The Museum of World Religions What's It All About?

"Who am I? Where do I come from? Where am I going?"

These questions will appear in the mind of every individual sooner or later. The horizon at the edge of human wisdom is the starting point of the kingdom of heaven. The origin of all religions is the need to explain life and death. How to live happily and die in peace is the big question of life.

Just take the special elevator located to the side of the Pacific Sogo Department Store in the Taipei suburb of Yungho to the seventh floor. There you will enter the Museum of World Religions (MWR), opened to the public not long ago. The first thing that comes into view is a solemn Pilgrims' Way, the two walls of which show images of many pilgrims of different religions walking with total devotion and submission. Ultimate questions about the purpose of life naturally float to mind, opening the curtain for your brief journey through the museum, and opening a door to a spiritual realm about which most people have little time to think in the course of their busy daily lives.

As these questions arise one by one in the wake of your continuing steps forward, you enter the enormous Golden Lobby, which resembles a planetarium. You are surrounded by awe-inspiring cosmological symbols from mythology, religion, and folk customs. The similarity of human cultures when traced back to these basic roots leaves one naturally feeling: "We are one big family after all."

Horus (religion of ancient Egypt)

Getting the most out of life

With this novel sensation of the unity of mankind still in mind, you enter the Creation Theatre, where a ten-minute program takes viewers on an emotional journey through the cycles of creation and destruction. You see the origins of the universe out of chaos, the birth of all things, the evolution of human civilizations, and finally conflict and the destruction of the universe. Viewers cannot help but feel that life is brutish and short, and to reflect on how to make the most of their time.

Filled with such thoughts, visitors next enter the Hall of Life's Journey. There a high-tech AV wall reveals the things that are common through all countries and cultures: the joy felt at the birth of a child; the explorations and curiosity of youth; the longing for love and marriage; the struggles of middle age; the advancing to a ripe old age; the attachment to life and unwillingness to let go; and the curiosity and trepidation about what comes after death. These are the essentials of life, which all people experience, that no one, regardless of personal beauty or stature, or of the color of one's skin, can escape. These are also the sources of religious beliefs.

Different climatic and geographic conditions give rise to different cultures and faiths, but at bottom all explore the same questions. There is no hierarchy or inevitable conflict among religions, only problems among believers. Fortunately, thanks to modern technology, people today are no longer confined to the land in which they were born, and can choose the religion that most meets their needs. The MWR provides a window with a beautiful view, showing visitors the diversity of religious cultures that exist, so that they may enjoy greater choice, and learn to be less exclusive of others.

"Faith is a little like falling in love--finding a partner, a soulmate, with whom you can walk hand in hand through life," Dharma Master Hsin Tao, the founder of the museum, says with a smile. "For me, Buddhism is just like a partner of whom I never tire, whose depths can never be exhausted. I hope that every individual can find the partner that best suits him or her. Respect for all faiths, tolerance for all cultures, love for all living things-these are the guiding principles embraced by the museum."

The footage of birth, aging, sickness, and death in the Hall of Life's Journey inspires in visitors a sense of Awakenings, the theme of the next section. Video programs show rituals, religious music, and different forms of worship, which prepares you to go on to the Meditation Gallery. This room provides a comfortable space in which one can sit quietly or meander, and feel substantively the experience of spiritual cultivation.

Also, visitors, who in only a short time and a small space have already reached a state of spiritual quietude and relaxation, can, through video footage, share in the views on life of religious leaders and social elites. You can also use interactive technology to express your own views, leaving behind a reverberation from your unusual journey of awakening to life.

A Buddhist artifact in the museum's exhibit area.

A string of pearls

The climax of a visit to the museum is a visit to the Avatamsaka World, which as of this writing is not yet completed. Here at this very impressive museum, constructed entirely with donations from faithful followers of Buddhism, the Avatamsaka World is the only room with a deeply Buddhist ambience. According to interpretations of the Avatamsaka Sutra, our universe is formed of pearl-like individual objects strung together in a net, so that it is difficult to separate what is real from what is illusion; past, present, and future exist side-by-side; and no individual can exist in isolation. As a result, people should live in the present, embrace goodness and do good deeds, so that the universe will tend toward harmony.

