[INDOLOGY] Lance Cousins

[Rupert Gethin]

Dear Colleagues,

It is with sadness that I write to the list to inform members of the 
death of Lance Cousins at the age of 72. I understand that Lance died 
suddenly last Friday in Oxford. Lance will be known to many members of 
this list both from his publications and his contributions to the list; 
many will also have benefited from the generous way in which he shared 
his learning by way of comment and advice.

Lance studied history and then oriental studies at Cambridge before 
being appointed Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in Comparative 
Religion at the University of Manchester where he taught Buddhism, 
Hinduism, comparative mysticism, Pali and Sanskrit. He took early 
retirement in the 1990s, moving to Oxford where he taught Buddhism in 
the Faculty of Theology and Pali and Middle Indian in the Faculty of 
Oriental Studies. Lance served as President of the UK Association for 
Buddhist Studies and of the Pali Text Society. His published articles 
concern the history of Buddhist schools, Abhidhamma literature and 
thought, as well as Pali, Middle Indian and Buddhist Sanskrit textual 
studies. Lance was also a founding member of the Samatha Trust and a 
much respected teacher of samatha meditation. He will be remembered by 
many as a true paṇḍita.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

With best wishes,

Rupert Gethin
Professor of Buddhist Studies




University of Bristol
Department of Religion and Theology
3 Woodland Road
Bristol BS8 1TB, UK

Email: Rupert.Gethin at bristol.ac.uk