真善忍国际美展 Art of Truth, Compassion, Tolerance

Wednesday, March 8, 2023

[The Epoch Times] Former Atheist Artist Paints Heavenly Realms, Inspires Kindness in Others: ‘Gods and Buddhas Really Do Exist’

 

‘An artist should be someone who loves to cultivate morality.’

BY EPOCH INSPIRED STAFF 

JANUARY 30, 2023

Once an atheist, a young award-winning artist’s work now revolves around faith: painting the heavenly realms and validating the existence of the divine. His impressive themes contrasting virtue from vice naturally guide viewers toward kindness and forgiveness.

A part of the painting “Tian Guo Marching Band.” The words Tian Guo mean Divine Land in Chinese. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)

Meet Loc Minh Duong, a digital illustrator born and raised in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam.

Duong has been drawn to Renaissance artwork, especially paintings, since his school years. Following tradition and upholding truth are the core themes of his work. He believes that true artists are able to inspire in others a longing for pure goodness—and to achieve this, artists are required to be mindful of how their own thoughts impact their art.

“Traditional values are not only reflected in how an artwork appears at the surface but also in the process of creating the work,” he told The Epoch Times.

Loc Minh Duong. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)
“The Way Home”: A section of the painting Duong is currently working on. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)
A Buddha holding a sacred scroll with the Chinese characters 誓約 (shìyuē), meaning “vows” written on it. According to Eastern culture, all beings must aspire to find their life purpose, which is closely tied to the fulfillment of their holy vows they made to the divine before birth. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)
A section of the painting “The Choice of Future”: The King of Hell sits on the cloud confirming judgments based on the accounts and proofs being passed onto him. Seen below is the evil red dragon, which represents communism and its worldwide crimes, and devils are ready to punish it in hell. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)

Duong added: “What do artists think about when they create their work? Do they think about the benefits they gain or think about higher meaningful things? Does the world in their work make viewers feel more peaceful? An artist should be someone who loves to cultivate morality because every thought they think in life can be reflected in the picture, and the viewer can feel their inner worlds.

“Life needs to aim for prosperity and abundance, but the spirit always needs to find its way back to the most basic moral principles. Just like a beautiful painting: the external expression can be very impressive, but the artist’s mind must be calm and empty [of bad thoughts].”

Forging the Path

Duong’s interest in the art world grew in school when he first saw a painting of “The Litta Madonna” by the Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. He was fascinated by the masterpiece.

“In that painting there is something attractive beyond the beauty of reality—a divine reality,” he said. “Since then, I have always admired Renaissance paintings.”

Loc Minh Duong working on a digital painting. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)

In college, Duong chose to study interior design and really enjoyed art classes. Outside the classes, he worked as an assistant to an artist who taught him many things about art. After graduating from university, Duong began his career in digital illustration. He currently works in the advertising field and mostly does digital paintings.

One of his most famous works is the painting titled “Unmoved” which received the “Humanity and Culture” award in the NTD 2019 Oil Painting Competition.

The painting shows a determined little girl sitting still in meditation enveloped in bright golden light. The imminent danger depicted in the form of hungry ferocious wolves has no sway over her. The girl symbolizes the untapped strength and all-harmonizing compassion that shine forth only if the heart is unmoved and the will is resolute as one faces life’s adversities.

“Unmoved”: The painting received the “Humanity and Culture” award in the NTD 2019 Oil Painting competition. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)

Duong said the painting has received positive feedback from viewers across different cultures, with the majority sharing that it gives them a “sense of peace.” Others said that they felt “good energy” emanating from the picture.

“Maybe that is the mission of the painting,” he said.

‘Gods and Buddhas Really Do Exist’

Once a confessed atheist, Duong says he used to be one of the countless who arrogantly believe that Buddha was nothing more than a “wise man who created a philosophy for a happy life.”

One day, as he visited the library of a temple to pick up a movie for a friend, he experienced something that made him question the existence of God.

“When I was looking for the movie in the library, a stack of DVD discs suddenly fell on my head and the laughter of many people rang out, even though there weren’t too many people in the library,” he said. “At that time, a question popped up in my mind: ‘Is God real?’”

A part of the painting “Tian Guo Marching Band.” The words Tian Guo mean Divine Land in Chinese. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)
“Tian Guo Marching Band”: The full painting.

Recalling how the toxic concepts of atheism were washed from his mind, Duong said that some of his friends in Vietnam were once talking about the spiritual practice of Falun Gong (or Falun Dafa), an ancient meditation and self-improvement system rooted in the Buddhist tradition. Ironically, Falun Gong is flourishing in Vietnam—a communist country—while it has faced unprecedented persecution in nearby communist China since 1999.

Out of curiosity, Duong borrowed the book “Zhuan Falun,” the main text of the spiritual practice, from one of his friends to read.

“I found the things written in the book to be very scientific, explaining several spiritual phenomena in a very easy-to-understand way,” he said. “I realized that Gods and Buddhas really do exist, and they exist scientifically and are not created by human imagination.

“I now sincerely respect Gods and Buddhas. I respect them because I know they really exist and always protect people.”

