Maitreya monastery, Batam island's main attraction

Text and photographs by Fadli

BATAM, Riau (JP): With a population of 450,000, the 415-square-kilometer Batam island is a heterogeneous area in terms of ethnicity, race and religion. One of Batam's famous landmarks is a Buddhist monastery, the Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya.

Located on Bukit Beruntung in the Sei Panas area, the formidable temple is billed as the most unique Maitreya temple in Southeast Asia.

It has inspired the local government to develop the area as a religious tourist destination.

The idea to build the monastery was hatched in 1940 when a Singaporean monk named Hong Chuan wanted to build a grandiose monastery on Batam, which is only about 30 minutes from Singapore by boat. However, World War II foiled the plan.

Years later the idea was taken up by a junior monk named Harun, a former businessman from Batu Ampar, Batam, who was a follower of Maitreya. Harun was inspired by Borobudur Temple, one of the world's wonders.

He built three medium-sized stupas at his home on Batam. One night Harun, who was only an elementary school graduate, saw in a dream the Bodhisatva Avalokitesvara, or the goddess of help Kwan Im, take one of the stupas he had built.

In the dream, the second stupa was taken by the Buddha Maitreya, the god of friendship, generosity and joy. While the third stupa was taken by his teacher, Yang Arya MS Kao San.

Construction of the temple began on Nov. 2, 1991, with a groundbreaking ceremony presided over by officials of the Council of Indonesia's Maitreya Buddhist Monks.

Standing on a strategic hill, Maha Vihara Duta Maitreya, which literally means a magnificent and gigantic Maitreya monastery, covers an impressive 4.5 hectares.

The three-story temple consists of 11 sections, from praying rooms, a vegetarian restaurant to an art gallery. The complex is only 60 percent completed.

The monastery was inaugurated by minister of religious affairs Malik Fadjar and minister of tourism, arts and culture Marzuki Usman, on Jan. 23, 1999. The Rp 20 billion needed to build the monastery was obtained from donors from around the world and from the Indonesian Buddhist Council.

Happy Buddha"

According to Jimmin, a monk at the monastery, there are seven denominations of Buddhism in Indonesia -- Maitreya, Theravada, Mahayana, Kasobata, Tridharma, Nichiren Shosu Indonesia and Tantrayana.

That the monastery is Maitreya is apparent from the statues in the complex. There is one of the Buddha Maitreya, chubby and laughing, symbolizing happiness and friendliness. The largest Buddha statue is golden in color and perches on the roof of the main gate.

"It is a shame that the color is fading although we used paint," sad Jimmin. The copper for the statue was imported from China. There are 15 Buddha statues of various sizes in the complex.

"Western people call this big golden statute the Happy Buddha because of its smiling face, and people looking at it will also smile," said Jimmin, who became a born-again Buddhist 10 years ago.

The monastery is a source of pride for Batam residents because not only is it Southeast Asia's largest monastery, but because it also promotes Batam as a religious tourist destination.

Legend has it that the location of the monastery was destined to become a holy site. In the eyes of spiritualists, the place is radiant, a sign that divine power is present there.

The building's first floor is used as the praying ground, which believers can use anytime with or without a monk. The second floor contains the offices of monks and the third floor is specially designed as the place of "official" scheduled worship.

The unique Buddha Sakyamuni Graha, the most spacious room on the ground floor, is "guarded" by two big lion statutes and the Buddha Maitreya statute placed near the entrance.

The gigantic statute of the Buddha Maitreya standing and carrying a bag on his back is believed to have magical power.

"A woman can have the baby of her dreams after a long marriage if she caresses the Buddha's stomach," said Jimmin, who once studied at Bina Nusantara Management College in Jakarta. "Believers who touch his bag may receive a big fortune."

In the corner of the room is a white robe from Yang Arya Maha Sesepuh Ong, Buddha Maitreya's highest leader. The robe was a gift from him when he paid the monastery an honorary visit.

The monastery can accommodate 30,000 worshipers and has various facilities, such as a multipurpose room which can hold 1,000 people for festivals or meetings.

In one wing of the monastery, opposite of the Bodhisatva Avalokitesvara Graha, there is a vegetarian restaurant. "Don't be afraid, we guarantee the vegetarian restaurant's dishes are halal (allowed under Islamic law)," said Jimmin.

The monastery is building a school just opposite it that will be open to people of all religious, ethnic and racial backgrounds.

The monastery is open daily for the public from 6:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. It receives over 4,500 visitors a month. "Every tourist visiting Batam is offered a visit to the monastery because this place is already included in their brochure," said Jimmin.