__________________________________________________
With reference to Asoka: The incidents relating to Asoka's life as a king, are by far and large true to the book, The Legend of King Asoka (A study and Translation of the Asokavadana) by John Strong. The legend was first translated into Chinese by Fa Hien in 300 CE.
Gandhi’s ideas found their inspiration in the text, Selected Political Writings, Mahatma Gandhi, by Dennis Dalton.
__________________________________________________
Footnotes have been added to the text.
Scene: Gandhi and Asoka meet in heaven, and both are looking down upon a military soldier on the battlefield. The soldier appears to be contemplating on whether he should shoot a target victim or not.
Gandhi turns towards Asoka, but now that he has turned away from the scene, his face carries with it an expression of intense suffering, as though his soul has been ripped.
Gandhi (his voice trembling and full of emotion): What do you think he is going to do?
Asoka : Oh Great Soul, as a Kshatriya he will act!
Gandhi (in slow deliberation): In my life on earth, I understood the nature of a Kshatriya quite differently.
Pause.
(Then, breaking into a smile that is so pure, and so simple, that it is complete in itself): Oh King of Mauryas, I acted as a Kshatriya too. The movement I initiated could never have been called a pacifist one – never was it about a meek surrender to the will of our rulers!
Pause.
Tell me, does not a king’s source of power lie in his subjects?
Asoka’s eyes fix steadily but vacantly on Gandhi, suggesting he is in serious contemplation of the question posed to him. Eventually, he tips him a nod, with a smile that hints that he understands.
Gandhi : (in a quiet and languid tone):…. I was of the firm belief that Swaraj could not have been obtained through warfare.Gandhi pauses at this point, as he shifts his gaze momentarily to the man below. Then he continues: I rather saw a need for national awakening – a need to penetrate through the very fragments of Indian society, into villages, and awaken villagers to the cause of freedom. That I believed would perform the trick that a bloody revolution could not. He pauses again, before he barely whispers: ... Indian Ethos.
He raises his gaze now towards Asoka. Asoka returns it, but his eyes which were lusterless before, flare up, as if he is excited by this new frame of reference acquired.
Asoka: Oh noble one, I, was brought up on Arthasasthra principles, and was therefore conditioned to use physical force to maintain my prestige and power. After all, that was what helped me bring the whole of India under my control for the first time (His eyes become even brighter now, as if he still retains a sense of his King’s pride).
We lived in different times. I was not sent to hell 1 for acting as a Kautilya.
Gandhi now switches instantly to a playful mood 3.1. His eyes twinkle mischievously, but also reveal a certain shyness, as he timidly remarks: It is hard to imagine you there.
Asoka: Come now, I have far greater sins 2 attached to my name, than even Yuddhistra! (Asoka smiles this time as he looks at Gandhi, to melt away the embarrassment that Gandhi now feels) 3.2 Was it not he, who wondered why he had to visit hell if only for the shortest interval of time?
Gandhi: Oh yes, and Indra replied that hell must be seen by all kings, for all things have some good and bad in them. I see you are still in a meditative mood. Very well then!
Asoka: Much of my time in hell was spent on a journey that made me realize the short-comings of my temper.
Gandhi waits for Asoka to go on.
Asoka(in a morose tone): My most profound hell experience was also a most ironical one.
Gandhi: In what way?
Asoka’s mood is now one of grave pensiveness, and it carries with it a forlorn expression that remains fixed on his face, for as long as he discusses hell with the Mahatma. Occasionally he glances over at him, and every time he does this, the Mahatma is pained to see the inner torment that he is undergoing, but which remains hidden at the surface.
Asoka: Do you know, my first exposure to Buddhism came when I had mistakenly sentenced a monk to one of my torture chambers? His refined calm and unperturbed expressions, despite being placed above a pot of boiling water moved me like no other episode in my life. It was after meeting him that I decided to adopt Buddhism as my religion. But there lies the irony! The place that triggered my transformation, was also the reason I was sent to hell in the first place.
Asoka echoes a noiseless laugh at this point, and then continues: In hell, I visited my torture chamber again, but this time, the mental torture I underwent shook me so much, that I have not yet recovered completely. Aaah, but yes, I finally did acquire the sword of discrimination! 3.3 I became a Kshatriya in spirit.
Gandhi : But did you not reform yourself and vow never to fight after the Kalinga war? I have a copy of the edict you wrote after your battle at Kalinga – it is in my parcel of reminders, which I always carry around with me here.Sometimes reading it provides me a comfort like no other thought could - it reassures me, that I did the best I knew, and could, while I stayed on Earth.