This Buddhist philosophy finds concrete expression in the MWR itself, in particular through the medium of the Internet. The Internet in fact closely resembles the intangible, borderless world of connected individual "pearls." We never know how extensive or long-lasting might be the impact of a single small idea or action, but we can imagine that every molecule in the vast universe is connected.

The area which illustrates such profound ideas is also, interestingly enough, the one that provides the most plain fun. The youthful Internet game crowd will probably find it easiest to navigate Avatamsaka World. With just a few commands, you can link up to religions, customs, philosophies and celebratory rituals and festivals from around the world. Visitors will discover that religion is in fact a way of life, and that no matter what you believe, or don't believe, the life of every individual is nevertheless touched by the shadows of religious culture. For example, no matter how deep or shallow your understanding of Christianity may be, you may get Christmas presents. Of course, the thing to most look forward to is the unknown opposite number you may link up with, so that life is filled with the pleasure of unexpected surprises.

Finally we come to the Great Hall of World Religions. Ten major religions from ancient times to the present-including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Sikhism, Shinto, Buddhism, Taoism, primitive religions, and the belief system of ancient Egypt-are introduced to the visitor through precious artifacts. Not only does the visitor come to understand and appreciate these crystallizations of human civilization, but naturally to feel a sense of awe and respect as well.

Ideally, this brief journey through the MWR should allow visitors to transcend the noise of ordinary existence and reflect on the meaning of life, and then return to aspects of concrete existence in the Avatamsaka World. It's like a spiritual sauna. Or, like a pilgrimage to the great cities of the ancient world, for modern people this is a relaxing and enriching education. Unfortunately, construction of the Internet part of the Avatamsaka World is still ongoing.

Thus far, the museum is not widely known, and most visitors are either intellectuals with a particular interest in culture, or students led by their teachers. Thus, the "soul-saving" work of founder Hsin Tao is still in its initial stages. Yet we must not forget that this step, though small, is the product of more than a decade of effort on the part of Buddhist clergy and of thousands and thousands of the faithful followers or friends of Dhar-ma Master Hsin Tao.

A Buddhist artifact in the museum's exhibit area.

One step at a time

When the subject of how the MWR took shape comes up, Dharma Master Liao Yi, who as Chief Executive Officer spent more than a decade raising money and running all around to find help, finally seeing the project to fruition, says: "When at first the Master said that he wanted to create a museum of world religions, I had no idea what he meant. But I had confidence in the Master, so I accepted this task, and began to step-by-step find my way forward. When I came across something I didn't understand I would ask experts for help, and when I came across a problem I would do whatever I could to resolve it, and in this way 10 years passed without my even realizing it. But now you turn around, and the museum is really there!"

It might only take a few sentences to tell the story, but who can know how difficult the path has really been? Many scholars, experts and businesspeople probably will never forget how sincere but naive Liao Yi and her young colleagues from the Ling Jiou Mountain Association looked when they came to ask for information. These women had originally intended to pursue a cloistered life, and knew nothing at all of museums. Still less did they know exactly what their teacher Master Hsin Tao had in mind with his idea for an exhibition center bringing together the essence of mankind's religious cultures. In fact, this being the first-ever effort to build a museum devoted to world religions, there was no model to be followed.

Indeed, even Hsin Tao himself could not articulate what his ideal outcome would be, but simply was possessed by a passionate desire for people to break through the prejudice, opposition, and hatred among religions. Since he believed that this hatred mainly arises from ignorance and misunderstanding, he wanted to do everything he could to build a place where people could learn about all religions, where they would find options to fill the emptiness and hunger of their souls, and through this, get beyond conflicts produced by differences in religious faiths to achieve the dream of world peace.

