Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera
The doyen of orientalists
Professor Gunapala Malalasekera, the doyen of orientalists in Sri Lanka, passed away about 40 years ago at the age of 74. Dr. Malalasekera was an intellectual giant respected as an international scholar in the land of his birth and abroad. He was born in Panadura to a family of well-known Ayurvedic physicians.
He received his primary education at St. John's College, Panadura, between 1907 and 1917. He obtained the B.A. (London) degree in 1919 and became the youngest to pass the examination in Sri Lanka. He would not have achieved this success if not for the persistent encouragement of Anagarika Dharmapala; revivalist and reformer.
Dr. Malalasekera held the post of teacher, vice principal and acting principal of Ananda College from 1921 to 1923 and left the island to do his postgraduate studies at the School of Oriental Studies of the London University.
He was one of the Sri Lankans who passed the M.A. and PhD examinations simultaneously from the London University. On his return to the island, he found that the University College had a Faculty for Languages headed by Ven. Suriyagoda Sumangala Thera, who vacated this post after five years of service.
Dr. Malalasekera was the only person then suitable for the post as there was none to teach Sinhala, Pali and Sanskrit in the English medium. He held the post of the Oriental Studies Faculty's Dean at the Ceylon University, Chief Editor of the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism; Ambassador of Ceylon to USSR (1957 - 1961), concurrently accredited to Poland, Romania and Czechoslovakia (1959 - 1961); as well as High Commissioner in Canada (1961 - 1963) and Permanent Representative for Ceylon at the United Nations (UN) for three years from 1961.
After leaving the UN in 1963, he was the High Commissioner in the United Kingdom for five years. Dr. Malalasekera was appointed as Chairman of the National Council of Higher Education on his return to Sri Lanka after a dignified service as an acclaimed Diplomat. He devoted much of his time to organisations pertaining to religious, cultural and academic subjects.
He was the Joint-Secretary of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress for three consecutive years from 1927 and Vice President for 19 consecutive years during the period of 1939 - 1957.
He was a gifted scholar and linguist who was well-versed in many languages such as Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit, English, German and Russian.
It was a treat to listen to his intellectual and thought-provoking speeches at public meetings.
Dr. Malalasekera was a versatile genius and authority on Philosophy, Religion, Literature, Education and Arts as he was eminent in lexicographical work.
The English-Sinhala Dictionary composed by him is one of his masterpieces that has become indispensable for students and teachers. It is regarded as one of his great contributions to the literary field.
His achievements show that there are ample opportunities for capable men in Sri Lanka to rise from humble beginnings.
His last words were, “Courage in adversity and humility in success.”
Dr. Gunapala Malalasekera was the most attractive personality that Sri Lanka has produced in recent times.
M.S.M. Dahlan
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Remembering Shabir
The beautiful, little flower in our family withered away after a few days of sickness. Born on September 13, 2017, to Shakir and Shafeena, Shabir passed away after living only for ten months.
Our memories of his ability to perceive family members and neighbours, as well as his smiling face, leave us in tears.
Darling Shabir, these memories will linger in our hearts forever.
Nazly Cassim
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Alec Robertson
Erudite scholar of Buddhism
Tomorrow is the 90th birth anniversary of Alec Robertson. His passing was lamented by all Sri Lankans, as well as his numerous foreign friends and acquaintances, who had at some time or other, benefitted from his guidance, friendship and exemplary life—and more than anything else, from his deep understanding and propagation of the Buddha Dhamma.
Sri Lanka has no dearth of Buddhist scholars among both the sangaha and the lay persons, but not many would claim to have all those and many other attributes that were abundant in Robertson. The dilemma among many Buddhist scholars is that they are unable or do not make serious efforts, to live up to the expectations of those who listen to them. They are unable to balance their obsessions with the precepts with even minimum practice. How many of us, while claiming to be Buddhists (and even highly-critical of others for their shortcomings), pay scant attention to the most basic five precepts—not to speak of a lesser pursuit of higher states of spiritual achievement.
My own association with Alec Robertson at a personal level, was short and would not go beyond his last years. On the other hand, as a longstanding Buddhist scholar, I have followed his politic at writings and radio broadcasts. His son Prashantha happened to be a close friend of our eldest son, and it was through this fortuitous circumstance that I was able to establish personal association with Prashantha’s father.
On my few visits to his home, I observed the simple and modest life of the Robertson family. In my young days, I had aspired to a life of few worldly possessions, sans houses and property. Seeing the Robertson family, I felt envy, in having by choice and circumstances, changed my life almost irrevocably. In Robertson, I saw the epitome of a life of few worldly attachments, nevertheless living a life of contentment devoid of lobha, dosha and moha.
Looking back on Alec Robertson's life, one could assume that he had been fortunate in many ways: his long sojourn as a servant of the Buddha and the dhamma. His father, Christian-born, was working in Dodanduwa, in close proximity to the Dodanduwa Island Heritage, which was the reclusive abode of the Ven. Gnanatiloka and Gnanaponika Maha Theras. They were by birth, of German origin.
Young Alec had accompanied his father on his occasional visits to the hermitage, and these encounters had left an indelible impression on the son, perhaps more than in his farther. With that initiation to the dhamma, while living and working in Colombo, young Alec continued to seek the guidance of Maha Theras such as Ven. Pelene Vajiragnana, Ven. Narada, Ven. Piyadassi Kassyapa and Ven. Soma Theras, all from the Vajirarama in Bambalapitiya.
