BUDDHA MUSEUM - A Museum for the People

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Table of Contents

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Foreword

書序 Words of the Founder 創建人的話 佛光山開山 星雲大師 Foreword by the Director 佛陀紀念館館長 如常法師

About the Buddha Museum

認識佛陀紀念館 Origin of the Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館建館緣起 Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Philosophy for Construction 星雲大師興建佛陀紀念館的理念 Architecture of the Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館的建築設計 Glory of Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館的榮耀

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Missions of the Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館的使命 48 Underground Palaces 四十八個地宮 Buddhist Arts 佛教藝術 Inter-Museum Exchanges 館際交流 Life Education 生命教育 Public Services 公共服務

Foreword 1 | 書

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Words of the Founder The year 2016 marks the 50th anniversary of Fo Guang Shan. It has since evolved from a bamboo grove to an internationally renowned center of Buddhism. If there are people who find Fo Guang Shan a source of miracles, I would think that the Buddha Museum is itself one such wonder. At the beginning, we were looking at many locations across Taiwan for a suitable plot to build the museum but we eventually found this piece of land just next to Fo Guang Shan. It was such a fortuitous coincidence that it seemed almost impossible.

As the Buddha Museum enshrines the Buddha’s tooth relic, I have named the Museum as the “Buddha Gem Mountain.” Where is the Buddha? The Buddha lies within the hearts of everyone. Everyone has an innate Buddha nature, and when everyone believes in their Buddha nature, they will act as the hand of the Buddha, see with the eyes of the Buddha, and think with the mind of the Buddha; when these things happen, a Buddha land will appear.

The museum was built in 2011 through the stewardship and contribution of a thousand temples and a million Buddhists from across the world. It received the 2012 Golden Lion Award for Culture and Education, which is a recognition of the museum’s architectural finesse.

Since its opening, the museum has been in eager correspondence internationally, whether it be cross-strait relations or religious exchanges. It has been locally active by hosting art performances, educational programs and performing public services. Over ten million visitors arrive at the Buddha Museum every year. It was selected as the one of the Top Hundred Religious Spots in Taiwan, and also won the 2014 Traveler’s Choice Award on TripAdvisor, the largest tourist website in the world. The Buddha Museum became the youngest member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 2014. These remarkable achievements resulted from the collaboration and selfless spirit of the monastics and lay devotees from our branch temples all over the world.

This publication records the mutual achievements accomplished by numerous people. It is worth reading and we hope to share the fruitful results with even more people.

Hsing Yun

Founding Master’s Quarters

April, 2016

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Foreword 2 | 書

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Foreword by the Director Completed in 2011, the FGS Buddha Museum was accepted as the youngest member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM) in 2014. It topped the list as the most popular tourist destination in Taiwan with over ten million visitors a year. Experts in various fields such as museology, religion and tourism have made a study into the museum’s unique operations to try to understand its success.

How did the Buddha Museum achieve so much in so little time? It probably had to do with how Venerable Master Hsing Yun concluded every meeting during its construction. He would urge the group “to design the Buddha Museum with the people’s interests in mind, and put the people’s needs first.” During construction, Venerable Master Hsing Yun would visit the site and find ways to increase enjoyment for visitors.

Rooted in Venerable Master’s “people-oriented” approach, and stemming from the museum’s function of serving the public, the Buddha Museum strives to provide every visitor with a sense of ease. Venerable Master Hsing Yun also believed that the Buddha Museum, acting as an international facility of education and culture, be developed to embody two sets of core values: “Three Acts of Goodness” (doing good deeds, speaking good words, thinking good thoughts) and “Four Givings” (giving confidence, joy, hope, and convenience).

I would like to thank our former director, Venerable Tzu Jung, for setting the administrative framework for the Buddha Museum, as well as the support of Most Venerable Hsin Bao, Abbot of Fo Guang Shan. I am also thankful for the unconditional dedication of our monastics, our benefactors and supporters, as well as the directors of our sister museums for their kindness.

In particular note, I would like to express a special gratitude to CAM President Chang YuiTan, SACH Director Liu Yuzhu, SACH Vice Director Liu Shuguang, Art Exhibitions China Director Wang Jun, and our hard- working staff members.

This museum is dedicated to all the temples and people from across the world. This book commemorates the museum’s fifth anniversary. We thank everyone for your generous support, and we hope to share our beginnings, our core values, our missions and our achievements in the last five years with you.

