Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
Encyclopedia
Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera (8 November 1899 - 23 April 1973) was a Sri Lanka
n professor
, scholar and diplomat
. He was the first Ceylon Ambassador
to the Soviet Union,Ceylon High Commissioner
in Canada, Ceylon High Commissioner to United Kingdom and Ceylon Permanent Representative to the United Nations
in New York.
, his father was a well-known Ayurvedic (native medicine) physician, Ayur. Dr. M. S. Pieris Malalasekera.
As a school boy, young George Pieris Malalasekera as he was known then, was sent to St. John's College Panadura
, (now the St. John's College National School) for his English education. It was a leading school in the English medium in Panadura under the principalship of Cyril Jansz, an reputed educationist of the colonial era. After receiving his education in that school from 1907–17, he joined the Ceylon Medical College, Colombo
to qualify as a doctor with a Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS).
The death of his father cut short his medical studies. Circumstances compelled him to give up his hopes of becoming a medical doctor. By following a correspondence course from England, he gained a BA
from the University of London External System, 1919 with a first division. His subjects were English, Latin, Greek and French. He was the youngest candidate to obtain the Bachelor of Arts
degree in the British Empire
in that year with a first class.
In 1923, he proceeded to join the University of London
and obtained the two post-graduate degrees of a MA
and a PhD
simultaneously in 1925, in oriental languages majoring in Pali
. His thesis was 'Pali Literature in Sri Lanka'.
, he changed his foreign names of George and Pieris to those of Gunapala Piyasena and henceforth came to be known as G. P. (Gunapala Piyasena) Malalasekera. After gaining his BA he took to teaching at Ananda College
, Colombo
, then under the principal P. de S. Kularatne
. Both of them were the architects of the Sinhala national costume.In quick succession Malalasekera rose up the ranks to be the Vice Principal and acting Principal of Ananda College. Thereafter he left for London for his graduate studies. On his return to the motherland in 1926, he was appointed Principal of Nalanda College Colombo. The student assembly hall of Nalanda College Colombo is named Malalasekara Theatre in memory of him.
and Sanskrit
for the University of London degree examinations. When the University of Ceylon
was founded in 1942, he became the Professor of languages which included Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit and Buddhist Civilization
. In course of time he became the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. His research on Buddhism and Buddhist Civilisation was extensive and he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism.
His contribution by way of research papers and publications to the Pali Text Society
of London under the distinguished patronage of scholars like Rhys David and Miss I. B. Harner are stupendous, voluminous and highly knowledgeable. From 1927 twice he was elected the Joint Secretary of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress. Thrice he was the Vice-President and functioned as its President from 1939-1957.
During his tenure of office, he saw to it that this congress got constructed a new building for its headquarters at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo-7. He took a delight in the activities of the Viharamahadevi Girls' Home, Biyagama
and was responsible for the establishment of boys' homes at Panadura and Ja-Ela
. During his presidency of the Buddhist Congress for 25 years, he addressed 20 of its annual sessions. His 'magnum opus' or great work is the famous 'Gunapala Sinhala-English Dictionary
'. Of equal importance is the Pali dictionary - Sinhala-English. An ardent member of the Ceylon Asiatic Society, he was conferred honorary degrees from the reputed universities in the UK, France, Cambodia
and Myanmar (Burma). He represented Ceylon at several parleys abroad notably, Conference on Living Religions (1924 - London), Conference on World Religious (1936 - London), Association of Occidental (Western) and Oriental Philosophers (Hawaii - 1949), Association of Indian Philosophers - India, meeting of the Pakistani Philosophers (1953 - Karachi), and the Seminar on Religions for Peace, (San Francisco, USA, 1965). So numerous were the essays, write-ups, literary contributions he made and radio talks delivered over Buddhist, religious and cultural matters and Social service assignments. He was the founder president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists inaugurated within the hallowed precincts of the Temple of the Tooth
, Kandy in 1950 at the suggestion of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress.
He was president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists
from 1950 to 1958;http://www.wfb-hq.org/intro1.htm
they still seem to have special events named in his honor from time to time.
Subsequently, he functioned as the Ceylon High Commissioner in Canada and was Ceylon UN Permanent Representative in New York. Finally, he was the Ceylon's High Commissioner in the UK.
In 1967, he returned to the island to accept the post of chairman of the National Higher Education Commission which responsible post he held till 1971. He died on April 23, 1973.
