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The Journal of the Royal Institute of Thailand Volume III - 2011 Somseen Chanawangsa 9 a claim were to be made, it would not be freedom to profess a religion, but freedom to destroy one. In summary, two important points can be noted as follows: ë Defrocking, though technically the most severe degree of penalty in Buddhism, can hardly be called punishment in the usual sense of the term. It simply reflects a true freedom to do things in an honest and open way. ë In Buddhism there is not any sort of punishment that might threaten oneûs life or even inflict bodily pain. 14 Asoka the Great and his legacy of Buddhist kingship The spirit of freedom of thought, tolerance and sympathetic understanding was adopted by Emperor Asoka of India in the third century BCE . Although he was a converted Buddhist himself and made Buddhism a state religion, he was also a patron of all religions. The following much-quoted passage is from the 12th Edict of Asoka: 15 One should not honour only oneûs own religion and condemn the religions of others, but one should honour othersû religions for this or that reason. In so doing, one helps oneûs own religion to grow and renders service to the religions of others too. In acting otherwise one digs the grave of oneûs own religion and also does harm to other religions. Whosoever honours his own religion, and condemns other religions, does so indeed through devotion to his own religion, thinking ùI will glorify my own religionû. But on the contrary, in so doing he injures his own religion more gravely. So concord is good: ùLet all listen, and be willing to listen to the doctrines professed by othersû. Asokaûs policy of freedom of religion and tolerance is one of his important legacies, as it became a model for monarchs in other countries in later generations. In Thailand over 300 years ago, for example, after Siam (its former name) was made a vicariate apostolic by Pope Alexander VII on 22 August 1662 in the reign of King Narai during the Ayudhya period, it became the first country in the 14 Ven. P. A. Payutto. 1999. Looking at World Peace against the Backdrop of Globalized Civilization. [in Thai] . Bangkok. 15 Ven. Dr. Walpola Sri Rahula. 1959 [2008]. What the Buddha Taught. Oxford: Oneworld Publications, pp. 4›5. ISBN13: 978-1-85168-142-6. 1-15_mac9 4/26/12, 8:09 PM 9