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Ashoka Research Paper

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The noble Gautauma Buddha conveyed, “Holding onto anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else; you are the one who gets burned.” For centuries, Buddha’s teachings, such as this moral of rage leading to self-deprecation, has resonated with thousands of vexed souls including the eminent Mauryan Empire ruler from 269 B.C.E to 232 B.C.E, Ashoka Vardhana Maurya. As the third emperor of the world’s largest empire at its time, Ashoka was one of the first rulers to become a patron of Buddhism, enforcing the laws of the Dharma and instructing government officials to inscribe Buddhist edicts on rock pillars in various locations. After his military campaign of annihilating the independent feudal state of Kalinga, …show more content…

Ashoka secured his throne by massacring ninety-nine brothers, sparing only the youngest brother. He was a human and animal sacrifice enthusiast as he followed the Brahmanical religion that included a ritualistic system in which sacrificial ceremonies were a norm.* Ashoka vivifies the concept of a “hell on earth” by building a prison in the Mauryan capital of Pataliputra that is centered around pilgrimage, torture, and executions, thus classifying this torture chamber as “Ashoka’s Hell.”* Moreover, legend states that Ashoka administered a test for his ministers to test their loyalty and, as a result, killed 500 of the ministers who failed.* Ashoka even burned his harem filled with women to death when some of his female subjects insulted him for his rough skin.* Through his countless atrocities, it is evident to perceive that this ruthless emperor was a sadistic fiend who gained pleasure from the suffering of others. Nevertheless, this sadistic soul had an epiphany in which inflicting pain on others only causes more suffering not only to the victims but also to the individual. This realization derives from the aftermath of the Kalinga

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