STRATEGIC STUDIES AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS

5809
Junior officer cadet
MAV DHANUSHKA

EXPLAIN THE ADVENT OF BUDDHISM STRENGTHING INDO-LANKA RELATIONS

The relationship between Sri Lanka and India is more than 2500 years old. Both countries have
a legacy of intellectual, cultural, religious and linguistic interaction. Establishment of Buddhism
in Sri Lanka is also due to the relationship between India and Sri Lanka.
Today Sri Lanka is renowned of the Theravada Buddhism because of the noble intentions of a
great king from India king dharmasoka.Emperor Asoka who was a mighty king in India had
embraced Buddhism. He was on a great mission to propagate Buddhism the Indian
subcontinent and even the world. He was a close friend of Devanampiyatissa.Who was the
reigning monarch of ancient Sri Lanka. King Asoka dispatched a Buddhist delegation which
included his son arahat Mahind thera to Sri Lanka to propagate the dhamma with that the
arrival of mahinda thero Buddhism was established and along with arrival sangamitta bikkhuni
sasana was also established.
A branch of sacred BO tree was given to Sri Lanka as a token of the great and enlightened one
to the land of Lanka.
Our country was built along with Buddhist disciples and still we follow the learnings.
As the time passed the relationship between Sri Lanka and India grow where Buddhist
learnings, cultures, sculptures, relics were shared between the nations and the biggest gift from
India to as was Buddhism.
Centuries later, AnagarikaS DharmaPala undertook a similar Journey, to protect Buddha Gaya to
preserve one of most important elements of the Buddhist Heritage in Sri Lanka.
Recently air India started to operate direct flights between Colombo to Varanasi in order to
make it easier to directly travel to visit sacred places of Buddha.
The friendship between India and Sri Lanka strengthen through the interconnected values of
Buddhism and shared culture and Buddhist learnings.