Maitreya monastery, Batam island's main attraction<\/p>\n
Text and photographs by Fadli<\/p>\n
BATAM, Riau (JP): With a population of 450,000, the
\n415-square-kilometer Batam island is a heterogeneous area in
\nterms of ethnicity, race and religion. One of Batam's famous
\nlandmarks is a Buddhist monastery, the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya.<\/p>\n
Located on Bukit Beruntung in the Sei Panas area, the
\nformidable temple is billed as the most unique Maitreya temple in
\nSoutheast Asia.<\/p>\n
It has inspired the local government to develop the area as a
\nreligious tourist destination.<\/p>\n
The idea to build the monastery was hatched in 1940 when a
\nSingaporean monk named Hong Chuan wanted to build a grandiose
\nmonastery on Batam, which is only about 30 minutes from Singapore
\nby boat. However, World War II foiled the plan.<\/p>\n
Years later the idea was taken up by a junior monk named
\nHarun, a former businessman from Batu Ampar, Batam, who was a
\nfollower of Maitreya. Harun was inspired by Borobudur Temple, one
\nof the world's wonders.<\/p>\n
He built three medium-sized stupas at his home on Batam. One
\nnight Harun, who was only an elementary school graduate, saw in a
\ndream the Bodhisatva Avalokitesvara, or the goddess of help Kwan
\nIm, take one of the stupas he had built.<\/p>\n
In the dream, the second stupa was taken by the Buddha
\nMaitreya, the god of friendship, generosity and joy. While the
\nthird stupa was taken by his teacher, Yang Arya MS Kao San.<\/p>\n
Construction of the temple began on Nov. 2, 1991, with a
\ngroundbreaking ceremony presided over by officials of the Council
\nof Indonesia's Maitreya Buddhist Monks.<\/p>\n
Standing on a strategic hill, Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya,
\nwhich literally means a magnificent and gigantic Maitreya
\nmonastery, covers an impressive 4.5 hectares.<\/p>\n
The three-story temple consists of 11 sections, from praying
\nrooms, a vegetarian restaurant to an art gallery. The complex is
\nonly 60 percent completed.<\/p>\n
The monastery was inaugurated by minister of religious affairs
\nMalik Fadjar and minister of tourism, arts and culture Marzuki
\nUsman, on Jan. 23, 1999. The Rp 20 billion needed to build the
\nmonastery was obtained from donors from around the world and from
\nthe Indonesian Buddhist Council.<\/p>\n
Happy Buddha"<\/p>\n
According to Jimmin, a monk at the monastery, there are seven
\ndenominations of Buddhism in Indonesia -- Maitreya, Theravada,
\nMahayana, Kasobata, Tridharma, Nichiren Shosu Indonesia and
\nTantrayana.<\/p>\n
That the monastery is Maitreya is apparent from the statues in
\nthe complex. There is one of the Buddha Maitreya, chubby and
\nlaughing, symbolizing happiness and friendliness. The largest
\nBuddha statue is golden in color and perches on the roof of the
\nmain gate.<\/p>\n
"It is a shame that the color is fading although we used
\npaint," sad Jimmin. The copper for the statue was imported from
\nChina. There are 15 Buddha statues of various sizes in the
\ncomplex.<\/p>\n
"Western people call this big golden statute the Happy Buddha
\nbecause of its smiling face, and people looking at it will also
\nsmile," said Jimmin, who became a born-again Buddhist 10 years
\nago.<\/p>\n
The monastery is a source of pride for Batam residents because
\nnot only is it Southeast Asia's largest monastery, but because it
\nalso promotes Batam as a religious tourist destination.<\/p>\n
Legend has it that the location of the monastery was destined
\nto become a holy site. In the eyes of spiritualists, the place is
\nradiant, a sign that divine power is present there.<\/p>\n
The building's first floor is used as the praying ground,
\nwhich believers can use anytime with or without a monk. The
\nsecond floor contains the offices of monks and the third floor is
\nspecially designed as the place of "official" scheduled worship.<\/p>\n
The unique Buddha Sakyamuni Graha, the most spacious room on
\nthe ground floor, is "guarded" by two big lion statutes and the
\nBuddha Maitreya statute placed near the entrance.<\/p>\n
The gigantic statute of the Buddha Maitreya standing and
\ncarrying a bag on his back is believed to have magical power.<\/p>\n
"A woman can have the baby of her dreams after a long marriage
\nif she caresses the Buddha's stomach," said Jimmin, who once
\nstudied at Bina Nusantara Management College in Jakarta.
\n"Believers who touch his bag may receive a big fortune."<\/p>\n
In the corner of the room is a white robe from Yang Arya Maha
\nSesepuh Ong, Buddha Maitreya's highest leader. The robe was a
\ngift from him when he paid the monastery an honorary visit.<\/p>\n
The monastery can accommodate 30,000 worshipers and has
\nvarious facilities, such as a multipurpose room which can hold
\n1,000 people for festivals or meetings.<\/p>\n
In one wing of the monastery, opposite of the Bodhisatva
\nAvalokitesvara Graha, there is a vegetarian restaurant. "Don't be
\nafraid, we guarantee the vegetarian restaurant's dishes are halal
\n(allowed under Islamic law)," said Jimmin.<\/p>\n
The monastery is building a school just opposite it that will
\nbe open to people of all religious, ethnic and racial
\nbackgrounds.<\/p>\n
The monastery is open daily for the public from 6:30 a.m. to
\n9:30 p.m. It receives over 4,500 visitors a month. "Every tourist
\nvisiting Batam is offered a visit to the monastery because this
\nplace is already included in their brochure," said Jimmin.<\/p>",
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