Mahinda was the son of Emperor Ashoka. He became a Sthaviravada (Sanskrit; Pali: Theravada) monk at the age of 20 and joined the effort to spread Buddhism. Mahinda together with four other monks were sent to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism. They preached the teachings of the Buddha to King Devanampiyatissa (247-207 BC), who then become the first Sri Lanka monarch to become a Buddhist. Mahinda brought with him the Pali Canon.
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