(piano) and the other daughter became a science graduate whilst his son Vijaya studied law at the University of Cambridge
and was called to the English Bar as Barrister-at-Law.
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
n professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, scholar and diplomat
Diplomat
A diplomat is a person appointed by a state to conduct diplomacy with another state or international organization. The main functions of diplomats revolve around the representation and protection of the interests and nationals of the sending state, as well as the promotion of information and...
. He was the first Ceylon Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
to the Soviet Union,Ceylon High Commissioner
High Commissioner
High Commissioner is the title of various high-ranking, special executive positions held by a commission of appointment.The English term is also used to render various equivalent titles in other languages.-Bilateral diplomacy:...
in Canada, Ceylon High Commissioner to United Kingdom and Ceylon Permanent Representative to the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
in New York.
Early life and education
Born on November 8, 1899 at Malamulla, PanaduraPanadura
- History :The historic debate 'Panadura Vadaya' was held in this place which is a milestone of the history of Buddhism in Sri Lanka with the initiative of the ven. Migettuwaththe Gunananda Thera.- People and Culture :Panadura is home to about 100,000 citizens...
, his father was a well-known Ayurvedic (native medicine) physician, Ayur. Dr. M. S. Pieris Malalasekera.
As a school boy, young George Pieris Malalasekera as he was known then, was sent to St. John's College Panadura
St. John's College Panadura
St John’s College is a prominent school in Panadura, Sri Lanka, that was founded in 1876. The school has a proud history of more than 100 years and celebrated the 125th anniversary during the year 2000. Even though there were only few girls and boys at the beginning, the number has increased up to...
, (now the St. John's College National School) for his English education. It was a leading school in the English medium in Panadura under the principalship of Cyril Jansz, an reputed educationist of the colonial era. After receiving his education in that school from 1907–17, he joined the Ceylon Medical College, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
to qualify as a doctor with a Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery (LMS).
The death of his father cut short his medical studies. Circumstances compelled him to give up his hopes of becoming a medical doctor. By following a correspondence course from England, he gained a BA
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from the University of London External System, 1919 with a first division. His subjects were English, Latin, Greek and French. He was the youngest candidate to obtain the Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in the British Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
in that year with a first class.
In 1923, he proceeded to join the University of London
University of London
-20th century:Shortly after 6 Burlington Gardens was vacated, the University went through a period of rapid expansion. Bedford College, Royal Holloway and the London School of Economics all joined in 1900, Regent's Park College, which had affiliated in 1841 became an official divinity school of the...
and obtained the two post-graduate degrees of a MA
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
and a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
simultaneously in 1925, in oriental languages majoring in Pali
Páli
- External links :* *...
. His thesis was 'Pali Literature in Sri Lanka'.
Teaching career
Coming under the influence of Buddhist renaissance of Srimath Anagarika DharmapalaAnagarika Dharmapala
Anagarika Dharmapala was a leading figure of Buddhism in the twentieth century. He was one of the founding contributors of Sinhalese Buddhist Nationalism and Protestant Buddhism...
, he changed his foreign names of George and Pieris to those of Gunapala Piyasena and henceforth came to be known as G. P. (Gunapala Piyasena) Malalasekera. After gaining his BA he took to teaching at Ananda College
Ananda College
Ananda College , Colombo which is considered as the leading National school in Sri Lanka, was established on November 1, 1886, by the Buddhist Theosophical Society led by Colonel Henry Steel Olcott...
, Colombo
Colombo
Colombo is the largest city of Sri Lanka. It is located on the west coast of the island and adjacent to Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte, the capital of Sri Lanka. Colombo is often referred to as the capital of the country, since Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte is a satellite city of Colombo...
, then under the principal P. de S. Kularatne
P. de S. Kularatne
Patrick de Silva Kularatne was a educationist and politician of Sri Lanka. He established Nalanda College, Ananda Balika, Moratuwa Vidyalaya and Pannipitiya Vidyalaya...
. Both of them were the architects of the Sinhala national costume.In quick succession Malalasekera rose up the ranks to be the Vice Principal and acting Principal of Ananda College. Thereafter he left for London for his graduate studies. On his return to the motherland in 1926, he was appointed Principal of Nalanda College Colombo. The student assembly hall of Nalanda College Colombo is named Malalasekara Theatre in memory of him.
