¡´
Origin
| |
"
The Museum of World Religions belongs to all faiths. Its founding
is inspiring and encouraging interfaith dialogue so that we
all work together to create peace and understanding in the world
we share." |
¡@¡@If
one sees Buddhist monks and nuns spreading their religion or raising
funds among the masses in Taiwan, the most usual explanations are
that they wish to erect a magnificent and reverent temple where
monks and lay people can offer their worship to Buddha or to build
a hospital or refugee center. In other words, their desire is to
relieve people's physical suffering.
Master Hsin Tao does not share this point of view however. What
he wishes to relieve is the suffering endured in people's hearts
and minds.
People are frequently
inquisitive, wondering what kind of experiences might have caused
Master Hsin Tao to renounce the world and spend more than a decade
in lonely isolation, living in a cemetery pagoda and a rock cave
on a desolate mountain, far removed from the bustling and prosperous
world. And, after Master Hsin Tao was awakened to the truth and
left this seclusion, what resources of strength and single-mindedness
of character propelled this bashful and modest man from Myanmar,
who even when preaching is soft-spoken, to work steadfastly to build
an unprecedented museum of world religions on the island of Taiwan,
where most people care only about quick success and instant profits?
Master Hsin Tao
sees the world as a global village in which differences in nationality
or religious belief ought not to lead to division and disagreement.
Unfortunately, at present, religious conflict is a constant theme
in numerous places around the world. During the course of proclaiming
the Buddhist truth, Master Hsin Tao has learnt personally that the
disorder that characterizes modern society is the result of a decline
in moral standards. At the same time, a loss of order amongst religions
themselves has left the general public unclear in its understanding
of religion. The traditional education system also fails to provide
a good conduit for religious belief. In response to these various
problems, Master Hsin Tao's dream of the World Religions Museum
is to pioneer a correct form of religious education, to satisfy
the public's spiritual needs, and to provide a leisure place that
serves both education and enjoyment. He hopes to raise the standards
of Taiwan's artistic and cultural life, as well as to establish
a tourist destination of international reputation for Taiwan.
Taiwan has many
different religions, and yet has no religious education system.
Moreover, a situation in which each religion is further split into
numerous sects and schools, including several who use the good name
of religion to trick and swindle the public, leaves ordinary people
either very confused or reluctant to have any dealings with religion.
Alternatively, contact with a particular religious group and a subsequent
complete faith in the words uttered by an evangelist preacher, leaves
people with no means of distinguishing right from wrong which, at
its most serious, can cause grave problems in the family or society.
Whilst not wishing to pressurize everybody into embracing religion,
Master Hsin Tao nevertheless thinks that we ought to educate the
general public in the basics of religious knowledge, as only in
this way can we prevent the a growth in superstitious beliefs and
a wholesale 'loss of way'.
If, in following
this reasoning, the Wu-sheng Monastery were to establish a museum
of Buddhist Teaching or to build a large temple, this would provide
for the spiritual care of local Buddhists. It would, moreover, be
something the faithful would be happy to see, and raising funds
for such a venture would be easily accomplished. Master Hsin Tao
is aware, however, that such a plan would fall short of attaining
the broader objectives mentioned above. He is steadfast in his vision
that the proposal to set up a modern museum, which makes use of
both educational and leisure to disseminate and introduce religious
knowledge, is the best approach and has yet to be improved upon.
These experiences
led to a process of careful consideration, from which emerged the
concept of a world religions museum heretofore unprecedented throughout
the world. Its mission is to emphasize international aspects and
include every religious belief of the world.
|