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Cited by 6Indian and Buddhist StudiesClassical Studies and PhilologyBiblical Studies and Interpretation

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Aśoka and the Buddhist Samgha: a study of Aśoka's Schism Edict and Minor Rock Edict I

Tieken, Herman·2000·Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
DOI 10.1017/s0041977x00006431
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Abstract

In the legendary accounts of the Buddhist canon concerning the growth and development of Theravaāa Buddhism (Norman, 1987) Aśoka plays an important role. In support of these legends modern scholars have quoted Aśoka's own so-called Schism Edict from Allahabad (Kauśāmbī), Sanchi and Sarnath, in which the emperor would claim to have acted against schisms in the Buddhist Church (e.g. Alsdorf, 1959). However, Bechert has convincingly shown that in this edict Aśoka is not concerned with schisms in the Buddhist Church but with divisions within local, individual saṃgha s (Bechert, 1961; 1982). It should immediately be added that this does not imply a denigration of Aśoka's importance for Buddhism but merely brings his role into line with contemporary realities. At the time the level of organization in Buddhism did not go beyond that of the individual saṃgha. It is all the more important to identify exactly the details of Aśoka's interference in the saṃgha. However, it is precisely here that problems start, as several passages in the text of the Schism Edict, an important source on this topic, are still unclear. By way of example I refer to posathāye in the Sarnath version, which has been variously interpreted as a dative of direction and a dative of time. The difference would be whether Aśoka's official should go to the uposatha ceremony or should go to the saṃgha on the uposatha day.

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Metadata

Authors
Tieken, H.
Venue
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies
Publisher
Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Published
2000-01
Volume
63
Issue
1
Pages
1-30
ISSN
  • 0041-977X (ISSN-L)
  • 1474-0699
DOI
10.1017/s0041977x00006431
OpenAlex
W2150117193
Cited by
6
References
0
Citations by year
2026: 1 · 2016: 1 · 2014: 2
FWCI
13.15
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.cambridge.org/core/terms (unspecified, 3323 d)
Locations
Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Indian and Buddhist Studies
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Language and Linguistics › Classical Studies and Philology
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Religious studies › Biblical Studies and Interpretation
Keywords
Asoka, Theravada Buddhism, Sanchi, Sarnath, textual interpretation

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Tieken, H. (2000). Aśoka and the Buddhist Samgha: a study of Aśoka's Schism Edict and Minor Rock Edict I. Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0041977x00006431

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