Ru Chang Director, FGS Buddha Museum Vice President, Chinese Association of Museums

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About the

Buddha Museum

認識 佛陀紀念館

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Origin of the Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館建館緣起

In 1998 Venerable Master Hsing Yun traveled to Bodh Gaya, India to confer the precepts for full ordination. He was entrusted with a tooth relic given by Kunga Dorje Rinpoche who had safeguarded the relic for nearly thirty years. Rinpoche was touched by the efforts of Fo Guang Shan in promoting exchanges between different Buddhist traditions, and he hoped that the relic could be enshrined in Taiwan as a symbol of Dharma preservation.

Venerable Master Hsing Yun says, “The Buddha does not need any anybody’s worship or reverence, it is living beings that need inspiration to develop wholesome thoughts and purify their minds.

By worshipping a memorial, people can come to know the Buddha’s Dharma body, and their feelings of admiration can be elevated into wanting to learn about the Buddha’s virtues and practice them in everyday life. The Buddha doesn’t need a memorial, but living beings do. I built this pagoda with that story in mind.”

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Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Philosophy for Construction 星雲大師興建佛陀紀念館的理念

Venerable Master Hsing Yun says, “The Buddha Museum was built for posterity and for the hearts and minds of humanity. As long as there is someone who needs it, that person can come to it. It is both cultural and educational; everyone can join in fellowship, be they individuals, families, school groups, or organizations. They can all come together and learn here.”

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Architecture of the Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館的建築設計 Front Hall | 禮敬大廳

Looking from the Buddha’s Light Tower is the main gate of Buddha Museum. Facing the gate are three Tang-styled structures: the Front Hall, the Gate of Perfect Ease, and the Gate of Liberation. As you approach the Front Hall, you would see a lion and an elephant, both accompanied by smaller cubs, on each side. The elephant on the right, measuring five-meter tall and six-meter long, symbolizes the conception of Prince Siddhartha who entered the womb of his mother on a white elephant. The lion on the left has the same measurements and represents the Buddha’s roar of teachings. Passing through the Front Hall, one sees the covered walkways and the Eight Pagodas ahead.

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Eight Pagodas | 八塔

One Teaching Pagoda / 一教塔 One Teaching refers to Humanistic Buddhism, which represents Buddhist teachings that advocate ways to a happier life. The One Teaching Pagoda serves as a multi-functional space for holding meetings, activities, and training courses. It is available to the public for rent.

Two Assemblies Pagoda / 二眾塔 The Two Assemblies refer to both the monastic and lay assemblies.

The Two Assemblies Pagoda serves as the Children’s Gallery. Designed with interactive technology, children are free to explore the interactive games and multimedia. A 3D theatre allows them to learn how to practice doing good deeds, saying good words, and having good thoughts.

Three Goodness Pagoda / 三好塔 Three Goodness refers to the wholesome deeds of body, speech, and mind. The Three Goodness Pagoda is a joint office consisting of a meeting room and two guest halls.

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Four Givings Pagoda / 四給塔 The Four Givings refer to Giving Others Confidence, Giving Others Joy, Giving Others Hope, Giving Others Convenience. This Pagoda serves as a bookstore where visitors can read and relax. Every Saturday and Sunday, there are story-telling sessions from 10 am to 4:30 pm at the children corner. Multimedia including chanting, children singing, and orchestral music, are also available at the bookstore.

Five Harmonies Pagoda / 五和塔 The Five Harmonies refer to “personal harmony achieved through joy, interpersonal harmony achieved through respect, family harmony achieved through deference, social harmony achieved through cooperation, and world harmony achieved through peace.” The Five Harmonies Pagoda serves to celebrate family events in different ways, including Buddhist weddings, baby blessing ceremonies, and birthday celebrations. Families can also take photographs to keep as albums for remembering those joyous occasions.

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Six Perfections Pagoda / 六度塔 The pagoda is named after the Six Perfections, namely giving, ethics, patience, diligence, meditation, and wisdom. The pagoda is fitted with a long-term exhibition displaying information on Venerable Master Hsing Yun Public Education Trust Fund and the works of Venerable Master’s One-Stroke Calligraphy. Through a 3D video presentation, viewers get to watch how Venerable Master penned his calligraphy works in one stroke using his inner eye.

Seven Admonishments Pagoda / 七誡塔 The Seven Admonishments refer to admonishing drugs, pornography, violence, stealing, gambling, alcohol, and harsh words.

Through these seven admonishments, all individuals, families, and even the society would be influenced by a positive mindset. When everyone thinks positively, the society would become a blissful pure land. The Seven Admonishments Pagoda serves as a resting place where visitors can have a cup of tea and relax.

