Courtesy The Daily Mirror

The Twenty second death anniversary of Deshabandu Alec Robertson falls on the 31st of December, 2024. His passing away was widely lamented by all Sri Lankans as well as his numerous foreign friends and acquaintances who had at some time or other benefitted from his guidance, friendship and exemplary life, and more than anything else from his deep understanding and propagation of the Buddha Dhamma. Sri Lanka has no shortage of Buddhist scholars, among both the Sangha and the lay persons but not many would claim to have all the other wonderful attributes that were found in extraordinary abundance in Robertson. 

Looking back on Robertson’s life, one could assume that he has been fortunate in many ways, in his long sojourn as a servant of the Buddha and the Dhamma. 
Alec has the remarkable ability to expand, through his own efforts, his knowledge of the Dhamma through the mastery of Pali and a deep understanding of the three Piṭakas. His remarkable memory was his other forte, which adorned him as a shining armour in his many engaging discussions on the Dhamma, often in the company of others, with great eminence and erudition.
Practically all who have penned their appreciations of Alec and assessed his many contributions in the service of the Dhamma have been the most emphatic on his dexterity in responding to probing questions and clarifications on the Dhamma and the life of the Buddha. What was most remarkable about Alec was his unhesitating responses, and their clarity in delivery. 
Robertson has a large number of publications on the Dhamma to his credit. These included Buddhist Attitude Towards Christianity”, Nibbana-Happiness Supreme”, The Triple Gem and The Uposatha”, and Buddha-the Healer in Comparable”. He also contributed Buddhist articles to journals and newspapers. To the Buddhist Annual, Vesak Sirisara, he contributed articles on a variety of subjects over an unbroken period exceeding 20 years.
Let me end this short appreciation with the following quote by Asoka Jayasinghe (written in 2005) who considered himself as an adult ‘Shishya’ of Alec:
We are left with the memory of this great Buddhist layman whose life was that of an ideal Buddhist; both in erudition and practice”
Sabba danam dhamma danam jinati”