Wang Hao De

Wang Hao De 王好德 is the founder of the Maitreya Great Tao religion, which is based in Hsin Chu, Taiwan. This sect according to Taiwan's survey has 100,000 members and 2000 temples. Wang was born in 1921, the 28th day of the 7th lunar month in a small village called Zhang Gu in Shandong province. He moved to Taiwan as a businessman. He was introduced and initiated to the I-Kuan Tao sect in 1948. He appeared to be a talented businessman and he was entrusted to take care of Sun Shu Zhen or Shi Mu, the great mistress of I-Kuan Tao, wife of Zhang Tian Ran. According to his believer Wang served as aide to Shi Mu for 21 years until her death in 1975.

This begin the tension between Wang and I Kuan Tao. Wang claimed to be appointed as the leader or inheritant of the I Kuan Tao lineage by Shi Mu (the great mistress). As there are many factions or groups within I Kuan Tao, Wang demanded that all the I Kuan Tao factions to be under his leadership. Moreover Wang claimed that he was given the right to bestow 'celestial mandate' or Tian Ming by Shi Mu. According to I Kuan Tao belief, the celestial mandate allows one to become an initiator Tian Chuan Shi with the right to transmit the Tao and its three treasures (See I Kuan Tao). This mandate is passed along in succession. It is believed that only the last patriarch Zhang Tian Ran and Sun Su Zhen had superior mandate from the venerable mother Lao Mu. They were allowed to bestow this "celestial mandate" to their disciples. It is believed that Shi Mu left a certain number of celestial mandate in Hong Kong. So in order to become a valid initiator, they have to be empowered by the 'true' mandate left by Shi Mu. Thus Wang claimed to be the only one with the power to bestow the legitimate celestial mandate. Conflict arose between Wang and the other factions. Wang set up his own sect first called Maitreya Great Tao. It appears that some factions followed his 'lineage', this includes Bao Guang (precious radiance). In 1987 Wang set up the Providence Maitreya Buddha Institute (天恩彌勒佛院 Tian en Mile Fo Yuan)in Hsin Chu, Taiwan. Maitreya Great Tao has a large number of follower in Indonesia, where it is registered as a Buddhist religion. Wang died in Chiang Mai, Thailand in 1999. His group remained to have a large number of followers. He was given a religious title: Gaoshan Yuren (高山愚人).

Wang's group and I Kuan Tao have the characteristic of building huge temple with large statue. The latest project is to built a bronze statue of Maitreya in Hsin Chu, with a height of 72 m.

I Kuan Tao remained to separate themselves from Wang and their followers labeled Wang as illegitimate.


Sources

* Clart, Philip. 2000. Opening the Wilderness for the Way of Heaven: A Chinese New Religion in the Greater Vancouver Area. Journal of Chinese Religions 28: 127-144
* Soo, Khin Wah. 1997. A Study of the Yiguan Dao (Unity Sect) and its Development in Peninsular Malaysia. Ph.D. dissertation, University of British Columbia.

Link

• Maitreya Great Tao website
• The Life of Wang Hao De according to his follower