In other words, a king who wanted to win the hearts of the people should, first seek the sanction of the Sangha that held sway over the masses. The ideas invoked in the Chronicles-Sri Lanka as the chosen land for Buddhism, the establishment of Buddhism as the state religion, the duty of the king to protect Buddhism, the interweaving of the destiny of Buddhism and the Sinhalese, the elevation of the Sangha above the state -all these became deeply entrenched in the Sri Lankan mindset to this day.