Lance Selwyn Cousins

Lance Selwyn Cousins (1942–2015)

Lance Selwyn Cousins was a distinguished British scholar who made significant contributions to the field of Buddhist Studies. His academic career included positions as a lecturer and senior lecturer at Manchester University, and later as a Fellow at Wolfson College, Oxford, and faculty at the Oxford Centre for Buddhist Studies. Cousins was particularly recognized for his expertise in Abhidhamma, with Professor Richard Gombrich calling him the leading Western authority in the area. He played a crucial role in digitizing the Pali Canon, making it more accessible to a global audience, and was involved in numerous translations and scholarly publications.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Cousins was a dedicated practitioner and teacher of Buddhist meditation, specifically within the Thai samatha tradition. He was a founder member of the Samatha Trust and the Samatha Association, establishing meditation classes and retreats that extended across the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland, and Sri Lanka. His influence as a teacher was considerable, contributing to the growth of meditation communities and centers.

Cousins' scholarly output included widely cited articles, such as "The Dating of the Historical Buddha: A Review article," and he was involved in significant editorial work, including the revision and annotation of "The Dispeller of Delusion (Sammohavinodanī)" and co-translating volumes of the Yamaka commentary. He also received honorary professorships recognizing his extensive contributions to Buddhist scholarship, notably from Mahamakut Buddhist University in Bangkok.