The history of sexual minorities in Sri Lanka covered in this article dates back to a couple of centuries before the start of the Vikram Samvat era (300 BCE), although it is highly likely that archaeology predating this period exists. There are virtually zero historical records of sexual minorities in the Latin script dating prior to colonialism. The concept of Sri Lanka did not exist prior to colonialism, and the term 'lanka' translates to 'island'. Lanka (Pre-Colonialism) The traditional legal codes of Lanka did not criminalise, or actively discriminate against, sexual minorities. It is believed that gender stereotypes were less important and more blurred during this era., with sexuality being more expressive (sexual sculptures similar to those found at Hindu temples in India can be found on temples in Sri Lanka). Hinduism The concept of sexual minorities was widely known in the prevailing Hindu culture by the time Gautama Buddha founded his philosophies. The monastic disciplines of the island explicitly contained homosexual sex alongside a variety of prohibitions against heterosexual sex, and it explicitly stated that these rules were only to be applied to monks, and not the common people. It is notable that masturbation is not considered a serious offense by the order. A sexual non-conformist is stated as being Pandaka. These people were discriminated against in the sense that they were not allowed to be ordained as a monk. It has been thought that these people are hermaphrodites or eunuchs, though a modern concept found on the island called nachchis might also be the best translation - referring to effeminate homosexuals who engage in sex work. Buddhism Sri Lanka has the longest unbroken history of adhering to Buddhism. In the 5th century of the Christian calendar, the monk Buddhaghosa attempted to explain Pandakas in his scriptures, to the Buddhist lay people. Other records simply stay silent on the subject. For example, the Upāsakajanalankara, a guide for common people written in the 14th century of the Christian calendar discusses sexual misconduct in depth but makes no mention of homosexual sex. A number of same-sex relationships were discussed in a variety of poems and literature, such as the literature of Culavamsa; however, these do not venture into deep eroticism and can also be viewed as a very intense "bromance". The Buddhism followed in Sri Lanka does not hold the view that sexual minorities would have been discriminated through the philosophies