Most people have an impression of temple directors as wise and moral local elders. Among them, the fifty-something Liao Wu-chih, general director of the Paoankung Temple, is positively a youngster. Why is it that Liao has so much energy and so many new ideas and is able to attract both local scholars and foreign experts to the temple?

Liao Wu-chih was the driving force behind the scenes in getting the temple to throw its energy and money behind the current renovation. And that isn't all he has done for the temple. Since he became the temple's general director in 1992, the library attached to the temple has offered many art classes, and he has invited friends who studied art to teach painting and flower arranging. At regular intervals the temple holds exhibitions of works made in these classes. And every year he sets aside a portion of the temple's funds for scholarships and a welfare fund to help the poor get through the winter. In 1994, when the Council for Cultural Planning and Development first expanded its arts festival to include all of Taiwan, Paoankung (listed as a temple) put on the "Paosheng Culture Festival." Apart from a neighborhood parade typical of a temple fair, fire jumping, and plays sponsored by people with the same surname, the temple also held a photography exhibit, a children's painting competition, and free traditional Chinese medical consultations. The excitement went on for a whole month.

"We were busy beyond belief," grumbles Liao Wu-chih, but when he brings forth a booklet about the results of the festival, a guide to the religious architectural art of the Paoankung Temple, and the "Big Tao" Quarterly, his satisfaction is obvious. A graduate of the National Taiwan Academy of Arts, he has especially strong feelings for art, and he has brought new vitality to temple culture, giving ancient Paoankung Temple more relevance in neighborhood residents' lives.

Turning obstacles to advantage

Liao Wu-chih is in fact doing his work as general director as a "volunteer." To earn a living he helps people write legal documents. When his friends see that he doesn't smoke or drink, and that he's always running around doing something for the temple, they all feel very curious, and can't figure out what's got into him. Liao recalls how a friend nominated him to the temple's board of directors more than a decade ago. From the first meeting he attended, when he asked other people in what direction the temple planned on going, to now, when he is putting his all into serving the temple, he describes his association with the temple as one of "fate."

Paoankung's board of directors are elected to four-year terms. Like many organizations, the temple suffers from a "generation gap." Old folk are slow to recognize newcomers and when Liao first got on the job, he couldn't get used to some of the habits of the temple's elders. After doing the job for a few months, he just couldn't take it any longer and left.

But Liao reflected on something that the monk who had converted him to Buddhism had once casually told him: "The difficulties encountered in anything you do are your past sins embodied as present obstacles. You should boldly confront them." The monk had also once told him, "In a sea of troubles, seek a boat; in a fire, seek a red lotus."

After mulling it over, Liao came back to the temple to serve as director of finances and facilities. He felt that using people to record contributions could too easily lead to graft and so he computerized. Now computers handle all of the temple's bills. This stirred up dissatisfaction right from the start, and people felt that Liao lacked human sentiment. There was a lot of conflict in the process, so much so that Liao says "outsiders could never understand." Still, he is gratified to find that the obstacles he faced at the start have now become aids, and last month he was reelected as a general director.

Fate

Why is it that he is so insistent? Apart from what he gained from that monk's patient guidance, he seems to have an unusual inner strength supporting him. Liao fears being called "superstitious" and tries to avoid talking much about this sort of thing, recalling just one personal experience: A few years ago he dreamed that the Great Emperor Paosheng wanted him to visit the deity's mother temple. Less than a week later, completely unexpectedly, he was indeed given a chance to visit Baijiao in Fujian. When he went into the main hall of the temple and came face to face with Paosheng Tati, he had the feeling that he was a child returning to see his own father. . . .

"If it is your destiny, then acknowledge your fate," Liao says laughing. As regards his temple duties, he believes that times are changing and that besides being a place for believers to make offerings and pray, the temple ought to focus even more on actively promoting local culture and charity work. The temple is now preparing to establish a culture and education fund to help musicians carry on the legacy of the nanguan and beiguan traditional musical styles. But is the renovation of the temple the wish of Paosheng Tati? On this question, Liao just smiles and says nothing, as if he and the god are having a meeting of minds.

p.129

The general director is coming, what to do? Hide? Stand respectfully at attention? Liao Wu-chih, who appears as steady as a rock, wants to bring a new vitality to the temple culture of Paoankung. (photo by Pu Hua-chih)