Alec was too young to have known and interacted with Anagarika Dharmapala (1864 - 1933), but his adult life seemed to suggests that at a later and more mature age, Anagarika may have stirred his feelings and even shaped his mission in raising the level of understanding and practice of the dhamma by his fellow men and women. Another person who may have drawn Alec into the dhamma discourse was late Prof. Gunapala Malalasekera, a Buddhist activist and doyen of Pali and Buddhist scholarship. Akin to Anagarika, Alec also had a remarkable ability to expand, through his efforts, his knowledge of the dhamma through the mastery of Pali and deep understanding of the three pitakas. His remarkable memory was the other forte that adorned him as an armour in his many engaging discussions on the dhamma, often in the company of others of greater eminence and erudition.
All who have penned their appreciations of Alec Robertson and assessed his many contributions in the service of the dhamma, have been emphatic on his dexterity in responding to probing questions and clarifications on the dhamma and the life of the Buddha.
What was most remarkable about Alec were his unhesitating responses and their clarity in delivery.
This indeed, was a rarity among many contemporary Buddhist scholars, who when confronted with such verbal challenges, would wonder as lost sheep, groping for credulous answers.
Only persons who are steeped deeply in the dhamma, based solidly on the pitakas in their original Pali rendering, could be in complete control of such situations. Among those living among us, Ven. Harispattuwe Ariyawan Salankara Maha Thera is one such person.
Let me end this short appreciation with the following quote by Asoka Jayasinghe (writing in 2005) who considered himself as an adult sishya of Alec:
“We are left with the memory of this great Buddhist layman whose life was that of an ideal Buddhist; both in erudition and practice.”
Sabbadanam dhamma danamjinati.
Prof. W.M.K. Wijetunga, Former Vice Chancellor, Vidyodaya University
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Prof. M.T.M. Jiffry
Man of integrity
The untimely demise of former Sri Jayawardenepura University Medical Faculty Senior Physiology Professor and former University Grants Commission Vice Chairman Prof. M.T.M. Jiffry on September 17, 2010, created a deep void and also irreparable loss not only to his kith and kin, but also to the country as a whole.
Prof. Jiffry hailed from a humble and respectable family in Matara. He received his primary education at the Matara St. Thomas’ College and later entered Ananda College, Colombo, where he excelled in his studies while winning many prizes and trophies.
Prof. Jiffry then graduated from the Peradeniya University Dental Faculty and became a lecturer there.
After completing his Postgraduate Medical Science Degree, the professor joined the Colombo Medical Faculty as an associate professor of Physiology. Thereafter, he received a transfer to the Sri Jayawardenepura University. There he became the Founder-Dean of the university's Medical Sciences Faculty.
Prof. Jiffry rendered yeoman service to the faculty. He executed his duties with honesty, integrity and dedication. His academic skills and erudition were praiseworthy.
I was close to Prof. Jiffry as his contemporary during his schooldays, and I found him quite studious and hardworking. He was modest and well-mannered.
Throughout his life, Prof. Jiffry epitomised kindness and integrity. He was respected by everyone.
Prof. Jiffry won many a fellowships from many foreign universities and only few knew the charitable acts he performed.
Dear Prof. Jiffry, our loss is Allah's gain, but he only takes the best.
May Allah grant him Jannathul Firdouse.
Dahlan Salahudeen, Retired Teacher, St. Thomas’ College, Matara
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Dr. K. Rodney Fernando
He helped underprivileged students
My dear friend and colleague Dr. Rodney Fernando was called to rest on October 11. His sudden demise following a stroke shocked all who knew him and left us with a sense of irreparable loss.
Rodney, an old boy of Joseph Vaz College, Wennappuwa, graduated from the University of Peradeniya with honours in Chemistry. He temporarily taught at the University of Ruhuna before proceeding to The University of Otago, New Zealand, for his postgraduate studies. On returning to Sri Lanka, he joined the University of Kelaniya.
During this period, the country was experiencing much unrest and at Peradeniya, we were faced with an acute shortage of teaching staff. Dr. Fernando volunteered to help us by conducting visiting lectures, and this continued for several years. Subsequently, he took up an appointment at the University of Brunei Darussalam, where he served for over 20 years before taking up an appointment at the University of Ruhuna. He was a member of the teaching staff there until his unfortunate demise.
Rodney was a dedicated academic and a conscientious lecturer. He always went the extra mile to fulfil the academic needs of his students and they would vouch for the keen interest he took in their welfare. Wherever he taught, he endeavoured to help his students in obtaining suitable employment and positions for further training.
When he spoke to me a few weeks before his death, it was to express his concern for the denial of visas by the US embassy to 27 Sri Lankan graduates who had secured places for higher studies in the US. He had even made representations to a Minister visiting the Ruhuna University and was keen on seeing that the universities took concerted action in this regard. He helped underprivileged students with funds donated by friends and colleagues, especially by those in Brunei.
Whilst in Brunei, he was instrumental in reactivating the Sri Lankan Society of Brunei Darussalam and as its president, he was instrumental in narrowing the divisions within the expatriate community stemming from the political situation prevailing in Sri Lanka at that time. Whilst there, he also used his resources to help many Sri Lankans to find employment outside Brunei. When I fell ill in Brunei, Rodney was there to attend to all my needs. It is with sadness that I reflect on my not being there for him at his hour of need.
Rodney, like all of us, went through good times and bad. He faced bad times with equanimity and enjoyed life to the fullest when things were good. He will be sadly missed by all who knew him.
Goodbye, dear friend. May you rest in peace.
D.T.B. Tennakoon, Professor Emeritus, University of Peradeniya
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