The Asokan Edicts on animal
welfare
by Rohan L.
Jayetilleke
The Buddha
elaborating the fifth Nobel Truth of the Eightfold Noble Path says,
“There are five trades that a lay follower should not be engaged in
for his livelihood. They are trading in weapons, living beings,
meat, liquor and poisons.” (Anguttara Nikaya 5 : 177). If one does
not kill animals there is no market for meat. So is liquor.
In ancient
India, people believed that their departed ancestors are born as
spirits in huge trees and green groves. In order to gain boons and
also to tide over the vicissitudes of life, they made offerings,
food, and even animal sacrifices to appease their departed
ancestors.
Such places of
sacrifices and offerings were called ‘cetiyas’. Cetiya means, one’s
wish. There were innumerable such cetiyas in India even during the
time of the Buddha. The Buddha in his last walk from Rajagaha to
Kusinara (Kasi) for the final Nibbana, of 310 miles, walking in
stages through his last year at the age of 80, stayed at such
cetiyas, like Udena cetiya, Gotamaka cetiya, Sattamba cetiya,
Bahuputta cetiya, Sarananda cetiya, Capala cetiya in Vesali (Vaishali).
(Digha Nikaya 16; of Anguttara Nikaya (4 : 1). This term cetiya was
later adopted by the Buddhists too as cetiya or chaitya, to name
stupas, enshrining the sacred relics of the Buddha and Arahants.
The ancient
kings of India had a ritual called ‘Asvamedha’ which was sanctioned
in the Rig Veda. This was the horse sacrifice. A sturdy horse was
set free to roam at will for a year, followed by royal band of
warriors. The chieftains of the places where the horse wandered had
to honour the horse or fight to capture it. In case the horse
returned unscaphed, it was brought to capital and in the presence of
the king it was killed as a sacrifice to the Vedic gods. Thus animal
sacrifice was a part and parcel of the royal traditions and also
drinking of ‘soma’ a certain kind of liquor, believed to be
sanctioned by the gods.
However, King
Asoka, (274 - 237 B.C.) too would have celebrated this asvamedha
ritual on being consecrated. Asoka, in his eight regnal year invaded
the neighbouring kingdom of Kalinga (modern State of Orissa, where
the State langauge is Oriya) and massacred millions of people. More
than this number were deported and many more maimed in his genocidal
war. Having conquered Kalinga, he became remorseful of his murderous
activities, and having met Ven. Upagupta (Maha Moggaliputta Tissa
Mahathera) who later chaired the Third Great Buddhist Council held
at Pataliputra (modern Patna, Capital of Bihar State) and had
embraced Buddhism.
King Asoka in
his Rupanath Minor Rock Edict No. 1 (also a version of it at Maski)
says in the 2nd and 3rd statements of seven statements: (2) Two and
a half years (and somewhat more have passed) since I am Buddha-Sakya;
(3) (A year and) somewhat more (has passed) since I have visited the
Sangha and have shown zeal. The fact that King Asoka had studied the
Dhamma is borne by his minor Rock Edict 11, also called Bhabru Edict
having been found at Bairat in the Jaipur State of Rajasthan, the
5th, the 6th and the 7th statement Asoka says, “(5) The following
expositions of the Dharma, Sirs, viz., (1) the Vinaya-samuksa, (2)
the Aliyavasa, (3) the Anagathabhayas, (4) the Muni-gathas, (5) the
moneya-sutta, (6) the upatisapasina, and (7) the Laghulovada, which
were spoken by the Blessed Buddha concerning falsehood, - I desire,
Sirs, that many groups of monks and many (nuns) may repeatedly
listen to these expositions of the Dharma and may reflect (on them).
(6) In the same way both laymen and laywomen (should act) and (7)
For the following purpose, Sir, I am causing this to be written, (viz)
in order that they may know my intentions.
Recently
Shrimathi Manekha Gandhi, member of Parliament of India (Lok Sabha)
writing to me from New Delhi, makes a very bold statement, “Emperor
Asoka is truly the first royal environmental visionary in Asia and
perhaps the world. His edicts are both compassionate, insightful and
beautifully worded”. This statement, is evidenced by the edicts of
King Asoka as regards animal welfare. He showed his compassion to
animals and then decreed the subjects too should follow suit. The
entire eco-system is composed of man, animals and the greenery. If
animals are killed and trees devastated the entire eco-system falls
apart and the man has to face consequences due to his own
indiscriminate actions.
