「人生如逆旅,我亦是行人。」生命無常,於宇宙間猶如一瞬,但每一瞬間都是不可重來的精彩旅程。
如果生命會無盡流轉,此期終了將去往何方?在這一瞬之旅,我們如何把握當下,又如何好好道別?佛教以「緣起」說明生命和宇宙萬物之間,相互交織、彼此影響,生滅循環如同輪轉。這樣的觀點浸潤著建築與造像藝術,無論是象徵不生不滅的佛塔、記錄修行者行誼的塔銘,還是為生者、亡者滅罪增福的經幢,都展現出對生命的關懷與智慧,蘊藏豐富的文化內涵。
此次展覽將館藏造像、塔銘、佛塔與經幢,分成四個單元:一、法界緣起;二、銘記於世;三、永恆之道;四、善住之願。以「覺者的生命教育」為核心,從「生、死和世界的關聯」到「如何面對生命的無常和懷念」,接著思考「無常中是否有永恆的存在」以及「如何把握當下」,探索覺者的生命領悟與實踐,如何超脫生死的束縛。邀請觀者在佛塔與經幢間,踏入流轉不息的世界,凝視古老的銘刻,窺見古人如何回應生命課題,啟發對我們自身的省思——如何安住於現世、善生於未來。
展覽結合手作裝置與情境體驗,搭配工作坊、講座等多元活動,讓觀眾在參與中認識塔幢的歷史與美學,開啟一場與生命的對話。
Exhibition Overview
"Life is but a sojourn; I too am a wayfarer.” If life flows endlessly through cycles of rebirth, where does this journey lead when our present existence ends? How do we cherish the present moment in this transient passage, and how do we bid farewell with grace? Buddhism elucidates the interdependence of life and the cosmos through the principle of dependent origination (pratītya-samutpāda) —where all phenomena arise and cease in a web of cause and effect, and revolves like a wheel. This worldview is deeply embedded in Buddhist art and architecture: stupas symbolize the unending nature of the Dharma; stele inscriptions memorialize the spiritual endeavors of practitioners; dharani pillars are engraved to purify karma and generate merit for both the living and deceased. Together, they reveal profound cultural insights into life’s impermanence and wisdom.
This exhibition presents 45 artifacts from the museum’s collection—including statues, inscriptions, pagodas, and dharani pillars—organized into four themes:
I. Dharmadhātu’s Dependent Arising: A worldview rooted in the interdependence of all life and existence;
II. Engraved in Time: Life narratives etched upon pagodas and pillars;
III. The Path to Eternity: Pagodas as the Buddha’s teachings on liberation;
IV. The Vow for Auspicious Abiding: Dharani pillars and the Uṣṇīṣa-vijaya-dhāraṇī Sūtra.
Through the awakened ones’ insights and ancient epigraphs, we get a glimpse into how past generations confronted life’s ultimate questions—inviting us to reflect on our own existence: How may we dwell mindfully in the present and cultivate a virtuous future?