The Asokan missionary approach, in contrast to the theological exclusivity of Hindu Brahmanism, features preaching and carries the principles of the Buddha directly to the common people.

This proselytizing has even greater success in Sri Lanka than it has in India and can be said to be the island's first experiment in mass education.

Buddhism also has a great effect on the literary development of the island.

The Indo-Aryan dialect spoken by the early Sinhalese is comprehensible to missionaries from India and facilitates early attempts at translating the scriptures.

The Sinhalese literati study Pali, the language of the Buddhist scriptures, thus influencing the development of Sinhala as a literary language.