Because Hsin Tao kept bringing the matter up, several of his early followers began to go around and ask experts for guidance and assistance. At the same time, they began asking the faithful to contribute NT$100 per month, hoping to use the power of numbers to complete this fortress to peace that the Master was talking about.

But it was not easy. Liao Yi recalls that when they first went to the National Palace Museum to consult experts, it was like getting a bucket of cold water poured on their head. The well-intentioned advice they received was: "It would be good enough if you would just stick to Buddhism. Artifacts are expensive, and theology is a huge field of profound learning, it's much too difficult!"

Several of those responsible for raising money also recall that they ran into a brick wall at the start. Many folks said they would happily donate money to help spread Buddhist doctrine, or to sponsor rituals on behalf of deceased souls, but could not understand what this whole "museum of world religions" thing could possibly be, or what it had to do with Buddhism.

But Hsin Tao, normally mild mannered and down-to-earth by nature, proved stubborn in this case. He tirelessly explained to the faithful that their contributions would be connected to the fate of mankind itself, and would be a manifestation of the great inclusive nature of Buddhism. People were moved by his sincerity, and gradually came to see what he envisioned, and thus committed themselves to carrying out their duties without looking back. Among them was entrepreneur Chiu Tse-tung, who donated two floors in the Sogo building to the museum, with construction formally beginning in 1995.

Dharma Master Hsin Tao, founder of the MWR, was born in northern Myanmar, son of one of the KMT troops left stranded there at the end of the Civil War in China; he was orphaned when still a small child. Having suffered dearly from war, he hopes that the spirit of religious compassion will break down barriers between people and build permanent peace.

The millennium deadline

Cheng Chin-yu, the director of the Ling Jiou Mountain Association, who followed Dharma Master Hsin Tao for many years before formally taking vows in 1993, recalls hearing Hsin Tao say that he hoped to finish the museum project before the coming of the new century, to encourage understanding and tolerance among religions before an inter-faith war made it too late to act. "Now that the September 11 attacks have occurred and there has been war in Afghanistan, doesn't it look like the Master had foresight?" There are still some regrets that the museum was not completed before the new millennium.

Outsiders are perhaps most impressed by the more than NT$1 billion raised for the museum, or the huge amount of manpower mobilized on its behalf. But an equally difficult challenge, and one that popped up everywhere, was how to realize Hsin Tao's vision in the software, hardware, and contents of the museum. To this end, Hsin Tao and his core followers responsible for the museum project visited more than 30 countries and countless museums; they also consulted more than 1000 domestic and foreign religious leaders, scholars, museum curators, architects, designers, cultural figures, and even public relations firms.

The design alone required two rounds of international bidding, and even then the plan of the winning design firm was rejected as unsatisfactory by Hsin Tao, before the eventual designer, Ralph Applebaum Associates, was found. Applebaum is a well-known New York designer, whose most famous work is the Holocaust Museum in Washington. It was after seeing the Holocaust Museum that Hsin Tao led his group on a visit to Applebaum, and the two men saw eye-to-eye from the start. When you walk into the Museum of World Religions you immediately feel that a master hand lies behind it, as indeed one does.

The MWR is a concept museum, expressing abstract ideas. Thus it was far more difficult to design than a museum which simply displays artifacts. This was all the more the case given that the concept to be articulated is religion, the very crystallization of human culture, so nothing can be left out. The success of the museum is therefore due not only to its design, but to the practical work of deciding on content. This aspect was the responsibility of Dr. Lawrence Sullivan, director of the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard University, who led a team of graduate students specializing in different religions to complete this task.

Mukha Lingam-phallus with faces (Hinduism)

Expert vs. expert

The museum preparatory office convened seven conferences (six in different locations in the US, one in Taipei) bringing together experts on religion, museum curators, and artists, and after getting a full understanding of Hsin Tao's vision, Sullivan proposed six main themes for the museum: reflexivity, seeing, passing, walking, dialectic, and enchantment. Applebaum took these as the framework for his museum layout, and, through face-to-face meetings with Hsin Tao at which he drafted sketches as they spoke, the concrete form of the museum gradually took shape.

