476:. He represented Ceylon at several parleys abroad, notably: Conference on Living Religions (London, 1924), Conference on World Religious (London, 1936), Association of Occidental (Western) and Oriental Philosophers (Hawaii, 1949), Association of Indian Philosophers – India, meeting of the Pakistani Philosophers (Karachi, 1953), and the Seminar on Religions for Peace, (San Francisco, USA, 1965). He presented numerous essays, write-ups and literary contributions, and delivered radio talks on Buddhist and religious/cultural matters and Social service assignments. He was the founder president of the World Fellowship of Buddhists inaugurated within the
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He married
Margaret Russell in 1927. She was a concert pianist he met while he was a student at the London School of Oriental Studies. The marriage lasted only three years until her early death, and produced a daughter Chitra who excelled in classical music (piano). He thereafter married Lyle, they
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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 newly formed
298:, (now the St. John's College National School). It was a leading school in the English medium in Panadura under the head master Cyril Jansz, a reputed educationist of the colonial era. After receiving his education in that school from 1907–17, he joined the
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when he established diplomatic relations with socialist countries such as Russia, China, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. In 1959, he was appointed concurrently first
Ambassador for Ceylon to Czechoslovakia, Poland and Romania. He served until 1961
418:
was founded in 1942, he became the
Professor of Pali and Buddhist Studies. Serving as the Head of the Department of Pali, he went on to serve as the Dean of the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Ceylon. His research on Buddhism and
515:
in New York from 1961 to 1963. There he served as chairman, Security
Council Member, Fact Finding Mission to Saigon and also in the Committee on Information from North Non-self Governing Territories. Finally, he was the
955:
365:, 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
310:(LMS). However, the death of his father cut short his medical studies, compelling him to give up his hopes of becoming a medical doctor. By following a correspondence course from England, he gained a
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In 1967, he returned to the island to accept the post of chairman of the
National Higher Education Commission which responsible post he held until 1971. He died on 23 April 1973.
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in 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
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During his tenure in office, he saw to it that the All-Ceylon
Buddhist Congress constructed a new building for its headquarters in Buller's Road (now
272:
247:(8 November 1899 – 23 April 1973) was a Sri Lankan academic, scholar and diplomat best known for his Malalasekara English-Sinhala Dictionary. He was
438:. Thrice he was the Vice-President and functioned as its President from 1939–1957. On his departure from the University of Ceylon, he was appointed
106:
508:
457:. During his presidency of the Buddhist Congress for 25 years, he addressed 20 of its annual sessions. His most significant publication is the
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Tribute to
Malalasekera: A Collection of Messages, Appreciations & Pen Portraits in Honour of Professor Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
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was extensive and he was the Editor-in-Chief of the
Encyclopaedia of Buddhism. He contributed research papers and publications to the
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468:. It was first published in 1948 and is currently up to its fifth edition, which was released in 2014. Of equal importance is the
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798:"Nov. 9th is the 103rd birth anniversary of Prof. G. P. Malalasekera : Scholar who blazed a new trail for Lanka"
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770:"The word centenary 70th Anniversary of the Malalasekera's English Sinhala Dictionary"
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in 1938, his thesis was 'Pali Literature in Sri Lanka' from the University of London.
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and Miss I. B. Horner. From 1927, he was twice elected the Joint Secretary of the
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Buddha Sasana Vepulla Hitadhara from the Supreme Council of Buddhist Monks, Burma
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Veda Muhandiram Malalage Siyadoris Peiris Malalasekera Seneviratna (father)
449:). He took a delight in the activities of the Viharamahadevi Girls' Home,
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and was responsible for the establishment of boys' homes at Panadura and
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480:, Kandy in 1950 at the suggestion of the All Ceylon Buddhist Congress.
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had three sons and two daughters. His sons were Indrajith, Arjun and
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660:"Remembering Professor G. P. Malalasekera – outstanding personality"
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as Barrister-at-Law. His second daughter became a science graduate.
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291:(native medicine) physician, Ayur. Dr. M. S. Pieris Malalasekera.
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386:. The student assembly hall of Nalanda College Colombo is named
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In 1927, he succeeded Ven. Suriyagoda as lecturer in the then
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Permanent Representatives of Sri Lanka to the United Nations
666:", Sri Lanka, 24 April 2011. Retrieved on 16 January 2018.
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for the University of London degree examinations. When the
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as George Pieris Malalasekera. His father was a well-known
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concurrently in 1925, in oriental languages majoring in
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Professor G. P. Malalasekera – outstanding personality
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from 1950 to 1958 as well as the Ceylon Arts Society;
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Ceylonese Officers of the Order of the British Empire
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High commissioners of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom
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373:as an assistant teacher, then under the principal
742:"M. D. Gunasena - "We taught the nation to read""
926:Academic staff of the Ceylon University College
430:of London under the patronage of scholars like
329:and obtained the two postgraduate degrees of a
263:to the United Nations in New York. He was the
8:
941:Ambassadors of Sri Lanka to the Soviet Union
866:Biography of Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
513:Ceylon's Permanent Representative to the UN
259:to Canada, the United Kingdom and Ceylon's
221:Dona Selestina Jayawardene Kuruppu (mother)
27:Sri Lankan scholar and diplomat (1899–1973)
991:Members of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon
377:. Both of them were the architects of the
104:
93:
946:High commissioners of Sri Lanka to Canada
80:Learn how and when to remove this message
906:Alumni of University of London Worldwide
707:Malalasekera, Gunapala Piyasena (2002).