Asoka: That is so, Mahatma. I vowed not to expand beyond the boundaries I had acquired by then. I even made my judicial system less harsh and fairer. But my temper clouded by conception of Dhamma 4. My understanding of prestige and power was seriously misconstrued.
At this point, Gandhi senses in Asoka a hint of spite for himself that seems to flash for an instant in his eyes. His voice cracks now as he speaks - as if he is filled completely with anguish that he cannot even breathe 3.4 properly, and uttering words requires great effort on his part.
Little do people know….. those on earth and here….that even several years after the Battle of Kalinga,….. I used torture….. as a tool to vent my anger. I sent my wife….. to be tortured….. after I learned that she had kept me away…… from my….. dear son.
A pregnant silence engulfs both of them, but Asoka soon switches emotional gears and adopts a more cheerful attitude as he draws his attention to the Mahatma again : I am honored that you carry my thoughts around! Do you mind if I look at your parcel?
Gandhi stretch’s out the parcel which contains several documents written on papyrus sheets. Asoka begins to undo it, and pulls out the one on top which reads, Tolstoy: “A Letter to a Hindu”.
Asoka looks up at Gandhi and playfully asks: He is here, isn’t he? I haven’t had the chance to bump into him yet! Gandhi nods, and Asoka continues to skim over a few others – Thoreau, Lennon - Gandhi interjects to tell Asoka that he met him here, in heaven, and then distracts Asoka completely when he says: He has pulled the trigger. That man has been shot!
Pause.
Did you by any chance,get to hear his thoughts,even if faintly so?3.5
Asoka shakes his head to indicate that he has not heard any of it. He appears unmoved by this new incident, but addresses Gandhi on a different chain of thought this time: I saw you when you died. It remains one of the most beautiful moments in heaven. When you said “Hey Ram”, it was as if this place had exploded! (And then adding, playfully) I could have been jealous, for all the noise it caused here!
Gandhi : Come now Charkravartan, if your last few moments on Earth were not spent like the Buddha, I would never have found you here! Besides, I am told your death had a "Bhishma-like" effect. How I wish I could be part of such a glorious spectacle! Gandhi smiles, then pauses for a moment too long, before asking: Was it difficult making your decision? 5
Asoka laughs, and his laugh is perfectly open-hearted and child-like. Then he responds rather vivaciously with intermittent fits of the same child-like laughter: I was offered a Myrobalan fruit as soon as I got here. The man who handed it out to me – laughs – he said, - laughs – “all that you could have held on to” - laughs – “...you gave away everything?...this...this foul-tasting fruit too?" The man, - laughs - he...he pointed to the fruit in his hand, and shook it so vigorously - Asoka tries to do an imitation of the man's actions using the parcel that he is still holding, as the fruit. This time, Gandhi laughs too – then, then he thrust it into my hands – laughs – and went away.6
He catches his breath before he continues: I thought heaven was quite humorous in itself, so it wasn’t so difficult to make my decision! Oh, you should have seen the look - Asoka suddenly becomes distracted, and as Gandhi follows his gaze, it comes to rest on the man who has just been shot.
The man-who-has-just-been-shot comes charging towards them, and ignoring Asoka, walks over to Gandhi, exclaiming: You, you, are the cause of my death. These wars that have been raging for so many years – YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!
FOOTNOTES:
1 The idea of hell (also called “the primary gates of transformation”):
Hell is used in a metaphorical context here. It simply refers to experiences (sometimes vicarious) that completely awaken a person, or bring about a paradigm shift in them.
One is free to leave hell at any point they wish to.
2 The concept of sins merely refers to the “ideas or thoughts or mental state of a person that has not been fully realized”.
3 Skills acquired in hell & heaven:
3.1 One among the many things that hell/heaven teaches a person is the effortless and graceful shift between different emotions.
3.2 This is one of the other skills typically learnt in hell. It involves the capacity to empathize with others, though not necessarily to sympathize with them. (Such skills are also acquired on Earth, though in differing degrees). At a higher level (to a lesser extent, a skill learnt in hell), it also involves the capacity to recognize emotions simply based on the “language of the eyes”.
3.3 The sword of discrimination is a kind of honor won by the Kshatriya class (or anyone who classifies as “one, with the mind of a warrior”), which moves them towards a higher stage of enlightenment.
