The Templeton Prize

Sir John Marks Templeton began the Templeton Prize for Progress in Religion in 1972. Feeling that the Nobel Prize unfairly excluded religion from its honored disciplines, Sir Templeton created a prize for those who seek new and different paths in advancing the world's understanding of God and spirituality.

In 1997, this prize was valued at about $1.21 million, the world's highest such monetary award.

The Templeton Prize is not just for good works. It should be in recognition of work that is primarily spiritual rather than merely humanitarian. This purpose of is the Prize to recognize a living person who has done something unique and original to increase humankind's love for and understanding of God.

Rev. Dadaji was awarded this prize on May 6, 1997 on the 25^th anniversary of the Templeton Prize. The prize was presented by His Royal Highness Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in London.

During the presentation ceremony, Dr. John M. Templeton Jr., the President of the John Templeton Foundation said, "That brings me to this evening, as we gather together to honor one who has changed the conditions of living for millions of villagers throughout India. He is one who, by his faith in God, has realized spiritual and material progress for these millions in their daily lives. He is one who represents the tradition of India's classical learning and what is best in social knowledge available in other traditions. His philosophy is based on total and absolute faith in God and service to God through service to others. Through this faith he has resolved the intractable problems of self-development and has thereby redirected those villagers in thousands of communities and given them a new lease on life. In his work, he has countered pervasive poverty, oppression and injustice with freedom, love, and justice. In every endeavor, his work has sought to build on what we, as God's children, share together, and not on what divides us."