Educational funding put ahead of defense spending. Educational focus on humanities and the arts as mandatory from K thru 12 and in higher education. No person should earn a degree or diploma of any sort without education in the arts. The arts promote and train our minds to abstract and deal with ambiguity and to reason and solve problems. I cannot think of a more critical facility for education to focus on.
Pay teachers like medical practitioners!
Restructure the entire educational complex.
Remove religious rhetoric from everything public!!!! Beliefs are PRIVATE!Churches should not be allowed to incorporate! This is expressly deliniated in the first ammendment of the constition.
The USA is too large and too populated to be governed by one "president". WE need the states to run independently from the "FED" and we need an odd numbered council of 7 or 9 representative leaders to conveen as "presidential council" to run this nation.
Music
The lyrics of Bob Dylan, Jim Morrison, Tricky, Radiohead, Geldof, & Joni Mitchel.
The instrumental prowess of Stanley Clarke, Les Claypool, Mozart, Radiohead, Frank Zappa, and Imrovisational Jazz players everywhere.
Emotional content of countless unrecognized poets and artists worldwide.
Movies
"Mulholland Drive", "Lost Highway", and anything from director David Lynch. "The State of Things", Wim Wenders. "Fight Club" rules! "The End of Violence", excellent film, "Freeze Frame", and "Ghost in the Shell". And for entertainment value, "Hero" with Jet Li, "A Beautiful Mind", "Brazil" and almost anything from the mind of Terry Gilliam.
Television
THE PRIMARY TOOL OF AGRESSION IN THIS PASSIVE AGGRESIVE CHRISTIAN CONTROLLED FASCIST GOVERNMENT OF FEAR AND OPPRESSION!!!!!!
Books
Quantum Life, The Science of Mind, Go to http://www.lulu.com/theway to purchase a copy now!!! The Major Writtings of Nichiren. Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged". Lotus Sutra. Foulcault's books on crime and punishment, madness and civilization, and more. Stephen Hawking's "A Brief History of Time". "Schroedinger's Cat". Mark Rothko's biography. Robert Hughes, "The Shock of the New". "Sexual Personae" by Camile Paglia.
Heroes
Sandra, Buddha, Nichiren, Renee, you, and me, my mom and dad, and anyone fighting to embrace the sanity in their hearts and the love of life eternal all around us, against the march of tyranny and small minded ideologies slowly sufficate the spaces that surround us.
University Of California-Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara, CA
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Master's Degree
Major: Religious Studies
Minor: Asian Philosophy
Clubs: Nichiren Buddhism
1991 to 1993
Saddleback College
Mission Viejo, CA
Graduated: N/A
Student status: Alumni
Degree: Associate's Degree
Major: Art
Minor: Physics
Clubs: Studio Arts
1985 to 1988
Reseda Senior High
Reseda,California
Graduated: 1975
Student status: Alumni
Degree: High School Diploma
The Threefold Lotus Kwoon is a sacred place of learning, practice, and study. The Kwoon is an intimate place in quiet bucolic surroundings to allow for solice, contemplation, intimate study and exchange of ideas as well as learning opportunities through the use of visual arts. Currently in construction, the Quantum Life Retreat comprioses 15 acres and has room to grow.
My hope is to build a small commune of life-long committed relationships to help sustain this Kwoon as a self-sustaining environment with farming, energy and trade with local towns as well as continued education for the region and the globe.
I am a fine artist using painting to express and channel my experience of life, view my works at artsylvain.com
I am also a teacher of art and martial arts of TLK Kung Fu, Chigong, Tai Chi Chuan, and San Shou Kuai Jiao.
