Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/192

 158 ASOKA MAURYA AND HIS SUCCESSORS solemnly warned to abstain from speaking evil of their neighbours' faith, remembering that all forms of relig- ion alike aim at the attainment of self-control and purity of mind, and are thus in agreement about essentials, however much they may differ in externals. In con- nection with these instructions, men were admonished that all " extravagance and violence of language ' should be carefully avoided. Asoka openly avowed his readiness to act upon these latitudinarian principles by doing reverence to men of all sects, whether ascetics or householders, by means of donations and in other ways. The Cave Inscriptions, which record costly gifts bestowed upon the Ajivikas, a sect of self-mortifying ascetics, more nearly allied to the Jains than the Buddhists, testify that Asoka, like many other ancient Kings of India, really adopted the policy of universal toleration and concurrent endow- ment. But his toleration, although perfectly genuine, must be understood with two limitations. In the first place, all Indian religions, with which alone Asoka was con- cerned, had much in common, and were all alike merely variant expressions of Hindu modes of thought and feeling. There was no such gap dividing them as that which yawns between Islam and Puranic Brahmanism. In the second place, the royal toleration, although per- fect as regarding beliefs, did not necessarily extend to all overt practices. Sacrifices involving the death of a victim, which are absolutely indispensable for the correct worship of some of the gods, were categorically