3.4 The breath is “re-instilled” in hell/heaven for all bodies that die, until one has developed the capacity to identify exclusively with the soul. It thus finds its use as one of the primary tools for intensive meditation practice.
3.5 Perhaps among the most interesting skills acquired (predominantly in heaven, although some may acquire this in hell) is the capacity to hear someone’s thoughts. At higher levels, this can be done almost spontaneously, without effort. At still higher levels, one can actually communicate (with another) without using sound pressure waves as a medium. In “Earth” terms, this maps to our “subconciousness”. It appears that neither Gandhi nor Asoka have mastered this skill as yet.
*P.S. All the skills listed above, may be acquired on earth itself, with the guarantee of complete liberation. However, very few are known to have dedicated their lives exclusively to such pursuits.*
4 Dhamma refers to the teachings of the Buddha, which lead to enlightenment.
5 *The Bhagavat Gita states that those who remember “God” in their last few moments, automatically break the cycle of life*. In this context, the idea of “God” only refers to a “purely humanitarian spirit”, or one who has the potential to realize it completely.
Please note, the Bhagavat Gita is only acting as an illustrative source here, to elicit the idea of potential humanitarians. The 'potential' is identified by the last mental state the person is in, which arguably is, the person’s true mental state. Such souls have the choice of going through another cycle of life, or realizing their higher selves, in heaven itself”.
The choice as is apparent from the story, was offered to Gandhi, Asoka, and also to Tolstoy (who decided to take up his last few moments as a wandering ascetic).
6 The legend of Asoka describes Asoka’s last moments, when he gives away all his possessions, and is left with only half a Myrobalan fruit. This too, he gives away. For a king, conditioned to the style of life as befits a king of his times, this act is considered to be a most magnanimous one (The Legend of King Asoka, Asokavadana).
Incidentally, the Myrobalan fruit, (Kadukkai in Tamil, Amla in Hindi), is considered to have great medicinal properties. The Buddha is thought to have eaten one fruit after seven weeks of fasting, as a way to cleanse his system.
*********************************************************
Post-edited script:
One philosophical line of thought runs throughout this story - "How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?"*
*From Bob Dylan's "Blowing in the wind". Click here : Bob Dylan for more.
*********************************************************
With reference to Asoka: The incidents relating to Asoka's life as a king, are by far and large true to the book, The Legend of King Asoka (A study and Translation of the Asokavadana) by John Strong. The legend was first translated into Chinese by Fa Hien in 300 CE.
Gandhi’s ideas found their inspiration in the text, Selected Political Writings, Mahatma Gandhi, by Dennis Dalton.
__________________________________________________
Footnotes have been added to the text.
Scene: Gandhi and Asoka meet in heaven, and both are looking down upon a military soldier on the battlefield. The soldier appears to be contemplating on whether he should shoot a target victim or not.
Gandhi turns towards Asoka, but now that he has turned away from the scene, his face carries with it an expression of intense suffering, as though his soul has been ripped.
Gandhi (his voice trembling and full of emotion): What do you think he is going to do?
Asoka : Oh Great Soul, as a Kshatriya he will act!
Gandhi (in slow deliberation): In my life on earth, I understood the nature of a Kshatriya quite differently.
Pause.
(Then, breaking into a smile that is so pure, and so simple, that it is complete in itself): Oh King of Mauryas, I acted as a Kshatriya too. The movement I initiated could never have been called a pacifist one – never was it about a meek surrender to the will of our rulers!
Pause.
Tell me, does not a king’s source of power lie in his subjects?
Asoka’s eyes fix steadily but vacantly on Gandhi, suggesting he is in serious contemplation of the question posed to him. Eventually, he tips him a nod, with a smile that hints that he understands.
Gandhi : (in a quiet and languid tone):…. I was of the firm belief that Swaraj could not have been obtained through warfare.Gandhi pauses at this point, as he shifts his gaze momentarily to the man below. Then he continues: I rather saw a need for national awakening – a need to penetrate through the very fragments of Indian society, into villages, and awaken villagers to the cause of freedom. That I believed would perform the trick that a bloody revolution could not. He pauses again, before he barely whispers: ... Indian Ethos.
He raises his gaze now towards Asoka. Asoka returns it, but his eyes which were lusterless before, flare up, as if he is excited by this new frame of reference acquired.
Asoka: Oh noble one, I, was brought up on Arthasasthra principles, and was therefore conditioned to use physical force to maintain my prestige and power. After all, that was what helped me bring the whole of India under my control for the first time (His eyes become even brighter now, as if he still retains a sense of his King’s pride).
