Secularism in the days of Emperor Ashoka

by Guest Thu Sep 04, 2014 5:39 pm

The Girnar Rock Edict of Emperor Ashoka, on Religious Tolerance (Girnar is in Gujarat; the probable date of the edict is around 260 B.C.)

"Thus saith His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the King : The King honours all religious sects. His Sacred Majesty does not value gifts and honours as he values the growth of the essential elements of all religious sects. But the root of it is restraint of speech, that is, there should not be honour only of one's own religion and condemnation of other religions. On the other hand, other religions should be honoured too. By doing this, one helps his own religion to grow, and benefits the religion of others too. By doing otherwise, one harms his own religion and injures the other religions too. For whoever honours only his own religion and condemns other religions injures more gravely his own religion. Hence concord alone is commendable, and all should listen, and be willing to listen, to the beliefs professed by others. This is the desire of his Sacred Majesty."

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With respect to the above, recall what Amartya Sen has said about the South Indian model of secularism as per which equal respect and tolerance is given to all religions.

by Guest Thu Sep 04, 2014 8:26 pm

Rashmun wrote:The Girnar Rock Edict of Emperor Ashoka, on Religious Tolerance (Girnar is in Gujarat; the probable date of the edict is around 260 B.C.)

"Thus saith His Sacred and Gracious Majesty the King : The King honours all religious sects. His Sacred Majesty does not value gifts and honours as he values the growth of the essential elements of all religious sects. But the root of it is restraint of speech, that is, there should not be honour only of one's own religion and condemnation of other religions. On the other hand, other religions should be honoured too. By doing this, one helps his own religion to grow, and benefits the religion of others too. By doing otherwise, one harms his own religion and injures the other religions too. For whoever honours only his own religion and condemns other religions injures more gravely his own religion. Hence concord alone is commendable, and all should listen, and be willing to listen, to the beliefs professed by others. This is the desire of his Sacred Majesty."

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With respect to the above, recall what Amartya Sen has said about the South Indian model of secularism as per which equal respect and tolerance is given to all religions.

Sorry, that should have been south asian instead of South Indian.

Secularism in the days of Emperor Ashoka

Secularism in the days of Emperor Ashoka

Re: Secularism in the days of Emperor Ashoka