RK (Reuter) - The founder of an Indian spiritual
self-knowledge movement, Pandurang Shastri Athavale, was named
Wednesday the winner of the 1997 Templeton Prize for Progress in
Religion, worth more than $1.2 million.
Athavale, 76, more than 40 years ago initiated the practice
of swadhyaya, a Sanskrit word meaning self-study, which has
spread across India and is estimated to have affected the lives
of 20 million people.
Based on the Bhagavad Gita, the holiest Hindu text,
Athavale's philosophy asks people to recognize the inner
presence of God which, he says, leads to a sense of self-esteem
as well as an awareness of the divine presence within all
persons.
The prize was established in 1972 by Tennessee-born
investment fund founder Sir John Templeton to honor those who
advance the world's understanding of religion and spirituality.
Previous recipients have included Mother Teresa of Calcutta
(1973), American evangelist Billy Graham (1982) and Rev
Kyung-Chik Han, a South Korean Presbyterian pastor (1992).
The prize, valued at 750,000 sterling, is described as the
world's largest annual monetary award. This year's prize will be
presented by Britain's Prince Philip at a ceremony in
Westminster Abbey on May 6 marking the award's 25th anniversary.
