BIOGRAPHY

About Professor
Malalasekera
Professor Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera, was one of Sri Lanka’s foremost academic scholars, one of the pioneers of Buddhist renaissance, and an outstanding public figure. Prof. Malalasekera’s contribution to the Buddhist canon of knowledge, history, cultural development, linguistic and numerous other academic disciplines elevated him to the status of a global thought leader on Buddhist affairs.

Throughout his life, Professor Malalasekera made many contributions to various spheres of activities, which are too numerous to mention, however, foremost amongst these achievements, are his contribution to the worldwide spread of Buddhism, its teachings, and philosophy both locally and internationally. He was the inspiration, and founder of the World Fellowship of Buddhists, and its first President as well.

  • Born : November 9, 1899, at Malamulla, Panadura to parents M.S. Peiris Malalasekera and Dona Selestina Kuruppu Jayawardhana
  • Primary and Secondary Education : At St. John’s College, Panadura, 1906 – 1917
  • Tertiary Education : Entered Ceylon Medical College, 1917 – 1918. Passed B.A. (London) Examination (External), 1919
  • Teacher : Ananda College, Colombo, 1921
  • Vice Principal : Ananda College, Colombo, 1922
  • Acting Principal : Ananda College, Colombo, 1923
  • Post-Graduate Studies : School of Oriental Studies, University of London 1923-26. M.A. and Ph.D. (simultaneously) University of London, 1925
  • Principal : Nalanda College, Colombo, 1926
  • Lecturer : In Sinhalese, Pali and Sanskrit, Ceylon University College, 1927
  • D.Litt. : University of London, 1938
  • Professor : Pali, Sanskrit and Sinhalese, 1939
  • Dean : Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Ceylon, 1942
  • Editor-in-Chief : Encyclopedia of Buddhism, 1956
  • Ambassador : U.S.S.R., 1957-1961; concurrently accredited to Poland, Romania, and Czechoslovakia, 1959-1961
  • High Commissioner : In Canada 1961- 1963
  • Permanent Representative : for Ceylon at the U.N. 1961-1963, At the U.N. served as Chaiman, Security Council; Member, Fact-finding Mission to Saigon, and in the Committee on Information from Non-self Governing Territories
  • Chairman : National Council of Higher Education 1967- 1971
  • Other degrees and honors : Hon. D. Phil (Moscow); Hon. D.Lit. (Ceylon); Hon. D. Lit. (Vidyodaya University of Ceylon 1960); Imperial Honor of the Officer of the British Empire (O.B.E.)1953; Chevalier de I’Order Nationale du Merite (France); Commander of the Order of Mani Saraphon (Cambodia); Buddhasasanavepullahitadhara (Burma); Membre d’honneur de I’Ecole Francaise d’Extreme Orient
  • Activities in Religions, Academic, Literary, and Cultural Organizations : Joint-Secretary of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress (A.C.B.C.) for two consecutive years from 1927; Vice President of the A.C.B.C. from 1937-1939; its President for 19 consecutive years from 1939-1957, in which year he left the island on a diplomatic assignment. On his return in 1967, elected President and functioned in that capacity till the time of his death
  • Founder-President of the World Fellowship of Buddhists : 1950-1958
  • Chairman : Lumbini Restoration Project Committee of UNESCO
  • Member : Special Committee on Education (1945)
  • Chairman : Central Advisory Board for Education
  • Member : Commission on Higher Education in Swabhhasha (1954)
  • Member : Official Language Commission (1956)
  • Vice President : English Association (Ceylon Branch)
  • Founder Member : Classical Association of Ceylon
  • President  : Asian Archaeological Congress
  • President : Asian Cultural Organization
  • President : Indian Philosophical Congress
  • Hon. Secretary : Ceylon Society of Arts; President : Arts Council of Ceylon; Member : Committee on Re-organization of the National Service of Radio Ceylon; Member: Editorial Committee of the Sinhalese Etymological Dictionary; Chairman : Editorial Board and Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopedia of Buddhism
  • Represented Sri Lanka at the Conference of Living Faiths Within the Empire (London, 1924); World Fellowship of Faiths (London, 1936); East-West Philosopher’s Conference (Hawaii, 1949); Indian Philosophical Congress (India, on several occasions) ; International Congress of Orientalists (several times); All Indian Oriental Conference (India, several times); Pakistan Philosophical Congress (Karachchi 1955); Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland (several symposia); Symposium on Buddhism’s Contribution to Art, Letters and Philosophy (New Delhi, 1956); Convocation of Religion for World Peace (San Francisco, 1965)

BIOGRAPHY

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