Wednesday May 9, 2012, 11:32 am
..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.

Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, will receive the prize from John M. Templeton, son of the prize's founder.

"This is another sign of recognition about my little service to humanity, mainly non-violence and unity around different religious traditions," the 76-year-old said.

"I totally dedicated my life to bring a more close understanding among these different religious traditions.

"We must use our common sense from our past experience. Whenever we face a problem we have to find a non-violent way to solve that problem."

Wednesday May 9, 2012, 11:54 am
If I shave my head and wrap myself in a bed sheet, can I declare myself a god-king like the dalai lama? The Chinese invastion and occupation are horrendous, but let's not forget that the dalai lama system was a political as well as religious system in which the dalai lamas ruled as absolute monarchs with the authority to oppress the Tibetan people as they saw fit. This present Dalai Lama is only "nice" or "holy" as he seems because he doesn't have the power to crack the whip on the backs of his people as his predecessors did.

If he can get a million plus pounds for selling his brand of superstition, how many pounds can ordinary people get for talking to the invisible people that live in their trees? I mean, really?

Thursday May 10, 2012, 12:47 am
The article states: "The Dalai Lama will announce where the money will go at the ceremony." My guess is that it will be used to pursue his work in "in encouraging scientific research and harmony among religions." Religion has been one of the biggest causes of war among the people of the world. It's been a huge factor, historically, in causing the cruelest wars that have taken place, and it continues to be a factor into the 21st century. Promoting harmony among religions is a worthy undertaking.

Thursday May 10, 2012, 2:29 am
@ Brian M.
> If I shave my head and wrap myself in a bed sheet, can I declare myself a god-king
YOU can do so (if you wanna give us all something to laugh, pls publish a foto)

Tenzin Gyatso, however, has been making efforts to do the contrary - He not having a personal bank account - He having renounced his political power (quite against the advice/will of many of his 'subjugates') - He is stressing at every other talk that he gives (and sometimes twice) that what he says is NOT to be considered valuable only because he is the D.L. &c &c

and as to 'superstition' -- what superstition is there in Buddhism ? Buddhism doesn't have a 'creed' (except that it acknowleges the achievments of one Gautama Siddhārtha, later referred to as 'buddha') , no gods. It is not a religion (like the other religions) but rather a school of psychology, and a school of psychology compared to which the western one looks, in many regards, much like a Kindergarten (in the words of Stanislav Grof)
--

" Die Lehre des Buddhas ist, dass ich mein eigener Meister bin und alles von mir abhaengt." [my transl.: "Buddhas teaching: I am my own master, everything depends on me"] -- Geshe Tenzin Gyatso, XIV. DALAI LAMA

" This is my simple religion: There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness. " -- Tenzin Gyatso (*1935), XIV. DALAI LAMA

" The view that all mental processes are necessarily physical processes [=~Physicalism] is a metaphysical assumption, not a scientific fact. " -- Tenzin Gyatso (HH. the 14th Dalai Lama) in "The Universe in a Single Atom" 2005

Thursday May 10, 2012, 5:25 am
Thanks, Rosemary.

Thursday May 10, 2012, 12:26 pm
thnx

Thursday May 10, 2012, 12:34 pm
thnx for the article

Thursday May 10, 2012, 12:57 pm
I hope he will donate it :)

Thursday May 10, 2012, 1:04 pm
Let's hear it for the good guys! If only more money were spent on promoting peace & harmony than on weapons & war.

Thursday May 10, 2012, 2:37 pm

Nice one.....

Thursday May 10, 2012, 3:15 pm
Note to China: Eat your heart out.......

Thursday May 10, 2012, 6:28 pm
He deserves it. Thanks Rosemary for posting the article.

Thursday May 10, 2012, 7:25 pm
Couldn't happen to a nicer guy.

Friday May 11, 2012, 12:13 am
Great news

Friday May 11, 2012, 1:16 am
Good for him. He is definitely a deserving recipient of such a prize. Thanks Rosemary! :)

Friday May 11, 2012, 7:11 am
Thank you for sharing Rosemary Rosi Caswell Animal Whisperer Therapist

Sunday May 27, 2012, 9:21 am
"Without love we could not survive. Human beings are social creatures & a concern for each other is the very basis of our life together."
~ His Holiness the Dalai Lama