Page 108 - The Buddha‘s Noble Eightfold Path

known as Chandashoka or Ashoka the Fierce, as he was before

his 'conversion' as we may call it, he became known as
Dharmashoka or Ashoka the Righteous, and from that day

onward seems to have considered himself the father of his
people. He did not give up his political path, but he quite
explicitly proclaimed as his ideal the service of those whom he

was supposed to be governing, and he upheld their welfare as
the main object of his administration. He also gave great support

to Buddhism, dispatching missionaries not only to different parts
of India and to Ceylon but also to Alexandria and even to
Palestine and Greece. Unfortunately, 'Buddhist' rulers have not

always followed the example of Ashoka. He is perhaps the only
real example in Indian history of someone trying to apply

Buddhist teaching directly to political life and for that deserves
very much credit. Some of you may be familiar with H.G. Wells'
very moving tribute to Ashoka in The Outline of History. 'Amidst

the tens of thousands of names of monarchs that crowd the
pages of history', he writes, 'their majesties and graciousness and

serenities and royal highnesses and the like, the name of Ashoka
shines, and shines almost alone, a star.‘

The other aspect of our collective existence is the economic
aspect. Here, Buddhism teaches Perfect Livelihood, that is to say,

it teaches the complete transformation, in the light of that initial
Perfect Vision, of our whole collective life. Buddhism stands for
the creation of an ideal society as well as for the creation of an

ideal individual. After all, we are all parts of society, all members
one of another, and it is very difficult for us to change ourselves

while society remains unchanged. The Indians have a proverb,

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