When I entered The Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum (Занабазарын нэрэмжит Дүрслэх урлагийн музей) in Ulaanbaatar [1], I felt a strange reminder of my own past as there has also been an additional exhibition. So this blogpost is on this additional exhibition and not on The Fine Arts Zanabazar Museum proper, which is a topic of its own.
The exhibition was named Inspiration from Heaven and could be seen from August, the 18th until August 24th 2022. The name is suggestive to some esoterical background. One could see ethereal ladies dressed in long robes of pink or turquoise floating through the exhibition. Exhibited were objects, paitings, and books by The Supreme Master Ching Hai (清海無上師) [2]. Ching Hai (born Trịnh Đăng Huệ) comes from Vietnam, but her base has been Taiwan, which she calls Formosa [3]. Her movement is banned in the People's Republic of China, of course. The number of followers is estimated at 2 millions worldwide.
I have received the booklet in Chinese about 30 years ago, when I visited a Chinese friend in Taiwan and she thought I should have it. I still have it and in principle the English booklet covers the old Chinese version and added a little more.
The Supreme Master Ching Hai's Quan Yin Method (meditation on Inner Light and Inner Sound) is said to have originated in the Himalayas. There are some aspects of Christianity, but the true origin had been Buddhism, though she has severed ties to traditional buddhism. Still she adheres to the five precepts, which reads like this:
"1. Refrain from taking the life of sentient beings. This precept requires strict adherence to a vegan diet. No meat, fish, poultry or eggs (fertilized or nonfertilized).
2. Refrain from speaking what is not true.
3. Refrain from taking what is not yours.
4. Refrain from sexual misconduct.
5. Refrain from using intoxicants. This includes avoiding all poisons of any kind, such as alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, pornography, and excessively violent films or literature."
All in all you may find parts stemming from Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Radha Soami Satsang Beas, and maybe even more, and one could call it a synthesized religious movement with a charismatic leader.
Wikipedia: "Her home page calls her "Supreme Master Ching Hai, a renowned humanitarian, artist, and spiritual leader" (lingxiu daoshi 領袖道士)." Would I have visited the art, which has been presented? Definitely no. I went there lured by the esoterical appearance of the exhibition. It's nice for a couple of moments, but then it's nicer to just walk away.
But I may look out for the development of this movement in Mongolia during my next visit.
Links and Annotations:
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fine_Arts_Zanabazar_Museum
[2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ching_Hai
[3] I recall that Taiwan used to be known as Formosa (beautiful island) in Germany during my chuldhood. One could argue against this name nowadays as it isn't the name used for the island by the Republic of China and that the name is clouded by the fact that it is of colonial origin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Formosa
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