DHARAMSHALA, April 9: The Tibetan Spiritual leader His Holiness the Dalai Lama congratulated his friend Desmond Tutu on winning the Templeton Prize 2013 on Monday.
Speaking to Hindustan Times at the Gagal Airport in Kangra before leaving for Europe, the Dalai Lama said “I am very happy” and that Tutu was not only a religious leader, but also a freedom fighter in the South Africa’s anti-apartheid movement along side Nelson Mandela.
“The Templeton prize to Tutu is a clear sign of recognition to his contribution,” HT quoted the Dalai Lama as saying.
“Wonderful work so my congratulations,”
Tutu, 81, was awarded the prize for inspiring people around the world by promoting forgiveness and justice. He won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984 for standing up against the white-minority rule.
Archbishop will receive the prize at the Guildhall in London on 21 May. Last year the award was given to Tibet’s spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, who is a great friend of Tutu.
“When you are in a crowd and you stand out from the crowd it’s usually because you are being carried on the shoulders of others,” said South African Nobel Laureate and anti-apartheid campaigner. “I want to acknowledge all the wonderful people who accepted me as their leader at home and so to accept this prize in a representative capacity.”
“I want to acknowledge all wonderful people who accepted me as their leader at home and so to accept this prize, as it were, in a representative capacity,” he added. Tutu will receive the prize at a public ceremony at the Guildhall in London on May 21. Video highlights of both the ceremonies will be available on the prize website a few hours following each event.
Established in 1972, the Prize is a cornerstone of the John Templeton Foundation’s international efforts to serve as a philanthropic catalyst for discoveries relating to the Big Questions of human purpose and ultimate reality.
The monetary value of the prize exceeding the Nobel Prizes underscores Templeton’s belief that benefits from discoveries that illuminate spiritual questions can be quantifiably more vast than those from other worthy human endeavors.
Tutu, who is an ardent support of the Tibetan freedom struggle, came to Dharamsala in February 2012 and was received at the local airport by the Dalai Lama.
