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W. S. Karunaratne

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collector of rare books on Buddhism in various languages, he had compiled an extensive library. After his death in 1986, his book collection, including extremely rare and ancient Burmese and Pali manuscripts (some written on ola leaves), was donated by his family to the Buddhist and Pali University of Sri Lanka and other higher education institutions. His widow compiled some of his writings and published five books in Sinhala and in English:
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in 1948. When his father died at a young age, the burden of supporting the family fell on Karunaratne as the second-oldest male child. While pursuing his education, Karunaratne worked part-time and managed to feed the family and keep the children in school. He won numerous scholarships and obtained a
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The university went through a transformation in the 1970s, and the Arts faculty was moved to the Vidyalankara Campus in Kelaniya. From 1973 to 1978, Professor Karunaratne continued to be the dean of the Faculty of Arts at Vidyalankara, as well as the Buddhist philosophy chair. In addition, he served
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in Burma and at other higher education institutions in Thailand. Professor Karunaratne had travelled extensively around the world in various official capacities as an expert on comparative religion. He contributed to newspapers, magazines and scholarly publications on various topics. As an avid
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and Buddhist Civilization. In 1954, Karunaratne married one of his students, Indumathi Gunatillake, who eventually became an expert in Tibetan Buddhism and joined the Sri Lanka Encyclopedia of Buddhism as an assistant editor. Soon after their wedding, Karunaratne and his wife moved to London,
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Karunaratne was fluent in Sinhala, Tamil and English in addition to the classical languages of Pali, Sanskrit and Latin. He also read in Hindi, French, German and Burmese. He was a visiting professor in the United States in 1963, lecturing at numerous universities as a
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to become the UNP's chief spokesperson. He crossed the country, making political speeches supporting Jayewardene to form the next government. The campaign was a success, and it is widely believed that Karunaratne was the chief architect of the UNP's landslide victory.
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invited Karunaratne to be Sri Lanka's ambassador to the United States. Karunaratne took a leave of absence from the university to accept the position in Washington, D.C. After distinguished service as the ambassador to the United States, as well as to the
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Twelve years later, the Department of Pali and Buddhist Civilization was contemplating the establishment of a separate department of Buddhist Philosophy. In 1964, Karunaratne was selected as its first professor (over competing candidate Reverend Dr.
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to run in Senanayake's home electorate for the UNP, but he again lost by a narrow margin and returned to his academic profession. In 1978, Karunaratne accepted an invitation from
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Please remove or replace such wording and instead of making proclamations about a subject's importance, use facts and attribution to demonstrate that importance.
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https://web.archive.org/web/20110718113444/http://www.worldbuddhistuniversity.com/uploads/files/e-jornal/World%20Buddhist%20Vol_5%20No_1.pdf
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After the '1956 revolution', Karunaratne was drawn to Sri Lanka's national politics. He became a confidant of statesman
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http://en.wikibooks.org/Wikiversity:Department_of_Buddhist_Studies/Origins_of_Buddhism_and_the_Basic_Concepts_of_Culture
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for his thesis on "The Theory of Causality in Early Buddhism". In the same year, Karunaratne was chosen as the
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scholar. He was affectionately known by the Sri Lankan masses as "W. S." and as "The Don" by the academia.
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https://web.archive.org/web/20140224112220/http://www.buddhism.hku.hk/staff_info/ProfYKarunadasa.pdf
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Bachelor of Arts with first class honours in 1952. Karunaratne's father had wanted him to join the
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https://web.archive.org/web/20061013083750/http://www.pgis.lk/newsletter/news5/index.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/20070928082102/http://web.singnet.com/~chlim/yogacara.html
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https://web.archive.org/web/20061207004336/http://buddhistcc.com/books_all.htm
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England, where, at age 28, Karunaratne obtained his doctorate from the
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the son of a wealthy, land-owning family who attended the prestigious
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http://www.jimmycarterlibrary.org/documents/diary/1978/d060578t.pdf
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Scholarly works of Buddhist philosophy and comparative religion
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Greeted by school children at the Mexican Presidential Palace
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http://tamilnation.co/selfdetermination/nation/roberts.htm
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Observing Honor Guard at the Mexican Presidential Palace
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prizeman of the School of Oriental and African Studies.
