佛教源於印度，如同恆河般滋潤了印度大地，也隨之東傳流向了中國的黃河長江，更綿延至湄公河、昭披耶河、伊洛瓦底江等東南亞流域。自西元前 3 世紀，印度孔雀王朝阿育王（273-232 BC 在位）派遣僧眾至金地（緬甸、泰國一帶）傳揚佛教開始，東南亞地區即與佛教結下不解之緣。古代東南亞佛教，各部派交替興衰，另有婆羅門教、密宗與民間信仰等宗派流行，直到11世紀，斯里蘭卡上座部佛教系統，傳入緬甸、泰國、柬埔寨與寮國，形成南傳上座部佛教的信仰圈，並逐漸與越南、馬來西亞、印尼等地區的宗教信仰有所區別。展覽即以此區域的南傳上座部佛教為核心，一探這歷經磨難、紛爭的土地上，仍如同大河一般傳衍生根的信仰文化，至今已融入常民生活，無處不在。

在心道法師創辦博物館之際，獲得各界善信大德的支持，其中，一批來自長駐菲律賓弘法的遠光法師所捐贈的近百件南傳佛教文物最是難得，透過研究與整理，於 17 周年館慶時節推出特展，展出 60 餘件佛造像、神像、器物與經書，搭配動態的傳播地圖以及情境裝置，介紹南傳佛教的歷史背景、禪修與信仰生活。

中文語音導覽

Buddhism originated in India. Just as the Ganges irrigates the lands of India, so did Buddhism spread eastward, to the Yellow River and the Yangtze River in China and to the basins of Southeast Asia, such as the Mekong River, the Chao Phraya River, and the Irrawaddy River. In the 3rd century BC, Ashoka of the Maurya Empire in India sent monks to Jindi (Suvaṇṇabhūmi, around modern Myanmar and Thailand) to preach Buddhism. Since then, Southeast Asia has been deeply connected to this religion. In ancient Southeast Asia, the Buddhist sects took turns winning popularity, and other branches of Buddhism such as Brahmin, Vajrayana, and folk beliefs were also worshipped. It was not until the 11th century, when the Theravada system from Sri Lanka spread into Myanmar ,Thailand, Cambodia, and Laos, that this religious circle of Theravada was gradually distinguished from the religious beliefs in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Indonesia. This exhibition is centered on the core of Theravada of this region to explore how this religious culture became rooted in a land full of torment and conflict and established an influence as wide as a river that has been integrated into every aspect of people’s lives.

When Master Hsin Tao established the museum, he received support from various devotees. Among them, close to one hundred Theravada objects donated by Master Yuan Kuang, who had long been preaching Buddhism in the Philippines, were especially rare. After research and curation, this exhibition, which will be launched on the 17th anniversary of the museum, consists of over 60 Buddha statues, statues of gods and goddesses, objects, and scriptures. Dynamic spread maps and situational devices are integrated to introduce the historical background, Buddhist meditation, and religious life of Theravada.

English Audio Guide