The work of Temenos could not be more important. Its commitment to fostering a wider awareness of the great spiritual traditions we have inherited from the past is not a distraction from the concerns of every-day life. These traditions, which form the basis of mankind's most civilised values and have been handed down to us over many centuries, are not just part of our inner religious life. They have an intensely practical relevance to the creation of real beauty in the arts, to an architecture which brings harmony and inspiration to people's lives and to the development within the individual of a sense of balance which is, to my mind, the hallmark of a civilised person.

The principles for which Temenos stands are rooted, in my mind, to the interests of our children and our children's children and to the world they are to inherit from us. This concern for our traditions is not to deny progress. It rather represents a care to do what we can to ensure for future generations the survival of civilised values and the maintenance of that vital thread of the continuity of tradition that links past and future.

In the great spiritual traditions of the world it is understood that wisdom and compassion go hand in hand. But it is also understood that following this path requires both courage and conviction. I admire the courage and conviction of all those who are prepared to challenge the deadening effects of the 'industrialisation' of life itself, a process which carries no sensitivity to the qualities which go to sustain a truly civilised and harmonious society. I pray that the wise and compassionate work for which Temenos stands will prevail. I myself will do all I can to help, preserve and encourage it.