Advancing towards Stone Age

The notion that the world around us is continuously evolving is understood by one n all , yet we rarely grasp its full implications. We do not ordinarily think...for example... that malaria or even common cold virus to be evolving as it spreads year after year and that finally we’ll stumble across a virus thats incurable by our antibiotics. Nor do we think of evolution in plants and animals as occurring in a matter of days or weeks....though it does. And we do not ordinarily imagine the green world around us as a scene of constant, sophisticated chemical warfare, with plants producing pesticides in response to attack, and insects developing resistance. But I guess that happens too.
If we were to grasp the true nature of nature—if we could understand the real meaning of evolution—then we would envision a world in which every living plant, insect, and animal species is changing at every instant, in response to every other living plant, insect, and animal. Whole populations of organisms are rising and falling, shifting and changing. This restless and perpetual change,as unavoidable and unstoppable as the waves and tides, presents a world in which all human actions necessarily have uncertain effects. The total system we call the biosphere is so complicated that we cannot know in advance the consequences of anything that we do. That is why even our most enlightened past efforts have had undesirable outcomes....either because we did not understand enough, or because the
ever changing world responded to our actions in unexpected ways.
Unfortunately, our species has demonstrated a striking lack of caution in the past. n it is hard to imagine that we will behave any differently in the future. We think we know what we are doing. But isn’t it exactly what we thought in the past. We never seem to admit that we have been wrong in the past, and so might be wrong in the future. Instead ,each generation writes off earlier errors as the result of bad thinking by less able minds—and then confidently embarks on fresh errors of its own.

“They didn’t understand what they were doing”

I m afraid that will be on the tombstone of human race...
I hope not...

ASOKA

More than 2000 years ago a great Indian emperor shocked by the pain and suffering caused by war, changed his conception of law and government and emerged as the only ruler in the history of mankind to have realised the carnage and slaughter that is caused due to conquest by war and the contentment caused by conquest of morality or “dhrama vijaya” and to have strictly followed its path during one’s rule.

Asoka was the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya , the founder of the Mauryan dynasty. The foundation of the dynasty coincides with the death of Alexander the great in 323 BC has often suggested that probably there was some sort of a war between Chandragupta and Alexander’s general Selucas Nikater .Then again not much of Chandragupta’s reign has survived and all there is are in the writings from accounts of Megasthanes, the Greek ambassador to the Mauryan court. Asoka, however, left himself a record which he hoped would endure forever. They are merely records of moral law and not monuments to commemorate his conquests. He uses them to enforce laws, to find expression for his views , as guidelines for his future generations a lot like the modern day internet. Today probably the best and most detailed source to know about asoka are these edicts and hence our discussion centres around them. They tell us a tale of how a young tyrant prince, guilty of unspeakable atrocities became one of the greatest emperors of united India, of how he ceased to be known as Asoka “the wicked” and was called "Devanampiya piyadasi"( devanampriya-priyadarshi)or "the beloved of the Gods and the one who seeks the god of all"

These inscriptions are in Prakrit, the commonly spoken language and not in Sanskrit, the literary language.
The simple style and the crude language strongly suggests that these inscriptions are actual the words of the emperor. In a sense, from the edicts the character of the man emerges clearly and sharply, wisdom combined with practical shrewdness, tolerance unique in his time and rare in one holding such power combined with the desire to improve the ethical outlook of the common man to turn away and for setting up a sense of kinship among all.

INTERNATIONAL LINKS:
[Kalinga Rock edict XIII]
“I consider dharmavijaya the most important conquest. I have achieved the same repeatedly both here and among the people living beyond our borders. Even in the far lands of Yona ( modern Greece) where the king antiyoka rules [Antichos II] and in the dominion of the four kings named Turamaya, Antikini,Maka and Alikasudara, and to the south among the Cholas and Pandyas in the southern tip of the Indian peninula everywhere heed the instructions of dharma.”

