This pillar was constructed in honor of an individual named King Ashoka.
King Ashoka was a King that ruled over mostly all of India and beyond. He lived about 150-200 years after the death of The Buddha.
He was a very powerful King, and had a very strong army.
He would conquer land through fierce and bloody battles. Through conquering extensive amounts of land and expanding his Kingdom, which included a large amount of death, he acquired a significant amount of power and wealthใ
But, at one point during his life, he encountered The Teachings of The Buddha, learning and practicing what he was taught. This led to his complete transformation.
Having completely transformed his own mind, he was no longer a murderous King. Having seen the effectiveness of The Teachings of The Buddha and having a significant amount of wealth, he decided to use his money, power, and influence to spread The Teachings of The Buddha throughout the world.
King Ashoka sent missionaries out into the world, and built pillars in honor of The Buddha and people connected to The Buddha. He built many pillars out of respect for The Buddha, which had inscriptions that shared his Teachings, for people to learn by reading the pillar but also, he built a pillar to honor The Buddha’s mother.
It is King Ashoka who is credited with helping start the initial spread of The Teachings of The Buddha throughout the world. Had it not been for his personal transformation and dedicated efforts, we may not know The Teachings of The Buddha as they could have very easily died in India. But, King Ashoka knew how important The Teachings of The Buddha are, and decided to share them with other people. Therefore, in Buddhist communities, there is a deep level of respect and gratitude for King Ashoka. Because had it not been for his efforts, we may not have known The Teachings of The Buddha to help you experience your own personal transformation in your life.
And, The Natural Law of Kamma functions, in such a way, that whatever you put out, that is what will come back to you. So, during the lifetime of King Ashoka, he built pillars in honor and respect of The Buddha. But now, people are building pillars in honor and respect of King Ashoka.
This pillar was built in honor and respect of King Ashoka’s dedicated efforts to share The Teachings of The Buddha throughout the world. Because had it not been for him, we may not know The Teachings of The Buddha because they could have easily died in India.
