An Interview with a DS Artist: His view on DS ban

[dsiluvu]

Enlightened Art: From Paper to the Streets



Below is a short interview with never2501 in celebration of his creative and artistic expressions of Dorje Shugden!

Q: You are based in Italy?
A: Yes

Q: When did you start painting?
A: I started painting when I was 15 years old. I started with pure graffiti letters on trains.

Q: Who inspired you to paint?
A: I was inspired directly from city environments and from an old VHS that I saw back in the day. A VHS about TDK, a famous old school posse in Italy.

Q: You paint on paper, canvas and street walls. Any other materials?
A: I paint on everything… I don’t like limits.

Q: How did you develop the line style of painting which is now your trademark? Am I right to say this?
A: Yes, the line style is my trade mark and it evolved after a long period of working on patterns in general.

Q: Do you have a special name for this contemporary art form?
A: I call it new muralism.

Q. Are you a full time artist or do you have a day job and do this as freelancing?
A: I’ve been a full time artist since 2007.

Q: What or who inspired you to paint the Dorje Shugden mural?
A: I was inspired directly by Dorje Shugden.

Q: Where and when was the Dorje Shugden mural painted and how long did it take you to paint it?
A: The Dorje Shugden painting was done in Richmond, Virginia, USA and I was invited to paint several walls for a festival called G40.

Q: Any particular reason why you decided to paint Dorje Shugden?
A: It has been a long time that I wanted to paint Dorje Shugden, so I just decided to do it.

Q: Are you a Buddhist?
A: Yes I am.

Q: Who is your teacher if you don’t mind me asking?
A: My teacher is Lama Gangchen .

Q: And how long have you been his student?
A: I have known him since I was 10 years old more or less, and I became his disciple when I was 16. So right now it has been more than 15 years.

Q: What does your Guru say about your work?
A: He likes it! I asked Him to kind of authorise and give me the approval before I started painting Buddhist divinities, and He likes the idea so I started to do it!

Q: Do you know about the Dorje Shugden controversy and ban?
A: Yes I know!

Q: And what do you think about it?
A: I think it is a kind of political problem inside the Tibetan Buddhist community. I’m not sure if it is something that really involves western people. However, I totally trust Lama Gangchen and He practices Dorje Shugden so maybe one day I will practice it. I don’t practice too much, to tell you the truth. I was born in the middle of Buddhism and for me it is a big part of my culture. It was natural for me to become Buddhist. I also think that any type of church is kind of strange so for me the most important thing is your guru, the person that is transmitting you the knowledge.

Q: What is your goal/purpose/dream?
A: Have a happy life and grow as a person. Be free from samsara.

Q: Do you have your own art gallery/studio? Website?
A: I have my studio in Milano and this is my site: www.2501.org.uk

Q: Where do you see yourself 10 years from now? What do you wish to achieve?
A: I don t think of me in 10 years… I think or try to think about myself day by day. The present!

Full article and awesome pictures here: http://www.dorjeshugden.com/all-articles/features/enlightened-art-from-paper-to-the-streets/

See what he says about his TRUST in his GURU, Lama Gangchen Rinpoche. And wow... many western people do not know much about the BAN and thinks it doesn't really involves them much! This calls for the NEED TO EDUCATE them more so they can VOICE it out MORE! If they knew how bad it is and can affect them, they will start shouting BACK OFF CTA!!!

WISH we can have more STREET ARTIST painting the our city streets with such creative murals of Dorje Shugden... it would definitely grab media attention more and benefit those who lay eyes on DOrje Shugden, they'll be imprinted!

[DharmaSpace]

Dorje Shugden is inseparable from Manjushri hence you have many many sentient being who are highly creative find themselves drawn to Dorje Shugden. It is also a tell tale sign to tell you that people who are Dorje Shudgen practitioners are forward thinking, ready to innovate and bring new things to the table. Quite a sharp contrast to those who wishes the Dorje Shugden to never see the light again.

This probably the start of the golden age for Buddhist art and it is inspired by Dorje Shugden, how apt for Dorje Shugden to heard in the current times.

[lotus1]

Thanks for sharing.
It’s great to know that more people are drawn to Dorje Shugden as he has always been so helpful to all of us.
However, ageed disluvu that we need to educate more western people about the ban so that we have more voices to support to lift the ban! We need to let them know that due to the ban, the Tibetan Shudgen practitioners are facing sarcasm and not able to have their basic human rights to social, medical and education. Due to the ban, although it may not affect them directly in Western, lesser people know and practice Dorje Shugden that may make a different to their lives. What a pity right?