Duong said the principles detailed in the book also answered many of his questions and enabled him to live a virtuous life.

The painting titled “Speechless” depicts a Falun Gong adherent reading the book “Zhuan Falun,” which has been translated into 40+ languages so far. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)

“I had always found human happiness to be limited, and I wonder if there is a kind of eternal happiness,” he said. “After reading Zhuan Falun, I understood that eternal happiness could only be achieved when one aligns with the nature of the universe: Truthfulness, Compassion, Tolerance.

“Falun Gong has given me the confidence that as long as I align my thoughts and actions with ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, Forbearance,’ whatever I am worthy of will come back to me, in different ways. When you see how life works, you will feel happy even in unfavorable circumstances.”

Talking about the ongoing persecution of the faith, Duong said that the persecution of Falun Gong has now extended beyond the borders of China, “becoming a test of conscience for people all over the world.”

“No matter what country, the color of skin, religion you are… it is hard to remain silent before such a crime,” he said.

A painting shows criminal inmates looking in awe at a brutally beaten Falun Gong adherent as she meditates while incarcerated in a Chinese prison for refusing to give up her faith. (Courtesy of Minghui.org)
“See You Up There, Mom”: Based on a real-life incident, the painting shows a mom being tortured for her faith in Falun Gong while the soul of her months-old baby son, who has been killed by the Chinese prison guards, is seen flying above and encouraging her to stay strong. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)
“The Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World”: Duong made the painting for an event in the Czech Republic to launch the book “How the Specter of Communism Is Ruling Our World.” (Courtesy of The Epoch Times)

Inspiring Morality and Clarity

The wise young man believes holding onto traditions and morals in day-to-day life is the surefire secret to achieving success that is far more enduring and rewarding.

Nurturing essential virtues like thinking of others’ needs first and cultivating a calm and compassionate heart has become the basis of everything Duong does. And he says when the mind is pure, inspiration flows forth effortlessly, like an eternal fountain.

“There are times when I feel I lack the inspiration to draw,” he said. “But I soon realize that I have allowed selfish thoughts to infiltrate the sacred creative process. Thoughts like, ‘I hope my paintings would be praised by others,’ or I’m just afraid that others would criticize my work.

“Joy gained from selfishness is very short-lived. So if you paint with such thoughts, you will soon feel uninspired.

“In modern life, I have found that there are many movies, classes, businesses, and celebrities that teach one a smart way of working for quick success. However, I’ve also seen that the people who are consistently successful are those who pursue certain traditional virtues like patience, honesty, and forgiveness.”

“The Light of Future”: A group of children with a Falun Gong lotus amulet, which has the words “Truth, Compassion, Tolerance Is Good” written on it. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)
Loc Minh Duong practicing the sitting meditation of Falun Gong. (Courtesy of Loc Minh Duong)

As an artist, Duong stresses there is profound significance in honoring morality in the creative world. “A painting should remind people of traditional moral values,” he said, adding that through such paintings people will then “recall their innate kindness and have faith in God.”

Duong has firsthand experience of God-led, inspiring ideas coming his way. He said that whenever he thinks of using paintings as a medium to depict righteous values or the existence of Gods, the ideas spark in his mind and are “waiting to be drawn” by him.

“I think that painting is like a door connecting the viewer to the other worlds. Of course, there is the divine world and there is also the evil world,” he said. “Evil things may also want to be drawn by me. So I have to stay awake and chase away lustful thoughts. If I paint to be rich or famous, I am most likely leading the viewer to worlds of destruction, and my art will soon come to a standstill.

“So before I decide to paint a picture, I usually experience the world in the painting with my imagination. If that world makes me feel moved, I will decide to share that world with everyone through the painting.”

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter

Source: https://www.theepochtimes.com/former-atheist-artist-paints-heavenly-realms-inspires-kindness-in-others-gods-and-buddhas-really-do-exist_4885442.html


Editor’s Note: Dear readers, do you know that Falun Dafa, originally from China, is currently practiced by people in over 100 countries? But in China, since Jul. 20, 1999, Falun Gong is defamed, slandered and persecuted due to the Chinese Communist Party’s fear of Falun Gong’s rapidly growing popularity. Jiang Zemin, former head of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), perceived the spiritual discipline’s growing popularity as a threat to the CCP’s atheistic ideology.

To learn more about the persecution Falun Gong practitioners are subjected to in China, visit http://faluninfo.net/.

For more information about the practice or to download Zhuan Falun, visit: www.falundafa.org. All books, exercise music, resources, and instructions are available completely free of charge.