And lastly I am a Nichiren Buddhist Monk. More on the martial arts and philosophy at http://threefoldlotus.com and the sanctuary I am striving to create for life skills and trainning, details at Threefold Lotus Kwoon dot org
The Ten Worlds is a core philosophical construct of true Buddhism and the starting point for discussion and understanding at the Kwoon:
THE TEN WORLDS
Ten Worlds
[??] (Jpn jikkai )
Ten distinct realms or categories of beings referred to in Buddhist scriptures. From the lowest to the highest, the realms of (1) hell, (2) hungry spirits, (3) animals, (4) asuras, (5) hu-man beings, (6) heavenly beings, (7) voice-hearers, (8) cause-awakened ones, (9) bodhisattvas, and (10) Buddhas. The Ten Worlds were viewed originally as distinct physical locations, each with its own particular inhabitants. The Lotus Sutra, however, teaches that each of the Ten Worlds contains all ten within it, making it possible to interpret them as potential states of life inherent in each individual being. In other words, from the standpoint of the Lotus Sutra, the Ten Worlds indicates ten potential states or conditions that a person can manifest or experience. The mutual possession of the Ten Worlds is a component principle of three thousand realms in a single moment of life, which T'ient'ai (538-597) set forth in Great Concentration and Insight.The Ten Worlds may be described as follows: (1) The world of hell. Nichiren's 1273 treatise The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, "Rage is the world of hell" (358). Hell indicates a condition in which living itself is misery and suffering, and in which, devoid of all freedom, one's anger and rage become a source of further self-destruc-tion. (2) The world of hungry spirits. Also called the world of hunger. A condition governed by endless desire for such things as food, profit, pleasure, power, recognition, or fame, in which one is never truly satisfied. The above work reads, "Greed is the world of hungry spirits" (358). (3) The world of animals. Also called the world of animality. It is a condi-tion driven by instinct and lacking in reason, morality, or wisdom with which to control oneself. In this condition, one is ruled by the "law of the jungle," standing in fear of the strong, but despising and preying upon those weaker than oneself. The same work states, "Foolishness is the world of animals" (358). The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, and ani-mals are collectively known as the three evil paths. (4) The world of asuras. Also called the world of animosity or the world of anger. In Indian mythology, asuras are arrogant and belligerent demons. This condition is called the world of animosity because it is characterized by persistent, though not necessarily overt, aggressiveness. The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind states, "Perversity is the world of asuras " (358). It is a condition dominated by ego, in which excessive pride prevents one from revealing one's true self or seeing others as they really are. Com-pelled by the need to be superior to others or surpass them at any cost, one may feign politeness and even flatter others while inwardly despising them. The worlds of hell, hungry spirits, animals, and asuras are col-lectively called the four evil paths. (5) The world of human beings. Also called the world of humanity. The same work reads, "Calmness is the world of human beings" (358). In this state, one tries to control one's desires and impulses with reason and act in harmony with one's sur-roundings and other people, while also aspiring for a higher state of life. (6) The world of heavenly beings. Also called the world of heaven. The same work states, "Joy is the world of heaven" (358). This is a condition of contentment and joy that one feels when released from suffering or upon satisfaction of some desire. It is a temporary joy that is dependent upon and may easily change with circumstances. The six worlds from hell through the world of heavenly beings are called the six paths. Beings in the six paths, or those who tend toward these states of life, are largely controlled by the restrictions of their surroundings and are therefore extremely vulnerable to changing circumstances.The remaining states, in which one transcends the uncertainty of the six paths, are called the four noble worlds: (7) The world of voice-hearers, a condition in which one awakens to the impermanence of all things and the instability of the six paths. Also called the world of learn-ing. In this state, one dedicates oneself to creating a better life through self-reformation and self-development by learning from the ideas, knowledge, and experience of one's predecessors and contemporaries. "Voice-hearers" (Skt shravaka ) originally meant those who listen to the Buddha preach the four noble truths and practice the eightfold path in order to acquire emancipation from earthly desires. (8) The world of cause-awakened ones, a condition in which one perceives the impermanence of all phenomena and strives to free oneself from the sufferings of the six paths by seeing some lasting truth through one's own observations and effort. Also called the world of realization. "Cause-awakened ones," also known as "self-awakened ones" (pratyekabuddha), originally meant those who attain a form of emancipation by perceiving the twelve-linked chain of causation or by observing natural phenomena. Persons in the worlds of voice-hearers and cause-awakened ones, which are together called persons of the two vehicles, are given more to the pursuit of self-perfection than