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Don Charles Karunaratne and Donna Charlinton Dissanayake
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Sara Dharma', addressing Sri Lanka Central Bank staff
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Discuss Human Rights issues with Secretary of State
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Shantarakshita, Kamalaseeli, Chandrakeerthi, Harsha
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Prior to that, he taught at the 426:Wijesinghe Sugathadasa Karunaratne 212:without imparting real information 14: 36:This article has multiple issues. 996:Sri Lankan educational theorists 748: 732: 720: 705: 693: 678: 666: 654: 639: 624: 526:as a member of the transitional 428:(24 December 1928 – 1986) was a 198: 128: 66: 25: 784:Sri Lankan Non Career Diplomats 685:Meeting with Mexican President 455:Karunaratne initially attended 44:or discuss these issues on the 826:http://vipassana.com/index.php 661:Calling on US Military leaders 496:in 1978) in the Department of 1: 956:Alumni of Dharmaraja College 739:With University students at 92:the claims made and adding 16:Sri Lankan Buddhist scholar 1017: 727:Addressing rural villagers 444:, a small village in the 271: 951:Alumni of Ananda College 561:Mahajana Eksath Peramuna 494:University of Peradeniya 483:Karunaratne entered the 440:Karunaratne was born in 356:University of Peradeniya 137:This article includes a 528:University of Sri Lanka 469:Felix Dias Bandaranaike 166:more precise citations. 266:Wijesinghe Sugathadasa 591:University of Rangoon 565:United National Party 545:United Mexican States 530:'s board of regents. 403:Indumathi Gunathilaka 395:Professor, Ambassador 991:Sri Lankan Buddhists 986:Sri Lankan academics 941:Academics from Kandy 604:The Way of the Lotus 503:University of London 490:Ceylon Civil Service 485:University of Ceylon 360:University of London 343:University of London 687:José López Portillo 538:In 1978, President 387:Theory of Causality 741:Rangoon University 714:Robert Gunawardena 648:Warren Christopher 557:Philip Gunawardena 465:Henry Steel Olcott 457:Dharmaraja College 369:Academic, diplomat 139:list of references 77:possibly contains 633:Pope John Paul II 587:Fulbright Scholar 569:Dudley Senanayake 540:J. R. Jayewardene 423: 422: 260: 259: 252: 242: 241: 234: 192: 191: 184: 122: 121: 114: 79:original research 59: 1008: 981:Sinhalese people 752: 736: 724: 709: 697: 682: 670: 658: 643: 628: 573:J.R. Jayewardene 513:Buddhist studies 384: 291:24 December 1928 290: 288: 276: 262: 255: 248: 237: 230: 226: 223: 217: 202: 201: 194: 187: 180: 176: 173: 167: 162:this article by 153:inline citations 132: 131: 124: 117: 110: 106: 103: 97: 94:inline citations 70: 69: 62: 51: 29: 28: 21: 1016: 1015: 1011: 1010: 1009: 1007: 1006: 1005: 921: 920: 792: 780: 763: 756: 753: 744: 737: 728: 725: 716: 710: 701: 698: 689: 683: 674: 671: 662: 659: 650: 644: 635: 629: 620: 582: 553: 536: 515: 481: 438: 382: 348:Alma mater 319: 310: 301: 292: 286: 284: 267: 256: 245: 244: 243: 238: 227: 221: 218: 215: 203: 199: 188: 177: 171: 168: 157: 143:related reading 133: 129: 118: 107: 101: 98: 83: 71: 67: 30: 26: 17: 12: 11: 5: 1014: 1012: 1004: 1003: 998: 993: 988: 983: 978: 973: 968: 963: 958: 953: 948: 943: 938: 933: 923: 922: 919: 918: 913: 908: 903: 898: 893: 888: 883: 878: 873: 868: 863: 858: 853: 848: 843: 838: 833: 828: 823: 818: 813: 