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Also in Nara we encountered this modern replica of the capital from a pillar erected by the great Buddhist ruler of India, Ashoka, placed here by an international Buddhist organization working for peace. The original was found at Sarnath, near Varanasi, where the Buddha preached his first sermon and where for many centuries a large monastery flourished. This was a reminder of the powerful reach of Buddhism across Asia, even though there are few Buddhists today in the land of its origin. [Next] [Intro] |