Interfaith Efforts in Loving Earth

On June 11th, 2019, we arrived in Singapore after our teaching in Johor, Malaysia. We had a great exchange with several religions. Singapore is known as an international, intercultural, and interreligious nation. With a web that's multicultural and diverse in faiths, Singapore is open for inclusivity.

On this very day, we visited Imam Habib Hassan Alatas and representatives from ten other religions at the Ba'alwie Mosque. Today, we've made great connections with friends of different faiths. Seeing the harmonious and warm exchange among religions in Singapore, I reckoned that another Museum of World Religions can be built here. 

It was a very natural and casual gathering without obvious differences. As a matter of fact, we are one family altogether. Since the very beginning, we are all family members. Everyone carries different missions. We are propagating compassion and morality. Religion is to bring compassion and morality into activities. Our shared vision is to promote harmonious humanity and society. Taking people to a place of love through religions.

It has been two or three decades since our initiation in interfaith activities. In particular, the interfaith dialogue between Buddhism and Islam has been taking place for fourteen years been held for fourteen times. The key elements for interreligious dialogue are modesty and open for listening. This is the crucial joining point in any kinds of exchange. I remember when we were first building the Museum of World Religions, we traveled to many places in seeking advice from different religions. When we visited a senior teacher of the Eastern Orthodox Church, he reckoned that putting sacred objects on display is insulting. We expressed our sincerity, "Museum is the shared shrine of all religions". Sacred objects would be treated with the utmost respect. The teacher later showed his support.

As globalized as nowadays, we're also experiencing the degradation of global warming. Yet, religion is the most magnetizing to pull everyone together. As we are aware of the duties and obligation for preserving planet Earth, we can "love Earth, love peace" through the joint effort of religions. That is why the project of the University for Life and Peace aims to promote the concepts of interdependent diversity and interconnectedness.
 
The Museum of World Religions promotes religious harmony. Whereas the University for Life and Peace serves for the sustainability of humanity and environmentalism. Extreme climates have caused species to go extinct and endangered the living of mankind. If religions can work together for loving Earth, religious harmony would also be attainable.