Sri Lankans mark Buddha's milestones

>>The Sri Lankan Embassy yesterday hosted an event to commemorate Vesak — the three sacred milestones in the life of the Buddha: his birth, enlightenment, and death — at the Rama IX Golden Jubilee Temple in Bangkok.

- PORAMET TANGSATHAPORN

The event also marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Sri Lanka and Thailand, underscoring their enduring spiritual and cultural ties that are rooted in Theravada Buddhism.

Buddhism was introduced to Sri Lanka in the 3rd century BC, when Arahant Mahinda, son of the Indian Emperor Ashoka and a devoted monk, arrived on the island as part of a noble mission to spread the Dhamma beyond India.

Arahant Mahinda’s historic encounter with King Devanampiyatissa near Mihintale led to the monarch’s conversion, laying the foundation for the Theravada tradition in Sri Lanka.

Over the centuries, Buddhism has flourished across the island, shaping its cultural heritage, moral framework, and national identity for more than two thousand years.