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vandāmi cetiyaṃ sabbaṃ, sabbaṭṭhānesu patiṭṭhitaṃ. Ye ca dantā atītā ca, ye ca dantā anāgatā, paccuppannā ca ye dantā, sabbe vandāmi te ahaṃ.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

The Sarnath Ashoka Pillar: A Chronicle of Buddhist Unity and Sectarian History



The Iconic Lion Capital (Discovered 1905 CE / 2448 BE)

  • Discovery: German archaeologist E. Hultzsch uncovered the pillar under Sir John Marshall’s ASI team. Now displayed at Sarnath Museum, its four-lion capital (adopted as India’s national emblem in 1947) symbolizes Ashoka’s imperial authority and Buddhist ideals.

  • Inscription: A Prakrit edict in Brahmi script, warning against monastic schisms (Sangha-bheda):

    "King Devanampiya Piyadasi decrees: Any monk or nun who causes division in the Sangha shall be made to wear white robes and expelled. This order is to be proclaimed during every Uposatha [observance day]."

    • Context: Pre-Ashokan Buddhism had fractured into 18 sects; this edict (found at 8 sites like Sarnath, Sanchi) enforced unity.


Later Inscriptions on the Same Pillar

  1. Kushan-Era Addition (1st–2nd c. CE / 600 BE):

    • A single line in Brahmi, mentioning King Aśvaghosa (possibly the philosopher-saint):

      "[...] In the 4th year of King Aśvaghosa, on the 1st day of winter..."

  2. Gupta-Period Inscription (4th c. CE / 900 BE):

    • Sanskrit text naming two sects:

      "For the teachers of the Sammitīya and Vātsīputrīya schools."

    • Historical Match: Xuanzang’s 7th-century account confirms Sarnath’s monks were Sammitīya, a Pudgalavādin sect.


Eyewitness Accounts

1. Xuanzang’s Report (630 CE / 1173 BE)

  • Varanasi: A bustling city with 30 monasteries (3,000 Sammitīya monks) but dominated by Shaivite "heretics."

  • Sarnath: The Deer Park housed 1,500 Sammitīya monks. Ashoka’s 70-foot stupa marked the First Sermon site.

2. Hye Cho’s Visit (723 CE / 1266 BE)

  • The Korean monk described the pillar:

    "A stone column crowned with exquisitely carved lions stands beside a stucco Buddha statue at Dharmachakra Monastery."


Key Takeaways

  1. Ashoka’s Iron Fist: His edicts threatened defrocking for schismatics, showing state intervention in Sangha affairs.

  2. Sectarian Continuity: From Ashoka to the Guptas, Sarnath remained a Sammitīya stronghold—proof of this school’s influence in North India.

  3. Archaeological Palimpsest: The pillar’s layered inscriptions reflect 1,000 years of Buddhist history, from Mauryan unity to Gupta-era sectarianism.

Did You Know? The Vātsīputrīya (linked to Pudgalavāda) believed in a "person" (pudgala) neither identical to nor separate from the five aggregates—a controversial view!

(Note: The "white robes" punishment mirrored the humiliation of Jain ascetics, who wore white.)