MOORE, Osbert John S. (Ñānamoli Thera). Cambridge 25.6.1905 — Veheragama near Mahawa 8.3.1960. British Bauddha and Buddhist Scholar. Lived in Sri Lanka 1949–60. Son of John Edmund Sharrock Moore, a biologist, and Heloise Salvin. Studies at Exeter College, Oxford. During the war served as officer in Italy, read Evola’s Dottrina and became interested in Buddhism. After war worked in the Italian section of BBC in London. Together with his friend Harold Edward Musson (Ñānavīra Thera, 1920–1965) he went to Sri Lanka in 1949 and was ordained as Upāsaka by Nyānatiloka and 1950 as bhikkhu by Vajirañāna. Now he started learning Pāli, Sinhalese and Burmese, made rapid progress and soon began translating for the P.T.S. Lived in Nyānatiloka’s Island Hermitage in Dodanduwa. Died suddenly to heart failure during a pilgrimage.

Publications: Translated: Path of Purification (Visuddhimagga) by Bhadantacarya Buddhaghosa. 49+886 p. Colombo 1956; several collections of thematic translations publ. in Sri Lanka.

– Translated: Khuddakapāṭha and Paramatthajotika. The Minor Readings and Illustrator. 365 p. PTS Transl. Ser. 32. L. 1960; Netti-ppakaraṇaṁ. The Guide. 389 p. PTS Transl. Ser. 33. L. 1962; Peṭakopadesa. The Pitaka-disclosure, according to Kaccana Thera. 446 p. P.T.S. Transl. Ser. 35. L. 1964; Pati­sam­bhidamagga. The path of discrimination. 511 p. P.T.S. Transl. Ser. 43. L. 1982.

– With others: Sammohavinodani. The dispeller of delusion. Translated by Bh. Ñānamoli, rev. by L. S. Cousins, Nyanaponika Mahāthera and C. C. M. Shaw. Pt. 1. 359 p. S.B.B. 40. L. 1987.

Sources: Peiris, Buddhism 47f. with poor photo; Wikipedia.