Eightfold Path Pagoda / 八道塔 The Eightfold Path includes the eight elements that lead us to liberation: right view, right understanding, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration.

The Eightfold Path Pagoda serves a resting place where visitors can watch introductory videos.

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Main Hall | 本館

The Main Hall is a domed-shaped stupa built in the Indian style.

The base is made from yellow sandstone while the body is made from rock. The spire in the center is the sutra repository stupa, housing a million copies of the Heart Sutra. The “One Million Heart Sutras in the Buddha” movement was launched with the construction of the Buddha Museum.

Four Noble Truths Stupas / 四聖塔 The Four Noble Truths Stupas erected at the four corners of the Main Hall are testaments to the the first teaching the Buddha gave following his enlightenment. The Four Noble Truths Stupas are dedicated in correspondence to the Four Great Bodhisattvas: Avalokitesvara, Ksitigarbha, Manjusri, and Samantabhadra. Offerings of incense, flowers, light, and the seven gems can be made to the Bodhisattvas at these stupas.

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Glory of Buddha Museum 佛陀紀念館的榮耀 The Buddha Museum is located in Kaohsiung. It is a center which encompasses the past and the future, and also promotes art and religion.

Since 2014, it was certified as the youngest member of the International Council of Museums (ICOM). This membership recognizes the Buddha Museum for its quality of service.

• 2012 - Winner of the Golden Lion Award for Culture and Education in the 13th National Architecture Golden Award.

• 2013 - Listed in “Top Hundred Religious Spots in Taiwan” by the Ministry of the Interior.

• 2014 - Certified as a member, the youngest, of International Council of Museum (ICOM).

• 2014 - Winner of TripAdvisor 2014’s Traveler’s Choice Award and ranked top as the most popular tourist spot in Kaohsiung.

• 2014, October 25 - Received the Outstanding Restroom Award in Tourist Scenic Site Category of Kaohsiung.

• 2014, November 13 - Became the first religious organization and museum to receive the ISO 50001 energy management certification.

• 2014, December 16 - Bus Toilets awarded Outstanding Restroom by the Environmental Protection Administration, and in the digital book The Magic Journey of the Toilet Kingdom.

• 2015, August 10 - Awarded Excellence for Public Restroom by the Environmental Protection Bureau.

• 2015, October 31 - Awarded Runner-Up for “Public Restroom” Award in Tourist Scenic Site Category of Kaohsiung.

• 2016, January 16 - Fifth China Tourism Investment ITIA “Best Historical and Cultural Theme Tourism Project Award”.

• 2016, May - Winner of TripAdvisor 2016 Travelers’ Choice Award and ranked fourth in the Top Ten Landmarks of Taiwan.

• 2017, June - Awarded TripAdvisor 2017 Certificate of Excellence and ranked fourth in the Top Ten Landmarks of Taiwan.

Since its opening, the Buddha Museum has become an international limelight. Feng Chih-Neng, a member of the selection committee for the National Architecture Golden Award commented that the free admission and free parking were a surprise. He added that the Buddha Museum has met both educational and cultural purposes.

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Missions of the

Buddha Museum

佛陀紀念館 的使命

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48 Underground Palaces 四十八個地宮 To Preserve Human Civilization and Record Human History.

The 48 Underground Palaces at the Buddha Museum act as time capsules, storing memories of the human race. Every year, the Underground Palace Treasures Enshrinement Ceremony is held for the entombment of the artifacts from all over the world. One of the palaces will be opened every one hundred years.

Underground Palace Treasures Enshrinement Ceremony and One Million Heart Sutras in the Buddha | 地宮珍寶入宮暨百萬心經入法身法會

The One Million Heart Sutras in the Buddha ceremony is held on the same day. Venerables and devotees stand alongside one another to pass transcribed copies of the Heart Sutra to the finial of the Main Hall, where the transcriptions are kept as blessings in dedication to all beings.

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Museum of Buddhist Underground Palaces | 地宮還原館

The Buddha Museum has forty-eight underground palaces.

With the goal of preserving culture, people’s faith and lifestyles, these underground palaces have collected various artifacts that are of great historical, contemporary and commemorative value. One of the these underground palaces will be opened every one hundred years, then other items will be stored and the palace will be sealed again. For people to understand the function of an Underground Palace, the Buddha Museum has a permanent exhibit located on the first floor of the Main Hall titled the “Museum of Underground Palaces”. The interior is like a passage back through time.

