ABSTRACT
IN the year 247 B.C. 1 an event of great significance occurred in the history of education in Ceylon. Buddhism was introduced, and it was introduced by the greatest Buddhist missionary ever known—the Venerable Mahinda. He successfully converted a large proportion of the people and Buddhist traditions have been cherished now for over two thousand years, remaining an integral part of the island's culture and a guide to educational thought today. This situation is by no means unique; for Buddhism can with justice be regarded as the first missionary religion in the world:
Centuries before Jesus sent out his twelve disciples ‘to the lost sheep of the house of Israel’ Sakyamuni (Lord Buddha) had sent out sixty disciples to announce the message of salvation to the whole world. Hundreds of years before Paul started on his missionary journeys in Palestine and the neighbouring countries, the Buddhist church had sent out Theras (Buddhist monks) to preach the Dharma (the Doctrine) in every part of Asia. 2
