Appreciation of Deshabandu Alec Robertson: Christian Burgher turned Buddhist scholar

I consider it an honour and privilege to write an article of appreciation in commemoration of the

21st death anniversary of Deshabandu Alec Robertson falling on 31 December 2023

Alec Robertson was a high calibre Buddhist scholar whose demise has left a void in our society which is still palpable despite the passage of over two decades of his passing away on 31 December 2002 at the age of 74. This loss is felt alike among the ordinary folk as well as Buddhist scholars amidst whom he shone like a beacon given his intellect and the profound knowledge of the Buddha dharma.
If I were to take you back in history, it is interesting to note that he was born to a Catholic Burgher family. And one might wonder how Alec Roberson became a Buddhist scholar of international repute after an upbringing in such a background.

Fate seems to have driven him towards his destiny. In his early formative years his father was residing in Dodanduwa and he usually accompanied his father whenever he made an occasional visit to the famous Dodanduwa island hermitage which was in close proximity to his father’s place of work. This was the reclusive abode of two German scholarly monks Gnanathiloka and Gnanaponika Maha Theros.  Such encounters though rare, seems to have made an impact in the mind of young Alec. His thirst for the Dhamma was thus awakened.
His father was a free thinker and had an interest in comparative religions. He had many books at home including books on Buddhism which young Alec read avidly; he embraced Buddhism while still in his teens, and this was through conviction grounded on a sharp intellect.

And, there was Alec Robertson; and the way he chaired that forum was simply amazing, and at the end of it Alec was thoroughly impressed in the way I spoke even though my knowledge of the Dhamma was minuscule, and as the Chairman, he was so clever that he compensated brilliantly for any lack of my knowledge

It is said that opportunities arise for those treading towards a goal though it is only rarely that we make use of such opportunities. But Alec Robertson was different. He made every effort to put into good use all such occasions. And these opportunities did unfold in abundance when he was living and working in Colombo.

It is around this period that Alec Robertson met late Prof Gunapala Malalasekera who was a scholar of Pali.
Alec did not have degrees in Buddhism nor did he follow any post graduate courses in Buddhist universities. He resorted to study the Suttas in depth, and was, essentially a self-made Buddhist scholar; par excellence.
Alec Robertson had the charisma and a personality that drew crowds whenever and wherever he delivered a talk. Those who were privileged to listen to his talks still remember him for the eloquence and clarity of presentation and not merely the depth of knowledge. His vibrancy captured the audience. How he answered any question that was raised was a sheer delight to watch, as the answers were prompt, precise, simple and relevant to clarify any doubt in the listener’s mind without an iota of ambiguity. 

On a personal note, I remember how initially as a school boy and subsequently as a medical student I listened to his talks at Maitriya Hall during the Saturday talks conducted under the auspice of the Servants of the Buddha. And he in fact, commenced participating in these meetings of the Servants of the Buddha while attending school and became its Assistant Secretary at the tender age of 21. Thereafter, he was its Secretary, and eventually took this society, the Servants of the Buddha, to lofty heights by been its President for 30 consecutive years without any interruption.  The Society itself has been in existence for 102 years.

“In the days long past when we moved leisurely and at an even tenor and pace, the corrupting and corroding influence of technology and materialism, had not spread their tentacles. It was comparatively easier for man to lead balanced, contented and happier lives.”

My father was very impressed with Alec Robertson and made it a point to come to Maitriya Hall whenever the scheduled speaker was Alec Robertson.
I too along with my siblings had to accompany our parents more on compulsion rather than any strong desire to learn the Dhamma as our interests as youth were on the mundane. But once I entered the Maitriya Hall and Alec Robertson started his talks I was listening to his free flow of words virtually riveted to my seat, and that, was simply awesome. 

Many years later, now as a doctor, I followed my father’s footsteps and made it a point to follow these talks of the Servants of the Buddha at Maitriya Hall whenever time permitted. On one such occasion Alec Robertson approached me and realizing that I was a doctor wanted me to be interviewed by him in one of the regular Buddhist forum programs he was conducting at the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC); of which, he was initially a member and later its Chairman.

I found that request very intriguing and was wondering what a novice like me could talk with a doyen of Buddhism in a Buddhist forum of the SLBC which was more or less exclusive to Buddhist scholars which I was not, nowhere near, very far from that.
But that encounter made me clearly cognize the personality and magnetism of a truly great human being. His seemingly very casual and gentle persuasion was yet; so powerful, that I could not say no and I did end up stepping for the first time in my life to a studio at the SLBC.

And, there was Alec Robertson; and the way he chaired that forum was simply amazing. He made me feel so relaxed and I found myself talking with effortless ease sharing my experiences based on the questions raised and I never realized the time passing by and at the end of it Alec was thoroughly impressed in the way I spoke even though my knowledge of the Dhamma was minuscule, and as the Chairman, he was so clever that he compensated brilliantly for any lack of my knowledge.
Alec Robertson’s commitment to disseminate his knowledge and experience of the Dhamma was not confined to his talks, he published extensively. One such feat was to contribute an article in English to the Annual Buddhist Journal “Vesak Sirisara” every year over a period of 2 decades without any interruption.

Let me now quote a few excerpts from one of his publications
The topic of the article was “A Stable Society through Non-Violence and Truth”. I quote from the article:
“In the days long past when we moved leisurely and at an even tenor and pace, the corrupting and corroding influence of technology and materialism, had not spread their tentacles. It was comparatively easier for man to lead balanced, contented and happier lives. Thus, if we are to meet the various problems and challenges in the modern age with confidence and courage, we have to build up our moral and spiritual resources and also draw from our inner reserves of strength of character and stamina.

Alec’s father was a free thinker and had an interest in comparative religions. He had many books at home including books on Buddhism which young Alec read avidly; he embraced Buddhism while still in his teens, and this was through conviction grounded on a sharp intellect

The compassionate Buddha has shown us the way to the achievement of such an objective. It is the simple basic requirement of the observance and the practice of the five precepts which will inevitably bring harmony, peace and happiness to our confused and disordered lives, and also usher in a stable, peaceful and harmonious society.
By the observance and practice of the five precepts one will not, in any way, cause harm to oneself and to the society at large. As a consequence, peace, concord and harmony will reign in the hearts and minds of the individual and the various racial and religious groups that exist in society. This earth of ours would be transformed into a veritable heaven.”

He wrote this article several decades ago in the last century, but when we look around the contemporary society, with rampant  corruption, deceit, wars, and massacres of the innocent, we realize how true his assessment and predictions were, and how relevant all that is to this world today overwhelmed with so much of turbulence and violence.

So let us remember this great son of Sri Lanka, Deshabandu Alec Robertson as a scholar of Buddhism and an eloquent, erudite presenter who had so much of wisdom and foresight with a deep commitment to alleviate the suffering of mankind by propagating the teachings of the Buddha in a simple and practical way aligned to the simple contented lifestyle he led himself.

He is no longer with us but the legacy he has left behind will remain for a very long time to come. 
And I believe that the greatest tribute we could do in commemorating his 21st death anniversary is to make every effort to transform this catastrophically unstable society the world over to a stable peaceful society by using the simple modalities of Non-Violence and Truth which are achievable by adhering to the “panchasila” which is the very quintessence of the solution Alec Robertson had detailed so eloquently. And its implementation both at individual and collective levels should transcend all man-made barriers which are nebulous and discriminative.
May he attain the supreme bliss of Nibbana with the least delay!
“Sabbe Saththa Bhawanthu Sukithatha”

Prof Kolitha H. Sellahewa