to altruism. They are also willing to look squarely at the reality of death and seek the eternal, in contrast to those in the world of heaven, who are distracted from life's harsh realities. (9) The world of bodhisattvas, a state of compassion in which one thinks of and works for others' happiness even before becoming happy oneself. Bodhisattva, which consists of bodhi (enlightenment) and sattva (beings), means a person who seeks enlightenment while leading others to enlightenment. Bodhisattvas find that the way to self-perfection lies only in altruism, working for the enlightenment of others even before their own enlightenment. Nichiren states in The Object of Devotion for Observing the Mind: "Even a heartless villain loves his wife and children. He too has a por-tion of the bodhisattva world within him" (358). (10) The world of Buddhas, or Buddhahood. This is a state of perfect and absolute freedom in which one realizes the true aspect of all phenomena or the true nature of life. One can achieve this state by manifesting the Buddha nature inherent in one's life. From the standpoint of the philosophy of the mutual possession of the Ten Worlds, Buddhahood should not be viewed as a state removed from the sufferings and imperfections of ordinary persons. Attaining Buddhahood does not mean becoming a special being. In this state, one still continues to work against and defeat the negative functions of life and transform any and all difficulty into causes for further development. It is a state of complete access to the boundless wisdom, compassion, courage, and other qualities inherent in life; with these one can create harmony with and among others and between human life and nature. In the above work, Nichiren states, "Buddhahood is the most difficult to demonstrate" (358), but he also says, "That ordinary people born in the latter age can believe in the Lotus Sutra is due to the fact that the world of Buddhahood is present in the human world" (358).
Who I'd like to meet:
Seeking spirits looking to cultivate personal excellence. I would especially like to meet Art collectors and philanthropists who are seeking long term relationships and involvement in the spiritual development of youth and people in North America and beyond. I believe my work is very important and essential for the spiritual and psychic development of future generations.
And I would like to study with Nichiren... I would like Camille Paglia to run for President of these United States, and I would like to meet Jewel.
On Attaining Buddhahood in This Lifetime
IF you wish to free yourself from the sufferings of birth and death you have endured since time without beginning and to attain without fail unsurpassed enlightenment in this lifetime, you must perceive the mystic truth that is originally inherent in all living beings. This truth is Myoho-renge-kyo. Chanting Myoho-renge-kyo will therefore enable you to grasp the mystic truth innate in all life.
The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, true and correct in both word and principle. Its words are the ultimate reality, and this reality is the Mystic Law (myoho). It is called the Mystic Law because it reveals the principle of the mutually inclusive relationship of a single moment of life and all phenomena. That is why this sutra is the wisdom of all Buddhas.
Life at each moment encompasses the body and mind and the self and environment of all sentient beings in the Ten Worlds as well as all insentient beings in the three thousand realms, including plants, sky, earth, and even the minutest particles of dust. Life at each moment permeates the entire realm of phenomena and is revealed in all phenomena. To be awakened to this principle is itself the mutually inclusive relationship of life at each moment and all phenomena. Nevertheless, even though you chant and believe in Myoho-renge-kyo, if you think the Law is outside yourself, you are embracing not the Mystic Law but an inferior teaching. “Inferior teaching” means those other than this [Lotus] sutra, which are all expedient and provisional. No expedient or provisional teaching leads directly to enlightenment, and without the direct path to enlightenment you cannot attain Buddhahood, even if you practice lifetime after lifetime for countless kalpas. Attaining Buddhahood in this lifetime is then impossible. Therefore, when you chant myoho and recite renge,1 you must summon up deep faith that Myoho- renge-kyo is your life itself.
You must never think that any of the eighty thousand sacred teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha’s lifetime or any of the Buddhas and bodhisattvas of the ten directions and three existences are outside yourself. Your practice of the Buddhist teachings will not relieve you of the sufferings of birth and death in the least unless you perceive the true nature of your life. If you seek enlightenment outside yourself, then your performing even ten thousand practices and ten thousand good deeds will be in vain. It is like the case of a poor man who spends night and day counting his neighbor’s wealth but gains not even half a coin. That is why the T’ien-t’ai school’s commentary states, “Unless one perceives the nature of one’s life, one cannot eradicate one’s grave offenses.”2 This passage implies that, unless one perceives the nature of one’s life, one’s practice will become an endless, painful austerity. Therefore, such students of Buddhism are condemned as non-Buddhist. Great Concentration and Insight states that, although they study Buddhism, their views are no different from those of non-Buddhists.
