Ancient Buddhist Legend Of Ashoka - 1257 Words

Amongst the pages of ancient Buddhist legend, a prophecy was told of a great king who would reign a hundred years before his birth. In his previous life, Ashoka the Great was said to have met the Buddha as a young child, and having nothing else to offer, placed a handful of dirt into the Buddha’s begging bowl, with the sincerest of intentions. Seeing this, the Buddha prophesized that in the next life, this young boy would be a legendary king, who would spread Buddhism all throughout the lands. As the prophecy came to fruition, the emperor of India, Ashoka the Great would spread Buddhism across the globe, but for almost two thousand years, the history Emperor Ashoka remained largely forgotten. (Charles, 2012) This was until inscriptions on†¦show more content†¦This led to Ashoka leaving their home country to live in Kalinga for two years. Ashoka would return to help his father, Bindusara, with an uprising in Ujjain. While Ashoka had succeeded he was injured in battle. Buddhists monks would tend to Ashoka while he was hurt. The monks took care of him in secret so his oldest brother Susima would not know about the injuries Ashoka had. While Ashoka was with the Buddhists, he would learn about their religion. He would later fall in love with one of his caretakers, Devi, a woman Vidisha. Their love was like a fairytale, which was king falls in love with a beautiful commoner. (Lahiri, 2015) Together they would have two children, a boy named Mahinda and a daughter named Samghamita. Ultimately, Ashoka would be the son to reign as King. He would take the throne even though he was not meant to inherit it. He was able to reign as king because he had killed some of his brothers. There is uncertainty on how many he killed because an old saying was that â€Å"he killed a 100†, which is thought of as many not a hundred. (Lahiri, 2015) His first couple of years as king experienced much violence. (Lahiri, 2015) During this part of his reign, he was considered a cruel tyrant. Ashoka had an earth prison, thought of as â€Å"hell†, not anybody who entered had a chance to survive. In 265 BC, AshokaShow MoreRelatedIndian Emperor Ashoka And Chinese Emperor Shi Huangdi1557 Words   |  7 PagesIn ancient history, there are quite a few well-known emperors, recognized for their achievements. Indian Emperor Ashoka and Chinese Emperor Shi Huang Di are two such rulers. The legends of their dynasties are one’s historians and scholars analyze and contemplate due to their unique styles and abilities to rule massive land masses. Both rulers influenced the world in different ways. Chinese Emperor Shi Huangdi crafted his empire by consciously ignoring the moral standards left to him by his predecessorsRead MoreDharma in Service to Vinaya Essays1540 Words   |  7 Pagespermeates the India of the Western imagination. So what of the fact that there are Hindu shrines? 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