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Buddhist Art 佛教藝術

To Promote Buddhist Arts Through Exhibitions and Academic Conferences.

Fo Guang Big Buddha | 佛光大佛

The architecture within the Buddha Museum are artistic symbols of the Buddha’s teachings. Situated on the highest point along the central axis, the Fo Guang Big Buddha statue is the largest bronze seated Buddha statue in the world. The Buddha statue is 108 meters above ground and made from 1,780 tonnes of steel and bronze. The right hand displays the lotus mudra, a gesture popularized by Fo Guang Shan, while the left hand shows the wish-granting mudra. The Buddha, smiling with ease, symbolizes perfection of human qualities.

The Big Buddha Court and the Four Noble Truth Stupas are venues where chanting and circumambulation sessions for up to 2,000 people are led by Venerables every Saturday.

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Stone Sculpture | 石雕 Stone sculptures are known to be time-enduring yet simple works of art. The statues of the Eight Patriarchs and the Eighteen Arhats were masterfully sculpted by internationally renowned artist Wu Jung-Tzu from rocks mined in Quanzhou. The lively appearances inspire visitors to explore stories of these Buddhist historical figures.

Patriarchs of the Eight Schools / 八宗祖師 The Humanistic Buddhism propagated

by Fo Guang Shan include teachings from the Eight Schools of Chinese Mahayana Buddhism.

Each of these schools are unique in their teachings and practices. It is Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s vision to install the statues of these Eight Patriarchs as examples for both monastics and lay practitioners.

The Eighteen Arhats / 十八羅漢 The Eighteen Arhats were selected by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. They include the Buddha’s Ten Principal Disciples, three venerated bhiksus from the Amitabha Sutra (Pindola, Cudapanthaka, Kalodayin), as well as the Tiger Subduing Arhat and Dragon Subduing Arhat, and three female arhats (Mahaprajapati bhiksuni, Upalavana bhiksuni, and Bhadra Kapilani bhiksuni). This revolutionary stroke of creativity highlights the reunion of tradition and the modern way, and demonstrate the contemporary status of equal rights between the sexes.

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Reliefs | 立體浮雕 The relief murals lining the walls of the covered walkways are designed by Venerable Master Hsing Yun. These Buddhist artistic creations inspire visitors in developing inner wisdom and recognizing the value of lives.

Stories of the Buddha / 佛陀行化圖 The covered walkways on both sides of the Buddha Museum are sculpted with twenty-two semi-reliefs of the Buddha’s acts of compassion and wisdom. The reliefs are accompanied by old sayings that praise the acts of the Buddha who practiced and completed the path in the human world.

Chan Art and Stories / 禪畫禪話 In 1993, Gao Er’tai and his wife Pu Xiaoyu painted a hundred paintings based on Hsing Yun Chan Talks. Forty of these artworks were selected and sculpted into reliefs and painted in color.

Life Protection Murals / 護生圖 The seventy Life Protection murals were sculpted based on the Protecting Lives Series painted by Feng Zikai and his daughter, Feng Yiyin. These murals are accompanied by fourteen reliefs of the Humble Table, Wise Fare verses.

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One-Stroke Calligraphy | 一筆字書法

At the Six Perfections Pagoda, visitors watch how Venerable Master Hsing Yun pens the One-Stroke Calligraphy through 3D modern technology. Visitors can also catch a glance of Venerable Master’s works which are rendered as words of blessings and hope, as well as words of wisdom and good advice.

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Reunion of Religious Associations 世界宗教聯誼會

The Reunion of Religious Associations has been held once every year at the Buddha Museum since its opening, in 2011. It takes place on 25 December. On this day, different gods and their representatives from around the country converge at the Buddha Museum. The procession starts from the outside, with each team of people and their sacred statue gradually filing into the Main Hall. They leave their statues on the offering table, and the statues are subsequently transferred to the spire of the Main Hall. These statues include Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and Dharma protectors, as well as gods of Daoism, local folk religions, and even Catholicism. The participating temples or churches are not affiliated with Fo Guang Shan. As many as 1,000 gods and deities are involved in this event, and the number of temples and churches has grown over the years to 500 in 2015.

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This event is one of a kind, where different religions come to a place to deliberately pay their respects to another religion, out of their own free will and reverence. This event also celebrates religious harmony and tolerance through a gathering in which different religious groups deliver speeches and sing songs to express their support for religious coexistence.

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Inter-Museum Exchanges 館際交流

To Gain Mutual Support and Encourage New Ideas Through Inter-Museum Interactions.