[christine V]

Very well said DharmaSpace. Peoples who believe in Dorje Shugden are normally quick and intelligent. The creativeness came smoothly, this including myself.
The artist never2501 is devoted to his Guru so much and he have been benefited from Dorje Shugden for his work.
Rejoice on this news

[fruven]

I wholeheartedly agreed that we should care people who practices Dorje Shugden under severe circumstances where they're harmed and abused from holding on to Dorje Shugden practices. Why is it so? Without these practitioners who have strong faith, including your guru, you wouldn't have meet your guru today. Defending and voicing your disapproval of CTA is repaying your guru kindness. Why? CTA is doing non-dharmic actions to these Dorje Shugden practitioners.

[Manisha Kudo]

What a bold piece of art. I love it. It is true that the ban does not affect the Westerners much although they have heard about it. However once the matter involves politics, many people would shy away because it is an uneasy issue to handle and to be honest, most feel that politics are the games played by unscrupulous parties, no one is really "clean". Therefore, re-focusing Dorje Shugden to the field of arts and creative expressions may attract more people to ease into this beneficial practice and actually support the lifting of the ban. 

[fruven]

I would like to add that if one is devoted to one's guru who practices Dorje Shugden then there is no harm in voicing support against CTA anti-Shugden actions. Italy is a free country. A very good example is how PETA is voicing support against cruelty towards animals. One can give freedoms to others who are unable to do so, in this case, the Tibetans who don't have the means to voice and gain support for continue practicing Dorje Shugden without interferences from CTA. CTA are bent on stopping Dorje Shugden practitioners by any means in including violence and harm. The Dorje Shugden Lamas have been very kind to persevere in upholding the teachings of Dharma and transmitting them in very difficult circumstances to everyone in the world. This is our way of saying thanks and paying back them their kindness.

[Q]

Wow amazing! I like his art concept of using lines to create the paintings and murals.

He truly is a talented artist, it is great to see such huge murals of Dorje Shugden and even Buddhist motive paintings. I wish we have more artists like him that would paint modern Buddhist art, it would certainly appeal to the modern people of today and at the same time hold the same blessings it would in it's traditional form whenever someone sees such a blessed art.

[gbds3jewels]

I think on a religion perspective many westerners like myself doesn't really care much about the ban. For example, in Australia I have my religious freedom and hence I'm not bothered with the ban. To me it's about what I feel comfortable practicing.

It is not so much the actual ban I think that will catch the westerners attention as oppose to the humanity aspect caused by the ban. The violence and animosity against the DS practitioners, now that can create a lot of support and awareness of this issue in the international community. I think the international community in general supports religious freedom globally.

[xyz_generation]

"  I totally trust Lama Gangchen ...." what a strong Guru Devotion from a Italian. Really happy to know this. Hope he can get to know more and practice Dorje Shugden in no time.

[Freyr Aesiragnorak]

I'm glad that the protector practice is being promoted in the West, as the embodiment of Manjushri, it is really needed. Western culture is sufferings, a lot of which can be negated through practicing the dharma and compassion. It is beautiful that these practices have been adapted to modern life as we can see in this artists wonderful representation of the Dorje Shugden and his views on the ban.

[brian]

Thank you for sharing. It is great to know that more people come to know about Dorje Shugden. The protector of our time as we all know is here to help us. Everyone will have to do their part to help make the imminent lift of the ban to come really soon as not only Tibetans are now facing extreme sarcasm as we speak. With no human rights, social and even education welfare at stake.

[Matibhadra]

I think it is a kind of political problem inside the Tibetan Buddhist community. I’m not sure if it is something that really involves western people.

Of course it does. Dharma (and whatever affects it) is not the private property of any ethnic group. An ethnic approach might apply to racist religions and priestly castes, not to Buddhism.

[icy]

It is not so much the actual ban I think that will catch the westerners attention as oppose to the humanity aspect caused by the ban. The violence and animosity against the DS practitioners, now that can create a lot of support and awareness of this issue in the international community. I think the international community in general supports religious freedom globally.

Thus, unfortunately the Dalai Lama's reputation and peace image is fast waning in the West.  To arrest this issue, CTA needs to lift the ban and restore peace.

[Kim Hyun Jae]

My take on this:

a. The artist who painted the murals loves Dorje Shugden and listens well to his guru, Ganchen Rinpoche. He even seek permission to paint DS on any suitable wall to project the practice and bring more exposure to the Western public. The artist also believed in Dorje Shugden.

b. We MUST bring down the BAN on Dorje Shugden as it is related to the violence incited by the CTA and the Dalai Lama. This is definitely NOT dharmic actions that holy beings. Why should Dorje Shugden practitioners be side lined from social injustice.

c. Many sangha are undercover practitioners as they no longer believe in the Dorje Shugden ban any longer. We seek for justice, not injustice.

d. Social media to educate the West and other sangha of the Dorje Shugden BAN to bring to light the deeds of DS practice and the suffering of its undercover practitioners.