We lived in different times. I was not sent to hell 1 for acting as a Kautilya.
Gandhi now switches instantly to a playful mood 3.1. His eyes twinkle mischievously, but also reveal a certain shyness, as he timidly remarks: It is hard to imagine you there.
Asoka: Come now, I have far greater sins 2 attached to my name, than even Yuddhistra! (Asoka smiles this time as he looks at Gandhi, to melt away the embarrassment that Gandhi now feels) 3.2 Was it not he, who wondered why he had to visit hell if only for the shortest interval of time?
Gandhi: Oh yes, and Indra replied that hell must be seen by all kings, for all things have some good and bad in them. I see you are still in a meditative mood. Very well then!
Asoka: Much of my time in hell was spent on a journey that made me realize the short-comings of my temper.
Gandhi waits for Asoka to go on.
Asoka(in a morose tone): My most profound hell experience was also a most ironical one.
Gandhi: In what way?
Asoka’s mood is now one of grave pensiveness, and it carries with it a forlorn expression that remains fixed on his face, for as long as he discusses hell with the Mahatma. Occasionally he glances over at him, and every time he does this, the Mahatma is pained to see the inner torment that he is undergoing, but which remains hidden at the surface.
Asoka: Do you know, my first exposure to Buddhism came when I had mistakenly sentenced a monk to one of my torture chambers? His refined calm and unperturbed expressions, despite being placed above a pot of boiling water moved me like no other episode in my life. It was after meeting him that I decided to adopt Buddhism as my religion. But there lies the irony! The place that triggered my transformation, was also the reason I was sent to hell in the first place.
Asoka echoes a noiseless laugh at this point, and then continues: In hell, I visited my torture chamber again, but this time, the mental torture I underwent shook me so much, that I have not yet recovered completely. Aaah, but yes, I finally did acquire the sword of discrimination! 3.3 I became a Kshatriya in spirit.
Gandhi : But did you not reform yourself and vow never to fight after the Kalinga war? I have a copy of the edict you wrote after your battle at Kalinga – it is in my parcel of reminders, which I always carry around with me here.Sometimes reading it provides me a comfort like no other thought could - it reassures me, that I did the best I knew, and could, while I stayed on Earth.
Asoka: That is so, Mahatma. I vowed not to expand beyond the boundaries I had acquired by then. I even made my judicial system less harsh and fairer. But my temper clouded by conception of Dhamma 4. My understanding of prestige and power was seriously misconstrued.
At this point, Gandhi senses in Asoka a hint of spite for himself that seems to flash for an instant in his eyes. His voice cracks now as he speaks - as if he is filled completely with anguish that he cannot even breathe 3.4 properly, and uttering words requires great effort on his part.
Little do people know….. those on earth and here….that even several years after the Battle of Kalinga,….. I used torture….. as a tool to vent my anger. I sent my wife….. to be tortured….. after I learned that she had kept me away…… from my….. dear son.
A pregnant silence engulfs both of them, but Asoka soon switches emotional gears and adopts a more cheerful attitude as he draws his attention to the Mahatma again : I am honored that you carry my thoughts around! Do you mind if I look at your parcel?
Gandhi stretch’s out the parcel which contains several documents written on papyrus sheets. Asoka begins to undo it, and pulls out the one on top which reads, Tolstoy: “A Letter to a Hindu”.
Asoka looks up at Gandhi and playfully asks: He is here, isn’t he? I haven’t had the chance to bump into him yet! Gandhi nods, and Asoka continues to skim over a few others – Thoreau, Lennon - Gandhi interjects to tell Asoka that he met him here, in heaven, and then distracts Asoka completely when he says: He has pulled the trigger. That man has been shot!
Pause.
Did you by any chance,get to hear his thoughts,even if faintly so?3.5
Asoka shakes his head to indicate that he has not heard any of it. He appears unmoved by this new incident, but addresses Gandhi on a different chain of thought this time: I saw you when you died. It remains one of the most beautiful moments in heaven. When you said “Hey Ram”, it was as if this place had exploded! (And then adding, playfully) I could have been jealous, for all the noise it caused here!
