...be, don't you think? Here's the text of the Twelfth edict of King Ashoka (the Buddhist Emperor of India in the 3rd century BCE also known as Piyadassi):
The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various kinds. But the beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, does not value gifts and honors as much as he values this - that there should be growth in the essentials of all religions. Growth in essentials can be done in different ways, but all of them have as their root restraint in speech, that is, not praising one's own religion, or condemning the religion of others without good cause. And if there is cause for criticism, it should be done in a mild way. But it is better to honor other religions for this reason. By so doing, one's own religion benefits, and so do other religions, while doing otherwise harms one's own religion and the religions of others. Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought "Let me glorify my own religion," only harms his own religion. Therefore contact between religions is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions.
From this site:
http://www.livius.org/sh-si/shahbazgarhi/shahbazgarhi2.html
@TaZ, Buddhism does not reject the "gods", only Western people who have only read some secularized versions of Buddhism in books packages for Western consumption would think that. It is clear from the sutras (the Buddha's discourses) and from observing actual Asian Buddhism, that Buddhism assumes the existence of the early Vedic gods (or devas) and other spirits, but it does not suggest worshipping them (nor does it discourage it) and the gods are also in need of the Buddha's teaching. That is why Buddha is also called the "Teacher of gods and men" in the sutras.
The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, honors both ascetics and the householders of all religions, and he honors them with gifts and honors of various kinds. But the beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, does not value gifts and honors as much as he values this - that there should be growth in the essentials of all religions. Growth in essentials can be done in different ways, but all of them have as their root restraint in speech, that is, not praising one's own religion, or condemning the religion of others without good cause. And if there is cause for criticism, it should be done in a mild way. But it is better to honor other religions for this reason. By so doing, one's own religion benefits, and so do other religions, while doing otherwise harms one's own religion and the religions of others. Whoever praises his own religion, due to excessive devotion, and condemns others with the thought "Let me glorify my own religion," only harms his own religion. Therefore contact between religions is good. One should listen to and respect the doctrines professed by others. The beloved of the gods, king Piyadasi, desires that all should be well-learned in the good doctrines of other religions.
From this site:
http://www.livius.org/sh-si/shahbazgarhi/shahbazgarhi2.html
@TaZ, Buddhism does not reject the "gods", only Western people who have only read some secularized versions of Buddhism in books packages for Western consumption would think that. It is clear from the sutras (the Buddha's discourses) and from observing actual Asian Buddhism, that Buddhism assumes the existence of the early Vedic gods (or devas) and other spirits, but it does not suggest worshipping them (nor does it discourage it) and the gods are also in need of the Buddha's teaching. That is why Buddha is also called the "Teacher of gods and men" in the sutras.