808: 803: 798: 791: 790:External links 788: 787: 786: 779: 776: 775: 774: 769: 762: 759: 758: 757: 754: 747: 745: 738: 731: 729: 726: 719: 717: 711: 704: 702: 699: 692: 690: 684: 677: 675: 672: 665: 663: 660: 653: 651: 645: 638: 636: 630: 623: 619: 616: 581: 578: 552: 549: 535: 532: 520:Walpola Rahula 514: 511: 507:F. L. Woodward 480: 477: 461:Ananda College 437: 434: 421: 420: 417: 413: 412: 409: 405: 404: 401: 397: 396: 393: 389: 388: 385: 379: 378: 375: 374:Known for 371: 370: 367: 363: 362: 352:Ananda College 349: 345: 344: 341: 337: 336: 333: 329: 328: 325: 321: 320: 311: 307: 303: 302: 299:British Ceylon 293: 282: 278: 277: 269: 268: 265: 258: 257: 240: 239: 206: 204: 197: 190: 189: 147:external links 136: 134: 127: 120: 119: 74: 72: 65: 60: 34: 33: 31: 24: 15: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 1013: 1002: 999: 997: 994: 992: 989: 987: 984: 982: 979: 977: 974: 972: 969: 967: 964: 962: 959: 957: 954: 952: 949: 947: 944: 942: 939: 937: 934: 932: 929: 928: 926: 917: 914: 912: 909: 907: 904: 902: 899: 897: 894: 892: 889: 887: 884: 882: 879: 877: 874: 872: 869: 867: 864: 862: 859: 857: 854: 852: 849: 847: 844: 842: 839: 837: 834: 832: 829: 827: 824: 822: 819: 817: 814: 812: 809: 807: 804: 802: 799: 797: 794: 793: 789: 785: 782: 781: 777: 773: 770: 768: 765: 764: 760: 751: 746: 742: 735: 730: 723: 718: 715: 708: 703: 696: 691: 688: 681: 676: 669: 664: 657: 652: 649: 642: 637: 634: 631:Meeting late 627: 622: 617: 615: 613: 609: 605: 601: 597: 592: 588: 580:Contributions 579: 577: 574: 570: 566: 562: 558: 550: 548: 546: 541: 533: 531: 529: 523: 521: 512: 510: 508: 504: 499: 495: 491: 486: 478: 476: 474: 473:Royal College 470: 466: 462: 458: 453: 451: 447: 443: 435: 433: 431: 427: 418: 414: 410: 406: 402: 398: 394: 390: 386: 380: 376: 372: 368: 366:Occupation(s) 364: 361: 357: 353: 350: 346: 342: 338: 334: 330: 326: 322: 318: 314: 308: 304: 300: 296: 283: 279: 275: 270: 263: 254: 251: 236: 233: 225: 213: 211: 205: 196: 195: 186: 183: 175: 165: 161: 155: 154: 148: 144: 140: 135: 126: 125: 116: 113: 105: 95: 91: 87: 81: 80: 75:This article 73: 64: 63: 58: 56: 49: 48: 43: 42: 37: 32: 23: 22: 19: 755:Funeral Pyre 611: 607: 603: 599: 595: 583: 554: 537: 524: 516: 482: 454: 448:district in 439: 425: 424: 383:Notable work 246: 228: 219: 208: 178: 169: 158:Please help 150: 108: 102:January 2017 99: 76: 52: 45: 39: 38:Please help 35: 18: 936:1986 deaths 931:1928 births 442:Katugastota 436:Early years 332:Citizenship 324:Nationality 164:introducing 925:Categories 327:Sri Lankan 287:1928-12-24 222:March 2016 172:March 2016 86:improve it 41:improve it 534:Diplomacy 479:Education 450:Sri Lanka 416:Parent(s) 340:Education 335:Sri Lanka 317:Sri Lanka 90:verifying 47:talk page 778:See also 761:Speeches 551:Politics 430:Buddhist 408:Children 901:DOI.org 743:, Burma 618:Gallery 559:of the 313:Colombo 160:improve 84:Please 610:, and 400:Spouse 446:Kandy 392:Title 295:Kandy 145:, or 498:Pali 309:1986 306:Died 281:Born 475:.) 88:by 927:: 614:. 606:, 602:, 598:, 358:, 354:, 315:, 297:, 149:, 141:, 50:. 289:) 285:( 253:) 247:( 235:) 229:( 224:) 220:( 214:. 185:) 179:( 174:) 170:( 156:. 115:) 109:( 104:) 100:( 82:. 57:) 53:(

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Kandy
British Ceylon
Colombo
Sri Lanka
Ananda College
University of Peradeniya
University of London
Buddhist
Katugastota
Kandy
Sri Lanka

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