The following is a brief reflection on a chapter from the Dvāviṁśatyavadāna (its Sanskrit text can be found here), a collection of Sanskrit stories, in twenty three chapters, framed as conversations between Upagupta and Aśoka, that demonstrate the importance of Buddhist religious and ritualistic practices. These practices include generosity, upholding moral values, worshipping Buddha images, bathing Buddha statues, offering lights, incense and so on. My reflection is on the fifth chapter titled as Puṇyakāmakathā – a conversation on acquisition of merits. This chapter is interesting for me as it includes some ethical advice on how a king should rule a country. The following are some of the suggestions on good qualities of a king. This is not an exact translation, which I hope to do someday.
It says that a ruler should protect his citizens, becoming a support, just like a tree that provides fruits and flowers to many people (5.32). The power and victory over the people will not remain strong (forever) in the same way the fruits that are ripe have the attributes of taste and juice (5.33) implying that the legacy of the rulers live with what the king gives to the citizens. It goes onto discouraging the king not to follow immoral deeds (pāpa) emphasizing that those who do immoral activities encounter great suffering everywhere they seek for happiness (5.34-37). Therefore, great effort should be invested to eliminate the accumulations of all immoral deeds (pāpasaṃcayam), to overpower the heaps of enmity (dveṣasaṃrambha) and to undertake beautiful actions (śubhe karma samācara). It further elaborates that there is nothing as immoral as having enmity (dveṣa) and no greater austerity than tolerance (kṣānti). Therefore, the king should cultivate tolerance by exercising it with different ways (vividhaiḥ naya) (5.38-40).
Having one’s heart shot by enmity/anger/hatred does not allow one to experience peace of mind (śama), joy (prīti) or happiness (sukha). Also affected by enmity, one can neither have good sleep (nidrā) and nor have self-control (dhṛti). Strewn by anger one’s heart is blinded and enflamed. Anger makes a beautiful person look decaying, it darkens a person’s vision. It is a muderer for the ones who seek dharma – a righteous life. Therefore, one should abandon anger and one who can eliminate anger lives happily in this life and next (5.41-46). Then the text discusses about the significance of taming one’s own mind because an untamed mind is more dangerous than a drunken elephant let loose. One should take the vows of protecting one’s mind (5.47-50). The text uses some metaphors to explain the importance of righteousness (dharma), ethics (nīti), and law (nyāya) (5.51-52).
A good ruler, according to this text, is one who is able to feel the pains and happiness of others in the same way he feels his own pains and happiness. As long as a ruler rules the kingdom/country by righteousness so long would there be completeness, prosperity, satisfaction, and joyful pleasures in the country (5.53-54). It makes a list of some specific virtuous acts with their corresponding results using beautiful metaphors. Some of the qualities listed are: generosity (dāna), truthfulness (satya), moral restraints (śīla), knowledge (jñāna) (5.55-59). The imageries in these verses are very beautiful. I hope to translate them soon. So, this quick reflection is not complete as yet.
This text reminded me of the dasa-rājadharma – a list of ten good qualities of a king, found in the Jātakas. I think this passage is important when we think about Buddhist conception of righteous governance. In addition to its didactic values the literary quality of this text, particularly the imageries used for moral qualities, are remarkable.
vūpasamāya 