London: The Dalai Lama was on Thursday named as the
winner of the prestigious Templeton Prize 2012 for his
exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual
dimension.
The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader has vigorously focused
on the connections between the investigative traditions of
science and Buddhism as a way to better understand and advance
what both disciplines might offer the world, a release from
the John Templeton Foundation said.
The 1.1 million pounds prize will be presented to the
Dalai Lama at the St Paul's Cathedral in London on May 14.
The Dalai Lama, 76, welcomed the announcement as the
recognition of what he called "my little service to humanity".
The Dalai Lama, who fled Lhasa in 1959 after a failed
uprising against the Chinese rule in Tibet, now lives in exile
in India.
The Templeton Prize honours a living person who has made
an exceptional contribution to affirming life's spiritual
dimension, whether through insight, discovery, or practical
works.
Established in 1972 by the late Sir John Templeton, the
Prize aims to identify "entrepreneurs of the spirit",
outstanding individuals who have devoted their talents to
expanding our vision of human purpose and ultimate reality.
The Prize celebrates no particular faith, tradition or
notion of God, but rather the quest for progress in humanity's
efforts to comprehend the many and diverse manifestations of
the Divine.
PTI
First Published: Thursday, March 29, 2012, 22:35