From: Bryan Levman
Message: 5168
Date: 2019-07-09
Dear Pali Friends,
I just found out about Jim’s passing which I was very sorry to hear about.
Jim started the Pali group in 2001 and as you all know, he was the moderator for many years.
He gave it up for health reasons. I got to know him personally somewhat during our private interchanges about Pali grammatical issues. He was always generous with his time and advice and I learned a lot from him. The study of the Pali grammarians is a rather arcane sub-specialty in Buddhology (and a very important one) and he was one of the few who took it up. Ole Pind and Aleix Falques are two other specialists in this field, also members of our group.
Jim turned 72 on April 23rd. He had some kind of what he called an “incurable” medical condition the exact nature of which he never shared with me, and he was also almost blind. He had great faith in the Buddha; “the ultimate medicine” he wrote me once, “is the noble eightfold path”. He contemplated becoming a monk, but said he wasn’t ready to take that step in this lifetime. He was also a big fan of the classical guitar, and when he wasn’t doing Pali grammar, he was studying and practising the guitar.
May all the merit he has earned in studying, promulgating and sharing the buddhadhamma assist him on the path to enlightenment!
Metta,
Bryan