The cultural dimension of Poson | June 15, 2008

Here is a lovely report on the celebration of Poson:

Asoka was a harsh king. He was known among his subjects as “Chandasoka”, meaning “cruel Asoka”, but after embracing Buddhism he came to be known as “Dharmasoka”. He accepted the new religion that was fast spreading in his native India and wished to propagate the Buddha Dhamma in the island adjacent to his country.

Arahath Mahinda, after putting King Devanampiyatissa to the test with a series of questions and satisfying himself on the matter of the king’s wisdom, then introduced the Buddhist philosophy to Sri Lanka. This year’s Poson marks the 2,311th year of that historic event.