Y. Karunadasa

Professor Yakupitiyage Karunadasa, widely known as Y. Karunadasa, held the position of professor and later professor emeritus at the University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, and was a former director of its Post-graduate Institute of Pali and Buddhist Studies. His academic influence extended internationally through visiting appointments at institutions including the University of London, University of Toronto, University of Hong Kong, the Buddha-Dharma Centre of Hong Kong, and as Numata Chair at the University of Calgary.

Professor Karunadasa authored several landmark works that continue to shape contemporary understanding of Buddhist thought, including The Theravada Abhidhamma: Its Inquiry into the Nature of Conditioned Reality, The Buddhist Analysis of Matter, and Early Buddhist Teachings. His scholarship is widely respected for its clarity, rigor, and fidelity to early sources, and it remains an enduring resource for students, scholars, and practitioners around the world.

A leading authority on early Buddhism and the Theravada Abhidhamma, Professor Karunadasa devoted his life to clarifying the philosophical foundations of the Buddha’s teachings with precision and depth. He passed away on April 26, 2026, at the age of 92.