Frank Kuan:

>>>> Any recommendations on a good book that gives some

juicy info on the Buddhist part of Asoka's life, as
well as his Buddhist family members? >>>>


I think Seniviratna's "King Asoka and Buddhism" has one of the best
researched discussions on Ashoka's claimed relationship with Buddhism:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/9552400651/qid=1055075658/
sr=8-2/ref=sr_8_2/102-7314945-0306544?v=glance&s=books&n=507846


There is also an online translation of Ashoka's Rock Edicts:
http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/ashoka.html

and Hultzsch's edition of the Magadhi text:
http://depts.washington.edu/ebmp/Asoka.txt

>>>> Asoka is known for religious tolerance (of non

buddhist faiths). I'm curious what religions were
being tolerated by him, and whether that list includes
Islam. >>>>


The inclusion of Islam would have required remarkable foresight on the
part of Ashoka.

Muhammed: 570-632 CE

Ashoka: 273-232 BCE (the dating is controversial, but all are agreed
that it was BCE)

;-)

Best wishes,

Robert