Gandhi : Come now Charkravartan, if your last few moments on Earth were not spent like the Buddha, I would never have found you here! Besides, I am told your death had a "Bhishma-like" effect. How I wish I could be part of such a glorious spectacle! Gandhi smiles, then pauses for a moment too long, before asking: Was it difficult making your decision? 5
Asoka laughs, and his laugh is perfectly open-hearted and child-like. Then he responds rather vivaciously with intermittent fits of the same child-like laughter: I was offered a Myrobalan fruit as soon as I got here. The man who handed it out to me – laughs – he said, - laughs – “all that you could have held on to” - laughs – “...you gave away everything?...this...this foul-tasting fruit too?" The man, - laughs - he...he pointed to the fruit in his hand, and shook it so vigorously - Asoka tries to do an imitation of the man's actions using the parcel that he is still holding, as the fruit. This time, Gandhi laughs too – then, then he thrust it into my hands – laughs – and went away.6
He catches his breath before he continues: I thought heaven was quite humorous in itself, so it wasn’t so difficult to make my decision! Oh, you should have seen the look - Asoka suddenly becomes distracted, and as Gandhi follows his gaze, it comes to rest on the man who has just been shot.
The man-who-has-just-been-shot comes charging towards them, and ignoring Asoka, walks over to Gandhi, exclaiming: You, you, are the cause of my death. These wars that have been raging for so many years – YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE!
FOOTNOTES:
1 The idea of hell (also called “the primary gates of transformation”):
Hell is used in a metaphorical context here. It simply refers to experiences (sometimes vicarious) that completely awaken a person, or bring about a paradigm shift in them.
One is free to leave hell at any point they wish to.
2 The concept of sins merely refers to the “ideas or thoughts or mental state of a person that has not been fully realized”.
3 Skills acquired in hell & heaven:
3.1 One among the many things that hell/heaven teaches a person is the effortless and graceful shift between different emotions.
3.2 This is one of the other skills typically learnt in hell. It involves the capacity to empathize with others, though not necessarily to sympathize with them. (Such skills are also acquired on Earth, though in differing degrees). At a higher level (to a lesser extent, a skill learnt in hell), it also involves the capacity to recognize emotions simply based on the “language of the eyes”.
3.3 The sword of discrimination is a kind of honor won by the Kshatriya class (or anyone who classifies as “one, with the mind of a warrior”), which moves them towards a higher stage of enlightenment.
3.4 The breath is “re-instilled” in hell/heaven for all bodies that die, until one has developed the capacity to identify exclusively with the soul. It thus finds its use as one of the primary tools for intensive meditation practice.
3.5 Perhaps among the most interesting skills acquired (predominantly in heaven, although some may acquire this in hell) is the capacity to hear someone’s thoughts. At higher levels, this can be done almost spontaneously, without effort. At still higher levels, one can actually communicate (with another) without using sound pressure waves as a medium. In “Earth” terms, this maps to our “subconciousness”. It appears that neither Gandhi nor Asoka have mastered this skill as yet.
*P.S. All the skills listed above, may be acquired on earth itself, with the guarantee of complete liberation. However, very few are known to have dedicated their lives exclusively to such pursuits.*
4 Dhamma refers to the teachings of the Buddha, which lead to enlightenment.
5 *The Bhagavat Gita states that those who remember “God” in their last few moments, automatically break the cycle of life*. In this context, the idea of “God” only refers to a “purely humanitarian spirit”, or one who has the potential to realize it completely.
Please note, the Bhagavat Gita is only acting as an illustrative source here, to elicit the idea of potential humanitarians. The 'potential' is identified by the last mental state the person is in, which arguably is, the person’s true mental state. Such souls have the choice of going through another cycle of life, or realizing their higher selves, in heaven itself”.
The choice as is apparent from the story, was offered to Gandhi, Asoka, and also to Tolstoy (who decided to take up his last few moments as a wandering ascetic).
6 The legend of Asoka describes Asoka’s last moments, when he gives away all his possessions, and is left with only half a Myrobalan fruit. This too, he gives away. For a king, conditioned to the style of life as befits a king of his times, this act is considered to be a most magnanimous one (The Legend of King Asoka, Asokavadana).
Incidentally, the Myrobalan fruit, (Kadukkai in Tamil, Amla in Hindi), is considered to have great medicinal properties. The Buddha is thought to have eaten one fruit after seven weeks of fasting, as a way to cleanse his system.
*********************************************************
Post-edited script:
One philosophical line of thought runs throughout this story - "How many roads must a man walk down, before you can call him a man?"*
*From Bob Dylan's "Blowing in the wind". Click here : Bob Dylan for more.
*********************************************************
Comments
Thank you so much. That was some morale booster! :)