Vihara Satya Dharma (Chinese: 保安宮) is a modern

Chinese temple Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' miào'' () or '' ...

at Benoa Port,

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

. It is a temple of the

Three teachings In Chinese philosophy, the ''three teachings'' (; vi, tam giáo, Chữ Hán: 三教) are Buddhism, Confucianism, and Taoism, considered as a harmonious aggregate. Literary references to the "three teachings" by prominent Chinese scholars date ba ...

("''Tridharma''") of

Chinese folk religion Chinese folk religion, also known as Chinese popular religion comprehends a range of traditional religious practices of Han Chinese, including the Chinese diaspora. Vivienne Wee described it as "an empty bowl, which can variously be fill ...

, i.e.

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...

Taoism Taoism (, ) or Daoism () refers to either a school of philosophical thought (道家; ''daojia'') or to a religion (道教; ''daojiao''), both of which share ideas and concepts of Chinese origin and emphasize living in harmony with the '' Ta ...

, and

Confucianism Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, a way of governing, or ...

. Furthermore, like the other Chinese temples in Bali, this temple also has an altar in its outdoor yard dedicated to Gods of

Balinese Hinduism Balinese Hinduism ( id, Agama Hindu Dharma; Agama Tirtha; Agama Air Suci; Agama Hindu Bali) is the form of Hinduism practised by the majority of the population of Bali.McDaniel, June (2013), A Modern Hindu Monotheism: Indonesian Hindus as ‘P ...

. The main deity of this temple is Tian Shang Sheng Mu, the Goddess who can calm the sea and ensure the safety of those travelling across the seas. As a temple which is built in the international port area, this temple worships the Deities of travel safety, sailing, and business. This is the first Chinese temple in Benoa Port thus is expected to be a worship place for the sailors from various countries and also as a tourist attraction.

Naming

"Satya Dharma" (

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...

) means "True

Law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...

". "Vihara" is a Sanskrit term traditionally used for Buddhist temples in Southeast Asia, but it is also used occasionally for

Chinese temples Chinese temple architecture refer to a type of structures used as place of worship of Chinese Buddhism, Taoism or Chinese folk religion, where people revere ethnic Chinese gods and ancestors. They can be classified as: * '' miào'' () or ''di� ...

, otherwise called ''klenteng'', since the New Order dispositions. Even though

has recently been accepted as a legal religion in Indonesia, many new Chinese temples in Bali still use the term "vihara" in their names. "Vihara Satya Dharma" is translated in

Chinese characters Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as '' kan ...

as 宮安保, from the right to the left readable as ''bǎo ān gōng''. 保 (bǎo) means "to protect" while 安 (ān) means "content, quiet, peace", thus 安保 (ānbǎo) means "to maintain security". The 宮 (gōng) character means "temple, palace". Literally, ''Bao An Gong'' means the "Temple to Maintain Security". It is a common term for any Chinese temples in Indonesia which intends the safety of its followers, especially in the spiritual meaning.

History

Vihara Satya Dharma is located at the north end of Benoa Port Highway. The temple foundation got the construction fund from the donation of worshippers from Indonesia especially Bali, even from Japanese, Taiwanese and Thai sailors. The construction lasted for 6 years until it was inaugurated in 2012. The inauguration celebration was held on 22 August 2012 and was attended by the Deputy Governor of Bali, i.e. AA Ngurah Puspayoga.

Altars

Gallery

File:Denpasar Bali Indonesia Vihara-Satya-Dharma-Chinese-Temple-03.jpg, The altar to

Tian ''Tiān'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for heaven and a key concept in Chinese mythology, philosophy, and religion. During the Shang dynasty (17th―11th century BCE), the Chinese referred to their supreme god as '' Shàngdì'' (, "L ...

References

{{coord missing, Indonesia Temples in Indonesia

Naming

History

Altars

Gallery

See also

References