Cult buys temple replica from Nepal Expo pavilion for Y200 mil

Since the Aichi Expo ended on Sept 25, staff at the various pavilions have been busy disassembling everything and trying to sell off as much equipment as they can. Most countries do not want to have to send their exhibits back home because of the expense.

Staff at the Nepal pavilion were having a hard time finding a taker for a replica of a temple because it is valued at 200 million yen. “They thought about lowering the price because they could not find a buyer,” said an Expo official, “but then suddenly they received an offer from the cult, Kofuku-no-kagaku (Institute for Research in Human Happiness).”

Roshan Shakya, an official at the Nepal pavilion, said, “We approached seven theme park operators but none were interested. At that point, a representative from Kofuku-no-kagaku approached us with an offer, so we clinched the deal.”

A PR spokesperson for the institute explained the reason for the purchase. “As a religious institution founded on the precepts of Buddhism, we believed that this temple, which Nepalese craftsmen built out of religious devotion, should not simply be disposed of. To show our appreciation for Nepalese and their religious devotion, we decided to buy it for 200 million. The money came from our members’ donations.”

The institute plans to take the temple to its headquarters in Utsunomiya, Tochigi Prefecture, where it will become part of a Nepal Buddhism museum to be opened to the public in July of 2006.

Some locals in Utsunomiya are looking forward to the opening of the museum because they want to see the temple, but others have reacted coolly to what the institute did. “Their followers might be thankful for this temple but it means nothing to the rest of us,” said one.

Read Another Article

Dutch unveil the toughest face in Europe with a ban on the burka
Brethren sect stirs coalition cauldron

Related News Articles Topic(s): Kofuku-no-kagaku Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Kofuku-no-kagaku Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog