Mahinda (Buddhist monk)

thumb|Bed of Mahinda in Mihintale

Mahinda () (285 BCE – 205 BCE) was an Indian Buddhist monk depicted in Buddhist sources as bringing Buddhism to Sri Lanka. According to Sri Lankan tradition, he was a Mauryan prince and the first-born son of Emperor Ashoka from his first wife Queen Devi, and the older brother of Princess Sanghamitra.

Mahinda was sent as a Buddhist missionary to the Anuradhapura Kingdom in Sri Lanka. Mahinda attained arhatship and resided at Mihintale. He played an important role in proliferating Buddhism throughout the Indian subcontinent.

Historical sources

thumb|center|Mihindu (Mahinda in [[Pali) Seya at Rajagala, the place where the inscription commemorating Arahat Mahinda was found]]

The Dipavamsa and the Mahavamsa, Sri Lanka's two great religious chronicles, contain accounts of Mahinda travelling to Sri Lanka and converting King Devanampiya Tissa. These are the primary sources for accounts of his life and deeds. Inscriptions and literary references also establish that Buddhism became prevalent in Sri Lanka around the 3rd century BCE, the period when Mahinda lived.