Dr. Mudagamuwe Maithrimurthi, IIBS Research Fellow for the period 22th July 2003 – 20th October 2003, holds a D.Phil. in Classical Indology (with special accent: Buddhology) from the University of Hamburg. Originally coming from Sri Lanka, he is at present attached to the staff of the University of Leipzig, where he reads Sanskrit, Pali, Singhalese and Buddhist Philosophy. His doctoral dissertation (Wohlwollen, Mitleid, Freude und Gleichmut: Eine ideengeschichtliche Untersuchung der vier apramanas in der buddhistischen Ethik und Spiritualitat von den Anfangen bis hin zum fruhen Yogacara, Alt- und Neuindische Studien 50, Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 1999) deals with the four brahmaviharas, sc. Benevolence, Compassion, Joyousness and Equainimity in the History of Buddhist thought. Currently he examines some aspects of the Buddhist concept of Nirvana.