Venerable Nyanatiloka Maha Thera (1878-1957) was the first Continental European bhikkhu to take up residence in Sri Lanka. His example was soon followed by other European monks of the calibre of the Ven. Nyanaponika, Ven. Nyanawimala and Ven. Nyanamoli among others. All of them deserve the Sri Lankan State's highest recognition for the immense contribution they made to the dissemination of Theravada Buddhism worldwide by their scholarly research and writings which awakened the Western mind to the teachings of the Enlightened One.