Dharma Drum Mountain World Buddhist Education Park, Jinshan District, New Taipei City, Taiwan
Despite its relatively short history, Dharma Drum Mountain has already become one of Taiwan’s four largest Buddhist centers. It advocates the concept of Buddhism as part of life or secular Buddhism and is also the first Buddhist society to encourage the practice of environmentally sustainable ash burial. Besides adopting traditional Zen practices, Dharma Drum Mountain’s founder, Master Sheng Yen, also consolidated the doctrines of Indian Buddhism, Chinese Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, and Tibetan Buddhism into a new school of Chinese Buddhism called the Chunghwa (Chinese) Zen Dharma Drum Sect.
When the building known as the Underground Palace was completed in 1996, over three hundred works of Buddhist scripture and other artifacts from around Taiwan were redeposited inside, making it the first underground museum to showcase Taiwan’s Buddhist heritage and ushering in a new era in Taiwan’s Buddhist cultural legacy.
Epic Taiwan Culture & Adventure Route © Monika Newbound
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