43:This article includes a list of general
651:
971:Principals of Nalanda College, Colombo
901:Alumni of St. John's College, Panadura
861:Books by Professor G. P. Malalasekera
796:Jayakody, J. A. K. (8 November 2002).
768:Situge, Hemantha (12 September 2018).
283:Born on 8 November 1899 at Malamulla,
497:Ceylon's first Ambassador to the USSR
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713:. Government of Ceylon. p. 582.
518:Ceylon's High Commissioner to the UK
509:Ceylon's High Commissioner to Canada
316:University of London External System
976:Faculty of Nalanda College, Colombo
921:Alumni of SOAS University of London
197:Margaret Russell (m. 1927–d. 1930)
911:Alumni of the University of London
345:. Malalasekera would later gain a
325:In 1923, he proceeded to join the
308:Licentiate in Medicine and Surgery
49:it lacks sufficient corresponding
25:
740:Perera, Gayani (22 August 2010).
472:. He was an ardent member of the
343:London School of Oriental Studies
322:in that year with a first class.
916:Alumni of Ceylon Medical College
619:École française d'Extrême-Orient
34:
871:Local symbol of global Buddhism
729:. Mutukumara. 1981. p. 39.
640:Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats
507:Subsequently, he functioned as
495:Malalasekera was appointed the
474:Royal Asiatic Society of Ceylon
470:Dictionary of Pali Proper names
603:Vidyodaya University of Ceylon
357:Coming under the influence of
306:to qualify as a doctor with a
231:Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
98:Gunapala Piyasena Malalasekera
1:
485:World Fellowship of Buddhists
294:Malalasekera was educated at
981:Principals of Ananda College
541:. Vijaya studied law at the
436:All Ceylon Buddhist Congress
676:Outstanding Buddhist Leader
625:Royal Order of Monisaraphon
574:Order of the British Empire
400:University College, Colombo
296:St. John's College Panadura
273:Faculty of Oriental Studies
251:'s first Ambassador to the
170:St. John's College Panadura
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499:in 1957 by Prime Minister
117:George Pieris Malalasekera
710:Encyclopaedia of Buddhism
402:to lecture in English on
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854:Dictionary of Pali Names
501:S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike
483:He was president of the
279:Early life and education
261:Permanent Representative
856:by G. P. Malalasekera
566:Nalanda College Colombo
543:University of Cambridge
384:Nalanda College Colombo
361:renaissance of Srimath
64:more precise citations.
681:25 August 2011 at the
664:The Island (Sri Lanka)
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545:and was called to the
300:Ceylon Medical College
578:1949 Birthday Honours
560:
986:People from Panadura
936:Sri Lankan academics
896:Sri Lankan Buddhists
658:Wijenayaka, Walter.
617:Membre d'Honneur of
613:University of Moscow
609:Doctor of Philosophy
593:University of Ceylon
584:Justice of the Peace
562:Malalasekara Theatre
416:University of Ceylon
388:Malalasekara Theatre
363:Anagarika Dharmapala
327:University of London
180:University of London
520:from 1963 to 1967.
478:Temple of the Tooth
447:Bauddhaloka Mawatha
589:Professor Emeritus
576:(Civil Division) (
569:
440:Professor Emeritus
390:in memory of him.
375:P. de S. Kularatne
265:Professor Emeritus
189:Academic, diplomat
18:G. P. Malalasekera
966:Sinhalese writers
623:Commander of the
599:Doctor of Letters
491:Diplomatic career
428:Pali Text Society
257:High Commissioner
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199:Lyle Malalasekera
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16:(Redirected from
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141:(1973-04-23)
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891:1973 deaths
886:1899 births
547:English Bar
532:Family life
255:, Ceylon's
158:Nationality
123:Malamulla,
62:introducing
880:Categories
646:References
524:Later life
465:Dictionary
432:Rhys David
161:Sri Lankan
70:April 2020
45:references
607:Honorary
597:Honorary
463:-English
379:Sinhalese
341:from the
314:from the
289:Ayurvedic
194:Spouse(s)
166:Education
151:Sri Lanka
679:Archived
634:See also
451:Biyagama
421:Buddhist
412:Sanskrit
359:Buddhist
285:Panadura
204:Children
125:Panadura
809:30 June
781:30 June
753:30 June
591:of the
553:Honours
461:Sinhala
404:Sinhala
371:Colombo
304:Colombo
212:Parents
147:Colombo
58:improve
827:unesco
539:Vijaya
455:Ja-Ela
333:and a
249:Ceylon
47:, but
347:DLitt
811:2021
783:2021
755:2021
511:and
410:and
408:Pali
339:Pali
269:Pali
136:Died
113:Born
662:, "
564:of
335:PhD
267:in
244:KCM
235:OBE
882::
819:^
800:.
772:.
744:.
611:,
601:,
442:.
406:,
369:,
331:MA
312:BA
302:,
275:.
241:,
239:JP
237:,
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685:.
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207:6
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