DICKSON, John Frederick. 17.9.1835 — London 21.12.1891. Sir. British Civil Servant and Pāli Scholar in Sri Lanka. Son of Robert D., a physician, of Harmondsworth, Middlesex. Educated in Westminster and studied from 1855 at Christ Church, Oxford. Graduated B.A. in 1859 and joined colonial service. Served in Ceylon: from 1859…
DESGODINS, Auguste. Manheulles (Meuse) 16.10.1826 — Padang (Pedong) near Darjeeling 14.3.1913. Father. French Missionary and Tibetan Scholar. Son of Charles Michel François D. and Marie Joséphine de Roton. Studied theology in Verdun and Saint-Sulpice, ordained priest in 1850. After a few years as priest in Verdun he joined Missions étrangères…
DENIS, Eugène. Corps-Nuds, Brittany 2.2.1921 — Bangkok 11.12.1986. S.J. French Missionary and Pāli Scholar in Thailand. After seminary in Rennes became Jesuit novice in Laval. In 1948 sent to China, expulsed by communists in 1951. Ordained priest 1952 in Lyon. In 1955 to Thailand, taught at Bangkok University. Ph.D. 1976…
DEMIÉVILLE, Paul. Lausanne 13.9.1894 — Paris 23.3.1979. French (born Swiss) Sinologist and Buddhist scholar. Professor in Paris. Son of Paul D. (1855–1947, Professor of Medicine at Lausanne) and Annette Manuel. After gymnasium in Bern studied history of music and Russian at Munich, London, Edinburgh and Paris, dr. degree in Music…
DE LORENZO, Giuseppe Giovanni Angelo. Lagonegro, Potenza 24.4.1871 — Naples 27.6.1957. Italian Scientist and Bauddha. Professor of Geology in Naples. Born in Southern Italy, son of Lorenzo De L. and Carolina Rinaldi. After studies at Naples became in 1897 PD and 1905 Professor of Geology and Physical Geography there. Retired…
DE GUBERNATIS, Angelo. Turin 7.4.1840 — Rome 26.12.1913. Count. Italian Indologist. Professor in Florence and Rome. Born in a noble family, son of Giambattista De G., a revenue official, and Maria Cleofe Turchetti; his brother was the diplomat and geographer Enrico De G. (1836–1914), his sister the educator Teresia De…
DAVID-NÉEL, Alexandra (née Louise Eugènie Alexandrine Marie David). St.Mandé (Seine) 24.10.1868 — Digne (Basses-Alpes) 8.9.1969. French Bauddha and Traveller. The only child of Louis Pierre David, a huguenot freemason and ardent republican, also journalist and teacher , and Alexandra Borleman, a Catholic Belgian. From 1873 grew up in Belgium. At…
DAUMAL, René. Boulzicourt (Ardennes) 16.3.1908 — Paris 21.5.1944. French Poet interested in India. Educated at Lycée de Reims and Lycée Henri-IV, studies at Sorbonne. Born in rural milieu he became a socialist and active anticlerical, but at the same time he was also against materialism. In the late 1920s he…
DANTINNE, Jean. Liège 1930 — 1996. Belgian Buddhist Scholar (Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan). Studies of Buddhist philology, Chinese and Japanese at Louvain (i.al. under Lamotte) 1964-66, also Indology at Liège. From 1975 Lecturer in Modern and Classical Chinese at Liège, then Professor (?) at Louvain-la-neuve (1983). If he was born in…
DANDARON, Bidija Dandarovič. Kižinga, Buryatia 15.12.1914 — Vydrino, Buryatia 26.10.1974. Russian Buryat Lama, Tibetologist and Buddhist Scholar. Son of Dorji Badmaev, a Tantric practitioner. In 1921 he was declared the heir of Lobsang Samdan and in 1924 succeeded him as formal head of the Vajrayānic Balagat movement. In 1934 he…