The actual construction and interior-work contracts were put up for bidding in Taiwan, and Applebaum, concerned about the construction, visited Taiwan three times for discussions and inspections. His desire for precision actually delayed the project, but also ensured that the original design and spirit was maintained. "The professionals are, after all, the professionals," says Dharma Master Liao Yi, thinking back on this period when she ran herself ragged mediating between the designer and the builders, and had to repeatedly explain what was going on to the board of directors who were paying the bills.

Another major problem was finding a suitable director. At the opening ceremonies last November 9, outsiders were very concerned about the fact that no one had yet been named as director of the museum, and the museum people themselves were getting anxious. Though there were many applicants, it was quite a headache to find someone who was at once simple and above reproach in character, and had actual museum experience, a rich humanitarian spirit, and free time.

"We advertised the position in the biggest museum specialist periodical in the US. Though we got many responses, the Master was not satisfied with them, and we ended up looking back in Taiwan." At the end of March, the museum held a press conference to announce the good news: Cultural scholar Han Pao-teh, who oversaw construction of the Science Museum in Taichung, would be the new director of the MWR. Liao Yi happily declared that finally she could put down her enormous burden and let a real expert manage the MWR.

Han, who has the air of a traditional Chinese intellectual, says frankly: "There are a large number of things that need to be done, and the MWR can only be said to be finished in a general sense. The most important part, Avatamsaka World, is still being remodeled, and there are many peripheral spaces that have yet to be designed. The most important thing will be getting to the general public, and holding attractive special exhibitions. That's the only way to fulfill the initial promise of the MWR."

Director Han admits that museums are relatively weak in Taiwan, and it is difficult to be self-supporting. The effect of the MWR will be its function of social education. As for funding, it will still have to rely on the support of the enthusiasts at the religious association.

Horus (religion of ancient Egypt)

Dream come true

Lin Ku-fang, a scholar of culture and a long-time practitioner of Zen, says the design and concept of the MWR are both first rate by international standards, and it is really worth a visit. However, it is not adequate to simply penetrate people's hearts with religion and make them rethink important questions of life and death. "These kinds of questions make people nervous, or even terrified." Yet if the MWR places too much emphasis on art and aesthetics, this will inevitably weaken its spiritual impact. Lin's observation in fact captures a key dilemma for the future: Caught between the relative importance of the religious function vs. the museum function, how can the MWR be attractive to many people yet still have them thinking about profound things by the time they leave?

But none of those most involved-from Hsin Tao, the founder; to Liao Yi, who made it all happen; to the many devotees, both lay and religious, and the supporters in the Ling Jiou Mountain Association who backed the project; to new museum director Han Pao-teh; and Lin Ku-tang, making helpful suggestions-is worried about the future development of the MWR.

"So long as your heart is in the right place, nothing is impossible." This is one of the phrases Hsin Tao uses to encourage his flock. You doubt that it is so? Then how do you explain how a simple monk, exhausted by war and hunger, who finally found enlightenment after arduous searching, has-relying only on faith and sincerity-built the first museum of religions in the world? If people can only identify with his call for respect, tolerance, and love, can heaven be that far away?

Horus (religion of ancient Egypt)

Mukha Lingam-phallus with faces (Hinduism)

Han Pao-teh, formerly director of the Science Museum in Taichung and a scholar of architecture, proved to be the best candidate to become the new director of the Museum of World Religions.

The high-tech entranceway to the museum allows visitors to leave their handprints, with the depth of the print reflecting the energy level of the individual.

The Museum of World Religions, after being in the planning stages for a decade, held its grand opening last November 9. More than 30 religious leaders from around the world attended the opening ceremony, and President Chen Shui-bian also was on hand to make congratulatory remarks.

Horus (religion of ancient Egypt)

The high-tech entranceway to the museum allows visitors to leave their handprints, with the depth of the print reflecting the energy level of the individual.

Horus (religion of ancient Egypt)