Whether you chant the Buddha’s name,3 recite the sutra, or merely offer flowers and incense, all your virtuous acts will implant benefits and roots of goodness in your life. With this conviction you should strive in faith. The Vimalakirti Sutra states that, when one seeks the Buddhas’ emancipation in the minds of ordinary beings, one finds that ordinary beings are the entities of enlightenment, and that the sufferings of birth and death are nirvana. It also states that, if the minds of living beings are impure, their land is also impure, but if their minds are pure, so is their land. There are not two lands, pure or impure in themselves. The difference lies solely in the good or evil of our minds.
It is the same with a Buddha and an ordinary being. When deluded, one is called an ordinary being, but when enlightened, one is called a Buddha. This is similar to a tarnished mirror that will shine like a jewel when polished. A mind now clouded by the illusions of the innate darkness of life is like a tarnished mirror, but when polished. it is sure to become like a clear mirror, reflecting the essential nature of phenomena and the true aspect of reality. Arouse deep faith, and diligently polish your mirror day and night. How should you polish it? Only by chanting Namu-myoho-renge-kyo.
What then does myo signify? It is simply the mysterious nature of our life from moment to moment, which the mind cannot comprehend or words express. When we look into our own mind at any moment, we perceive neither color nor form to verify that it exists. Yet we still cannot say it does not exist, for many differing thoughts continually occur. The mind cannot be considered either to exist or not to exist. Life is indeed an elusive reality that transcends both the words and concepts of existence and nonexistence. It is neither existence nor nonexistence, yet exhibits the qualities of both. It is the mystic entity of the Middle Way that is the ultimate reality. Myo is the name given to the mystic nature of life, and ho, to its manifestations. Renge, which means lotus flower, is used to symbolize the wonder of this Law. If we understand that our life at this moment is myo, then we will also understand that our life at other moments is the Mystic Law.4 This realization is the mystic kyo, or sutra. The Lotus Sutra is the king of sutras, the direct path to enlightenment, for it explains that the entity of our life, which manifests either good or evil at each moment, is in fact the entity of the Mystic Law.
If you chant Myoho-renge-kyo with deep faith in this principle, you are certain to attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. That is why the sutra states, “After I have passed into extinction, [one] should accept and uphold this sutra. Such a person assuredly and without doubt will attain the Buddha way.”5 Never doubt in the slightest. Respectfully. Maintain your faith and attain Buddhahood in this lifetime. Namumyohorengekyo, Namu-myoho-renge-kyo.
Hi Kwoon ... from Scot... Gatewhey has just changed to Shaman Strings. http://www. myspace. com/ShamanStrings Please enjoy a starting Video, "Ground." (see in HD)
Ever wondered what to do in the event of a nuclear threat?
A while ago I came across some stuff that inspired me to make this film:
Living Under the Shadow of the Nuclear Umbrella
Both artistic (ensure you get the background music!) and educational, it primarily comprises official British government civil defence advice.
Though source materials are quite aged, the fundamentals are still relevant today.
I encourage all to visit the YouTube page to learn more (Show support! Rate! Comment!) and responsibly circulate as widely as possible, here: http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=UaIim3Rj7L4
Ever wondered what to do in the event of a nuclear threat?
A while ago I came across some stuff that inspired me to make this film:
Living Under the Shadow of the Nuclear Umbrella
Both artistic (ensure you get the background music!) and educational, it primarily comprises official British government civil defence advice.
Though source materials are quite aged, the fundamentals are still relevant today.
I encourage all to visit the YouTube page to learn more (Show support! Rate! Comment!) and responsibly circulate as widely as possible, here: http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=UaIim3Rj7L4
Good to have you as a friend! So great to see the internet in action this way, shortening distances between people.
I hope all's well with you and that you enjoy checking out my web site some time.
For occasional, new, refreshing, insightful and (possibly?!) valuable content, I encourage you to sign up for my free newsfeed/email newsletter (using the form on site at page right - high quality, low quantity, no spam!).
Take care and keep in touch.
Best, Faber.
"Just a guy trying to make the world a better place. "
