The Dalai Lama Will Receive The 2012 Templeton Prize

The Dalai Lama will receive the 2012 Templeton Prize, one of the world’s biggest monetary awards, in a ceremony at Saint Paul’s Cathedral in London on May 14, organisers said Wednesday. The exiled Tibetan spiritual leader will receive the £1.1 million ($1.8 million, 1.4 million euro) prize for his work in encouraging scientific research and harmony among religions. “The ceremony will celebrate his long-standing engagement with multiple dimensions of science and with people far beyond his own religious traditions, which made him an incomparable global voice for universal ethics, non-violence and harmony among world religions,” organisers said. The event will be attended by thousands and broadcast on the Internet. The Dalai Lama will announce where the money will go at the ceremony. It will be the first time the Buddhist monk has visited the cathedral.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, it is one of the world’s largest annual monetary awards given to an individual.