Academic career
Shortly afterwards, he succeeded Ven. Suriyagoda as lecturer in the then University College, Colombo to lecture in English on Sinhala, PaliPáli
- External links :* *...
and Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
for the University of London degree examinations. When the University of Ceylon
University of Ceylon
The University of Ceylon was the only university in Sri Lanka from 1942 until 1972. It had several constituent campuses at various locations around Sri Lanka. The University of Ceylon Act No. 1 of 1972, replaced it with the University of Sri Lanka which existed from 1973 to 1978. In 1978 it was...
was founded in 1942, he became the Professor of languages which included Sinhala, Pali, Sanskrit and Buddhist Civilization
Civilization
Civilization is a sometimes controversial term that has been used in several related ways. Primarily, the term has been used to refer to the material and instrumental side of human cultures that are complex in terms of technology, science, and division of labor. Such civilizations are generally...
. In course of time he became the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies. His research on Buddhism and Buddhist Civilisation was extensive and he was the Editor-in-Chief of the Encyclopaedia of Buddhism.
His contribution by way of research papers and publications to the Pali Text Society
Pali Text Society
The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts".Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved...
of London under the distinguished patronage of scholars like Rhys David and Miss I. B. Harner are stupendous, voluminous and highly knowledgeable. From 1927 twice he was elected the Joint Secretary of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress. Thrice he was the Vice-President and functioned as its President from 1939-1957.
During his tenure of office, he saw to it that this congress got constructed a new building for its headquarters at Bauddhaloka Mawatha, Colombo-7. He took a delight in the activities of the Viharamahadevi Girls' Home, Biyagama
Biyagama
Biyagama is an electorate in Gampaha District, situated in the Western Province of Sri Lanka....
and was responsible for the establishment of boys' homes at Panadura and Ja-Ela
Ja-Ela
Ja-Ela is a major suburb approximately 20 km north of Colombo city center Fort, Sri Lanka.-Etymology:The Term Ja-Ela means Javanese Canal and denotes historical the presence of Sri Lankan Malays in the area...
. During his presidency of the Buddhist Congress for 25 years, he addressed 20 of its annual sessions. His 'magnum opus' or great work is the famous 'Gunapala Sinhala-English Dictionary
Dictionary
A dictionary is a collection of words in one or more specific languages, often listed alphabetically, with usage information, definitions, etymologies, phonetics, pronunciations, and other information; or a book of words in one language with their equivalents in another, also known as a lexicon...
'. Of equal importance is the Pali dictionary - Sinhala-English. An ardent member of the Ceylon Asiatic Society, he was conferred honorary degrees from the reputed universities in the UK, France, Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and Myanmar (Burma). He represented Ceylon at several parleys abroad notably, Conference on Living Religions (1924 - London), Conference on World Religious (1936 - London), Association of Occidental (Western) and Oriental Philosophers (Hawaii - 1949), Association of Indian Philosophers - India, meeting of the Pakistani Philosophers (1953 - Karachi), and the Seminar on Religions for Peace, (San Francisco, USA, 1965). So numerous were the essays, write-ups, literary contributions he made and radio talks delivered over Buddhist, religious and cultural matters and Social service assignments. He was the founder president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists inaugurated within the hallowed precincts of the Temple of the Tooth
Temple of the Tooth
Sri Dalada Maligawa or The Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic is a Buddhist temple in the city of Kandy, Sri Lanka. It is located in the royal palace complex which houses the Relic of the tooth of Buddha. Since ancient times, the relic has played an important role in local politics because it is...
, Kandy in 1950 at the suggestion of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress.
He was president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists
World Fellowship of Buddhists
The World Fellowship of Buddhists is an international Buddhist organization. It was founded in 1950 in Colombo, Sri Lanka by representatives from 27 nations...
from 1950 to 1958;http://www.wfb-hq.org/intro1.htm
they still seem to have special events named in his honor from time to time.
Diplomatic career
Malalasekera was appointed the first Ambassador for Ceylon to the USSR in 1958 by Prime Minister S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike when he established diplomatic relations with socialist countries such as Russia, China, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia.Subsequently, he functioned as the Ceylon High Commissioner in Canada and was Ceylon UN Permanent Representative in New York. Finally, he was the Ceylon's High Commissioner in the UK.
In 1967, he returned to the island to accept the post of chairman of the National Higher Education Commission which responsible post he held till 1971. He died on April 23, 1973.
Family life
He had six children - three daughters and three sons, one daughter excelled in classical musicClassical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
(piano) and the other daughter became a science graduate whilst his son Vijaya studied law at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
and was called to the English Bar as Barrister-at-Law.