In his Rock
Edicts 1 to 16, at Girnar, Kalsi, Dhauli, Jaugadah and Manshers,
Asoka says. “No living being should be slaughtered here for
sacrifice. Nor, too, any samaj he held, King Devanampriya
Priyadarshin ses much evil in samaja.
There is
however, a certain kind of samaja which is approved by King
Devanampriya Priyadarshin. In the past many hundred thousands of
animals were slaughtered daily in the kitchen of King Devanampriya
Priyadarshin. But, now when this Dharma documents was written, only
three animals are killed. Two peacocks and one deer, but the deer
not regularly. In future they will not slaughter these three living
beings also”.
“Everywhere in
the dominion of King Devanampriya Priyadarshin and likewise in the
frontier regions such as Coda, Pamdiya, Satyapura and Keralaputra
unto Tamaraparni and all over where the Greek King Amtiyoka as well
as his neighbouring kings (reign)”. As regards the promotion of
Ayurvedic medical system and veterinary sciences, Asoka says, “King
Devanampriya Priyadarshin installed two kinds of medical treatment
for man and medical treatment for animals. Medicinal herbs
beneficial to man and beneficial to beast were brought and planted
wherever they were not found. Wherever they did not exist, roots and
fruit were brought and planted and, along roads, wells were dug and
trees planted for the use of animals and man”.
He further
says, “By me who was consecrated twelve years, this was ordered.
everywhere in my dominion, uktas, Rajjukas and Pradeshikas should
set out on inspection every five years for the purpose of their
Dharma admonition as for other duties ....... Commendable is
abstention from killing living beings”.
Asoka further
elaborates, “In the past for many years, slaughter of and cruelty to
living creatures, disrespect to relatives and disrespect to
Brahamanas and recluses increased indeed. Today due to the diffusion
or practice of Dharma by King Devanampriya Priyadarshin, the sound
of drums has become the sound of Dharma.
In the Pillar
Edicts V and V1 Asoka says, Twenty six years after being
consecrated, these species were declared exempt from slaughter,
parrots, mainas, ruddy geese, swans, comb-ducks, mountain-ducks,
bats, queen ants, terrapins, boneless-fish, hoodless snakes,
Gangetic dolphins, skate, tortises, and porcupines, tree squirrels,
twelve-antler stags, bulls set at liberty, household pets,
rhinoceroses, white doves, domestic doves, quadrupeds who are
neither utilized nor eaten. She goats, ewes and savs, that are
pregnant or suckling the young ones not to be killed, nor should
their off-springs upto six months. Cocks not to be caponised. Husks
with living creatures should not be burnt. Forests should not be
burnt without a purpose or to harm. The living should not be
nourished with the living. On the three Caturmasas and the full-moon
day of Tisya, for three days namely the fourteenth, the fifteenth
and the next day and always on every fasting day, no fish should be
killed or sold. On these very days in the elephant forests and the
fishermen’s reserves, other kinds of living creatures also not to be
killed. On the eighth of each fortnight the fourteenth, the
fifteenth, Tisya and Punarvasu days, the three Caturmase day and
auspicious days, bulls are not to be castrated. On Tisya and
Punarvasu days, Caturmasi days and fortnight of Caturmasi horses and
bulls are not to be branded”.
As regards
wanton destruction of forests by setting them ablaze, as is
evidenced in the Kandy Hantana ranges periodically, and the present
elephant-man conflict, which is a resultant to man invading the
elephants reserves and even Buddhist monks, in their entirety are
not vegetarians, and children being forced by the parents to eat
various meat and chicken based sausages, and extensive beef and
chicken eating, pose the question whether Sri Lanka is the leading
Buddhist country in the world. Even at the well publicized ‘bhavana
sessions’ the devotees are not inspired to be vegetarians. These so
called, ‘paths to Nibbana’ through money-spinning meditation
sessions in public halls on poya days, directly contribute to the
distancing the villager from the village vihara. This needs to be
stopped as it now becoming a fashion with the Buddhist to recognize
only certain personality cult vegetating monks, in order to gain
wider popularity calling upon Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Islamic
‘gnatis’ (relatives) being not aware that on entering the Order he
has divested himself of all household ties and there are no ‘gnatis’
for him. These are just gimmicks to showcase oneself as the
universal epitome of metta, karuna, muditha and upekkha (However,
all these devotees who become followers of this new breed of
meditation gurus, are not aware of the reality that when they die,
the pansakula will be held by the village vihara monks and not by
their meditation leader. |