The above passage is of extreme importance not only for the dating of events but also to judge the extent of communications of those times. It has been found that all the above mentioned kings were indeed belonged to the same period in different parts of the world.
The real names of the five kings mentioned above are.
Antiyoka [ Antichos II Theos of Syria (261-246 BC)]
Turamaya [Ptolemy II Philadelphos of Egypt (285 to 247 BC)]
Antikini [Antigonos Gonatas of Macedonia 278 to 239 BC]
Maka [Magas of Cyrene 300 to 258 BC]
Alikasudara[ Alexander of Epirus 272-258 BC]

Its really remarkable to note that the words used in the passages below are the actual words spoken by the emperor.
Here's another one.
ASOKA'S PROGRAMS & ADMINISTRATIONS:
[ROCK EDICT VI]
King Priyadarshi says,
In the past, state business was not transacted or reports made at all hours or the day. I have therefore made arrangements that officials may have access to me and may report on the affairs of my people at all times and in all places- when i am eating, when i am in the harem or my inner appartments, when i am attending to the cattle,when i am walking or engaged in religeous exercises. I now attend to the affairs of the people at all place. And when a donation or a proclamation that i have ordered verbally, or an urgent matter which I have delegated to my high officials, causes a debate or dispute in the council, this must be reported to me immediately, at all hours and in all places. These are my orders.
I consider the promotion of the people's welfare my highest duty and its exercise is grounded in work and constant application. No task is more important to me than promoting the well being of the people."

MEDICAL AID AND WELFARE
[ROCK EDICT II]
Everywhere in the dominions of king priyadarsi, as well as in the border territories of the Cholas, the pandyas, the satiyaputra and the keralaputra provisions have been made for two kinds od medical treatment, treatment for men and for animals.
Medicinal herbs, suitable for men and animals, have been imported and planted wherever they were not previously available.Also there, where roots and fruits were lacking, they have been imported and planted.
[ROCK EDICT VII]
I have ordered banyan trees to be planted along the roads to give shade to men and animals. I have ordered mango groves to be planted. Wells to be dug every half kos and rest houses to be built. I have ordered several watering stations built for the convenience for men and animals.

TOLERANCE:
[KALINGA EDICT II]
Unconquered people along the borders of my dominions may wonder what my disposition is towards them. My only wish with respect to them is that they should not fear me, but trust me; that they should expect only happiness from me, not misery;that they should understand further that I will forgive them for offences which can be forgiven.
[ROCK EDICT XII]
King Priyadarshi honours men of all faiths ,members of religeous orders, with gifts or marks of high esteem. One must always guard one's speech to avoid extolling one's own faith and disparaging the faith of others improperly.The faith of others all deserve to be honoured for one reason or another. By honouring them, one exalts one's own faith and at the same time performs a service tothe faith of others.

As the Legend goes....( Conversion of Asoka )

Legend has it that there was another factor that led Ashoka to Buddhism. A Mauryan princess who had been married to one of Ashoka's brothers (who Ashoka executed) fled her palace with a maid, fearing for her unborn child. After much travel, the pregnant princess collapsed under a tree in the forest, and the maid ran to a nearby ashram to fetch a priest or physician to help. Meanwhile, under the tree, the princess gave birth to a son. The young prince was brought up by the Brahmins of the ashram and educated by them. Later, when he was around thirteen years old, he caught the eye of Ashoka, who was surprised to see such a young boy dressed as a sage. When the boy calmly revealed who he was, it seemed that Ashoka was moved by guilt and compassion, and moved the boy and his mother into the palace.

Meanwhile Maharani Devi, who was a Buddhist, had brought up her children in that faith, and apparently left Ashoka after she saw the horrors of Kalinga. Ashoka was grieved by this, and was counselled by his nephew (who had been raised in the ashram and was more priest than prince) to embrace his dharma and draw away from war. Prince Mahindra and Princess Sanghamitra, the children of Maharani Devi, abhorred violence and bloodshed, but knew that as royals war would be a part of their lives. They therefore asked Ashoka for permission to join the Buddhist Sangha, which Ashoka reluctantly granted. The two siblings established Buddhism in Sri Lanka.

From that point Ashoka, who had been described as "the cruel Ashoka" (Chandashoka), started to be described as "the pious Ashoka" (Dharmashoka). He propagated the Vibhajjavada school of Buddhism and preached it within his domain and worldwide from about 250 BC. Emperor Ashoka undoubtedly has to be credited with the first serious attempt to develop a Buddhist policy.