World religions under on roof

At a secret location in southern Taipei County is a warehouse full of religious artifacts dating from over the last 2,000 years and coming from numerous nations around the globe. In another building in Yungho (永和), 8000m2 of floor space has been earmarked for a museum, where, if all goes as planned, these artifacts will go on display in November. It will be the world's first museum of world religions, the fruition of a Zen Buddhist monk's 10-year dream.

The man behind the museum that will house these symbols of man's spiritual quest is Dharma Master Hsin Tao (心道法師). Its conception was the result of years of meditation on the questions of life and death, including a two-year period during which he lived the life of an ascetic in a cave overlooking the Pacific Ocean near Fulung (福隆) in Taipei County between 1983 and 1985. He meditated 20-hours-a-day in the cave and emerged "enlightened" and with a clear vision of his next task: to establish the Museum of World Religions.

He had chosen not to erect yet another temple for prayers to the Bodhisattva Guanyin, nor a charitable hospital to care for the sick, the staple projects of religious organizations. Master Hsin Tao aimed instead to create a symbol of peace that transcends national, political and most of all, religious boundaries.

Dressed in his robes of dark red and speaking in measured tones, Master Hsin Tao is a paragon of beatific calm. But he is no stranger to conflict.

Born into a farming family on the Myanmar side of the border with Yunnan Province, in China, Master Hsin Tao lost both parents during the Chinese Civil War and was subsequently drafted as a child soldier into the guerilla army fighting the Communists from bases in Myanmar. According to an English biography, Sowing Seeds of Love, he saw much during that time that profoundly affected his later life. In 1961, aged 13, he accompanied the defeated KMT army to Taiwan.

Hsin Tao's inner peace is the result of his rigorous practice of Zen Buddhism, which he sees as a means of breaking down barriers.

His ambition is "respect for other's beliefs, tolerance of each other's cultures, and love for all of life." He believes that the museum of world religions is a step towards achieving this aim.

"Chan Buddhism (禪, more commonly known by its Japanese name, Zen) is about detaching oneself from earthly emotions. This detachment leads to a genuine engagement with life, an understanding of a Higher Truth, irrespective of what you do or which religion you follow. Chan heightens our aesthetic sensibilities and allows us to transcend individual events, creating an inner harmony and unity. This feeling for life can be glimpsed in art and antiques,"

Hsin Tao said, giving some insight into the manner his religious beliefs have led him to this current project.

In its conception, the museum was intended to be primarily religious and experiential, rather than a collection of antiquities. "Art and antiques can manifest religious wisdom. For the museum, we chose works that strongly move people or works relating to people who have made a great sacrifice or contribution to religion."

Inpiration and hard work

"Chan may help Master Hsin Tao and that's all well and good," said Robeca Hu (胡華真), head of acquisitions for the museum, "but for the rest of us it's more a question of long hours." The museum's original plan included an expansive collection of artifacts representing Buddhism and Taoism, both local to Taiwan, but the direction shifted in 1997 when Lawrence Sullivan of Harvard University was brought into the project.