Consider the following statements: 1. According to Mahavamsa Ashoka turned to the Buddha's dhamma when his nephew Nigrodha preached the doctrine to him 2. Divyavadana ascribes Ashoka being drawn to the Buddha's teaching to the influence of Samudra, a merchant-turned monk. 3. Dipavamsa speaks of Samudra, the 12-year-old son of a merchant, as the key figure in Ashoka's coming under the influence of the Buddhist dhamma. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements: 1. According to Mahavamsa Ashoka turned to the Buddha's dhamma when his nephew Nigrodha preached the doctrine to him 2. Divyavadana ascribes Ashoka being drawn to the Buddha's teaching to the influence of Samudra, a merchant-turned monk. 3. Dipavamsa speaks of Samudra, the 12-year-old son of a merchant, as the key figure in Ashoka's coming under the influence of the Buddhist dhamma. Which of the statements given above is/are correct? Correct Answer 1 and 2
The Buddhist texts present Ashoka as a vile and evil man until he came under the influence of Buddhist Dhamma.
- It presents Ashoka's conversion to Buddhism sudden and transformative.
- Both the Mahavamsa and Dipavamsa tell us that Ashoka turned to Buddha's Dhamma after his nephew Nigrodha preached the doctrine to him. Hence, while the statement 1 is correct, statement 3 is incorrect.
- It says that Nigrodha was only 7 when he had converted to a monk and started preaching Dhamma.
- Diyavadana, on the other hand, says that Ashoka was drawn towards the teachings of Buddha after coming under the influence of Samudra, who was a merchant-turned monk. Hence, statement 2 is correct.
- It is important to note here that Xuan Tsang supports the account given by Divyadana.
- The Ashokavandana mixes the two stories and speaks of Samudra, the 12-year merchant-turned-monk, as the key figure who influenced Ashoka coming under the influence of Buddha's Dhamma.
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Feb 20, 2025