Sister Museums | 友好博物館 Chinese Cultural Relics Exchange Association / 中華文物交流協會

In 2011, the Buddha Museum signed a five-year collaboration agreement with Chinese Cultural Relics Exchange Association. Since 2012, they have worked together on five major exhibitions, attracting millions of visitors to the galleries. In 2017, they began cooperation on a second five-year collaboration agreement.

Shandong Province Cultural Relics Bureau / 山東省文物局 In 2013, the Buddha Musem held the Forever Confucius exhibition and signed a five-year cooperation agreement with the Shandong Province Cultural Relics Bureau.

Anhui Museum / 安徽博物院 In 2015, the Buddha Museum became sister museums with Anhui Museum. Venerable Ru Chang and Zhu Liangjian, Director of Anhui Museum, believed that this connection would help promote Buddhist art in both museums.

Suzhou Museum / 蘇州博物館 In 2015, the Buddha Museum, represented by Executive Deputy Abbot Venerable Hui Chuan, signed a five-year cooperation agreement with the Suzhou Museum, represented

by Director Chen Ruijin. It is hoped that this would serve as an important platform for cultural exchange.

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National Museum of History / 國立歷史博物館 In 2016, the Buddha Museum became sister museums with the National Museum of History so both museums can develop through mutual cooperation and future exchanges.

Hebei Museum / 河北博物院 In 2016, Venerable Ru Chang and the Director of Hebei Museum signed an exchange programme, starting a new chapter in cross-strait cultural exchanges.

Hubei Provincial Museum / 湖北省博物館 In 2016, the Buddha Museum became sister museums with Hubei Provincial Museum. The Director Fang Qin hoped this will bring better ideas and resources.

Shanxi Museum / 山西博物院 In 2016 the museum was invited to participate in the CrossStrait Biannual Museums Meetings at the Buddha Museum, and subsequently both museums became sister museums.

Kinmen Cultural Park / 金門文化園區 Kinmen Cultural Park organized a trip to the Buddha Museum in 2016 for exchange. In 2017, both parties signed a cooperation agreement for future collaboration.

Henan Museum / 河南博物院 In 2015, Fo Guang Shan held the One-Stroke Calligraphy exhibition at the Henan Museum. In 2017, the exhibition “Splendid Resonance” displaying a collection of jade works was held at the Buddha Museum. In the same year, the Buddha Museum became sister museums with Henan Museum. |

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Life Education 生命教育

To Promote Cultural Arts and Environmental Protection.

Tea Chan and Sutra Calligraphy | 茶禪／抄經 Tea and Chan as One / 茶禪一味 Drinking tea has been a long-time tradition.

Since 2014, the Twin Pavilions has set up the “Tea and Chan as One” programme for tea lovers to be connected with their minds through drinking tea. The “Tea and Chan as One” programme is offered to both groups and individuals. During the programme, a Venerable would lead the participants through the tea ceremony procedure.

Participants are also encouraged to share the tea that they made with others.

Sutra Calligraphy / 抄經 The Sutra Calligraphy is a common Buddhist practice to settle the mind and deepen one’s understanding of the scriptures. The Calligraphy Hall on the third story of the Twin Pavilions provides a conductive atmosphere for visitors to experience Sutra Calligraphy.

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Educational Outreach | 教育推廣 Ecology / 自然生態 At the Buddha Museum one can see lush trees populated by birds while fireflies are visible at night. This is a paradise for insects and birds. The ponds at the Camphor Grove and Twin Pavilions are ideal locations for holding ecology classes. The museum holds regular outdoor courses to help promote environmental protection.

Field Trips / 戶外教學

Since the opening, the Buddha Museum has acted under the guidance to “foster talent through education.” The museum has followed the educational curriculum by hosting educational courses and following the Three Acts of Goodness – doing good deeds, speaking good words, thinking good thoughts. The museum is a combination of culture, art, history, technology and nature, all incorporated into the educational courses held here. The facilities can be enjoyed by all age levels who are taught to respect diversity in people.

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Vegetarianism | 蔬食餐飲文化

Vegetarian food is available in all the restaurants at the Buddha Museum. Vegetarianism is beneficial for several reasons: it helps to maintain ecological balance, and to develop compassion in us. Vegetarianism is now a growing trend in the world due to animal rights, and environmental protection.

Waterdrop Tea Houses / 滴水坊 On one occasion when Venerable Master Hsing Yun was young, he became gravely ill and his teacher, Venerable Master Zhikai, had someone bring him a bowl of pickled vegetables.

