
| Ashoka (273-232 B.C.) its fortunes suddenly changed, | | | | clearly the conception which dominates his philosophy: |
| for this great Emperor whose dominions comprised | | | | those who do good are happy in this world and the |
| nearly all India made it the state religion and also | | | | next but those who fail in their duty win neither |
| engraved on rocks and pillars a long series of edicts | | | | heaven nor the royal favour. The king's creed is |
| recording his opinions and aspirations. Buddhism is | | | | remarkable in India for its great simplicity. He |
| often criticized as a gloomy and unpractical creed, | | | | deprecates superstitious ceremonies and says nothing |
| suited at best to stoical and scholarly recluses. But | | | | of Nirvana but dwells on morality as necessary to |
| these are certainly not its characteristics when it first | | | | happiness in this life and others. This is not the whole |
| appears in political history, just as they are not its | | | | of Gautama's teaching but two centuries after his |
| characteristics in Burma or Japan today. | | | | death a powerful and enlightened Buddhist gives it as |
| Both by precept and example Ashoka was an ardent | | | | the gist of Buddhism for laymen. |
| exponent of the strenuous life. In his first edict he | | | | Ashoka wished to make Buddhism the creed not only |
| lays down the principle "Let small and great exert | | | | of India but of the world as known to him and he |
| themselves" and in subsequent inscriptions he | | | | boasts that he extended his "conquests of religion" |
| continually harps upon the necessity of energy and | | | | to the Hellenistic kingdoms of the west. If the |
| exertion. The Law or Religion (Dhamma) which his | | | | missions which he despatched thither reached their |
| edicts enjoin is merely human and civic virtue, except | | | | destination, there is little evidence that they bore any |
| that it makes respect for animal life an integral part | | | | fruit, but the conversion of Ceylon and some districts |
| of morality. In one passage he summarizes it as | | | | in the Himalayas seems directly due to his initiative. |
| "Little impiety, many good deeds, compassion, | | | | |