Touched by his gesture, Venerable Master Hsing Yun vowed to repay his teacher’s kindness by building tea houses and offering food to people.

Today there are Waterdrop Tea Houses in Fo Guang Shan branch temples all over the world.

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Shopping Center Tea House / 小品店滴水食堂 The Shopping Center, located along the Fo Guang Boulevard, is a structure which integrates both Oriental and Western elements. When one steps in, one can smell the fragrance of tea, flowers, coffee, and antiques. The first floor is a Tea House which provides handmade snacks including dumplings, flat-bread, and fruit yogurts.

Front Hall Tea House / 禮敬大廳滴水坊 The Tea House is located near the entrance of the Front Hall. The bright and spacious tea house offers Chinese food including broad bean noodles, fried rice, and unique side-dishes and ice cream. Foreigners will find this tea house a comfortable place to sample Chinese food.

Fo Guang Building Tea House / 佛光樓一樓滴水坊 The Fo Guang Building Tea House is unique in that it is located below a Buddha statue. The Tea House can accommodate 200 people and provides full courses.

The menu includes Chinese, Japanese, and Western food such as Subway, Japanese soba noodles, hot and spicy noodles, and a variety of popular side dishes.

Vegetarian food is also available at the Twin Pavilions Tea House, Camphor Grove Tea House, Front Hall 2nd Floor Buffet, and the Gate of Liberation Snack Bar.

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Public Services 公共服務

Since the opening of Buddha Museum, the public have enjoyed free admission and free rental of venues to conduct cultural, educational, social, and public welfare courses. This is due to the compassion of Venerable Master Hsing Yun. The Buddha Museum also provides free guided tours for outdoor educational courses.

Reception at the Front Hall and Main Hall | 禮敬大廳／本館服務台 Visitors who are new to the Buddha Museum can approach the information desks on the first floor of the Front Hall and the Main Hall. The services provided are as follow.

Front Hall (1F) Information Desk / 禮敬大廳一樓服務台 • Field trips and guided tours • Information desk for international visitors • Currency exchange • Baggage storage • Restaurant reservation • Registration for donation • Rental of wheelchair or baby stroller • Lactation room

Main Hall (1F) Information Desk / 本館一樓服務台 • Rental of wheelchair or baby stroller • Lactation room • Audio device (on loan at the Museum of Buddhist Underground Palaces)

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Handicapped Facilities and Rock Chairs | 無障礙空間／戶外歇息空間

Handicapped facilities are set up at various locations to allow disabled visitors to move freely around Buddha Museum. Disabled visitors can travel from the Front Hall to the Main Hall without obstacles. Venerable Master Hsing Yun has personally tried out each route in his wheelchair. The slopes were constructed to facilitate disabled visitors as much as possible.

Along the covered walkways and Circle Drive, solid rock stools and tables are provided for weary visitors. These rock stools are carved from leftover rock material. In the hot summer, rock stools help cool down the body temperature.

Educational Field Trips In order to nurture the growth of children and young adults, educational field trips at the Buddha Museum are tailor-made to suit different educational levels that range from kindergarten to high school.

Content include technological interactions, artwork viewing, explaining the meaning behind reliefs and murals found at the museum, tea meditation and calligraphy copying. We believe participants will have a better understanding of Chinese Buddhist culture, so to allow for selfimprovement through interactive activities, and nurture concentration through art viewing.

All schools are welcome to apply. For more information, please visit http://www.fgsbmc.org.tw/en/fieldtrip.html

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Living a Beautiful Life • Resting the Body & Mind Every first weekend of months April to December Time: Saturday, 09:00 - Sunday, 14:00

This is a journey of the heart On departure put down everything This is a brand new journey On return the body and mind will be settled

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| Programme |

• Getting Close to Venerable Master • Meditative Life • Tea Chan • Buddhism & Art • Vegetarianism • Delve into the Scriptures • Monastic Etiquette • Converse with Oneself

| Terms & Conditions |

The “Journey of the Heart” retreat will be held over two days. The retreat includes all meals and accommodation (will be arranged by the monastery). Donations are welcomed. A cleanliness and maintenance fee will be charged for this activity.

Qualification for participation: One who possesses good mental health, is self-disciplined, and can abide by rules.

Ages: 18 - 55.

Minimum educational requirement: High school.

Fo Guang Shan Buddha Museum Fax: +886-7-656-5165 Telephone: +886-7-656-3033 ext.4000~4001 E-mail: bmctour@ecp.fgs.org.tw |

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