WATCH: Movie – ‘Up We Soar’

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNlc2gTzOMY)


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Why Jiang Zemin and CCP Persecute Falun Gong?http://thetruthaboutfalungong.blogspot.sg/p/epoch-times-nine-commentaries-on.html

[VIDEO] Why Jiang Zemin and CCP Persecute Falun Gong? http://thetruthaboutfalungong.blogspot.com/p/video-why-jiang-zemin-ccp-persecute.html

【大纪元】从无神论者到坚定信神 年轻画家的创作理念


【大纪元2023年02月20日讯】(英文大纪元EPOCH INSPIRED STAFF报导/唐云舒编译)曾经是无神论者的一位年轻获奖艺术家,现在却以信仰为中心进行创作:描绘天国圣境、证实神的存在。他的很多作品都是通过善恶对比的手法来突出主题,非常触动人心,自然而然地引领观众向善并产生悲悯心。

题为《天国乐团》的画作。(杨明禄提供)

让我们来认识杨明禄(Loc Minh Duong),一位在越南胡志明市出生和长大的数字插画家。

从学生时代起,杨明禄就被文艺复兴时期的艺术作品,特别是绘画所吸引。反应传统价值和坚持真理,是他在创作中秉持的核心理念。他认为,真正的艺术家能够给人以启迪,令人们向往纯善的品格;为了做到这一点,艺术家必须要留意自己的思想会对作品产生什么样的影响。

杨明禄对《大纪元时报》说,“传统价值观不仅影响著作品的表面呈现,也渗透在整个创作过程中。”

杨明禄资料照。(杨明禄提供)
杨明禄的画作《回家的路》的一部分。(杨明禄提供)
杨明禄的画作《誓约》。画中一尊巨佛拿着神圣的卷轴,上面写着“誓约”两个大字。根据东方文化,众生都需找到自己的人生目标,这关系着他们是否能兑现出生前向神明发的神圣誓言。(杨明禄提供)
杨明禄的画作《未来的选择》的一部分。画面中,阎罗王坐在云端,根据呈给他的证据做出判决,下方是邪恶的红龙,代表共产主义及其在全世界犯下的罪行,魔鬼们准备在地狱里对其进行惩罚。(杨明禄提供)

杨明禄并说,“艺术家创作的目的是什么呢?是想获得利益,还是追求有着更高境界意义的东西?他们作品中的世界是否会让观众感觉内心宁静?一个艺术家应该热衷于锤炼自己的品德,因为他们在生活中的所思所想会在画作中反映出来,观众也能够感受到其内心世界。”

“在一个人的生命中,有追求成功和富足生活的物质需要,但也有找回最起码道德原则的精神需要。就像一幅美丽的画作:外在的表现可能会让人惊叹,但艺术家的心灵必须保持宁静、倒空一切坏思想。”

走上艺术之路

杨明禄对艺术的兴趣源于他在学校里第一次看到的一幅油画名作,即文艺复兴时期大画家莱昂纳多·达·芬奇(Leonardo da Vinci)的作品《哺乳的圣母》(Madonna Litta)。这幅画让他深深着迷。

“那幅画有一种超越现实之美的吸引力,展现的是神性。”他说,“从那时起,我就一直仰慕文艺复兴时期的绘画。”

杨明禄在进行创作。(杨明禄提供)

杨明禄上大学时主修室内设计专业,非常喜爱艺术课;他还在课余时间给一位艺术家当助理,学到了许多东西。大学毕业后,他开始了数字插画生涯,目前在广告业工作,主要进行数字绘画创作。

杨明禄最出名的作品之一,是在2019年第五届新唐人“全世界人物写实油画大赛”上获得“杰出人文奖”的《一个不动制万动》(Unmoved)。

画中的主角是个意志坚定的小女孩,在明亮的金色光芒笼罩下盘腿打坐,被一群饿狼包围。然而,小女孩却对迫在眉睫的危险视而不见,稳稳地坐在那里。画作中的小女孩象征着未经发掘的力量及令万物谐和的慈悲。这种力量和慈悲,只有在内心强大、意志坚决且不为逆境所动时才会放射出来。

杨明禄的获奖画作《一个不动制万动》(Unmoved)。(杨明禄提供)

杨明禄说,不同文化背景的观众对这幅画的反应都很积极,多数人都说画作让他们的内心变得宁静,还有的人感觉到画中有“正能量”放射出来。

杨明禄说,“也许这就是这幅画的使命。”

“神佛真的存在”

杨明禄曾经公开称自己是无神论者。他说,自己曾经狂妄地以为,佛不过是“建立了一套追求幸福生活的哲学的智者”。

有一天,他前往一座寺庙内的图书馆为朋友取电影时经历了一件事,令他开始怀疑神真的存在。他说,“当我在图书馆里找电影时,一摞DVD光盘突然倒下、砸到我头上;同时,许多人大笑的声音响起,但图书馆里并没有多少人。当时,一个问题在我的脑海中闪现,‘真的有神吗’?”

天国乐团》画作的一部分。(杨明禄提供)
天国乐团》全图。(杨明禄提供)

杨明禄回顾了自己是如何把无神论的有毒观念从脑海中抹去的。他说,他有一次听到越南的朋友谈论法轮功(也称法轮大法)。讽刺的是,法轮功从1999年开始在共产中国遭遇史无前例的迫害,却在同样是由共产党掌权的越南蓬勃发展。

出于好奇,杨明禄向一位朋友借了法轮功的主要著作《转法轮》来看。他说,“我发现书中的内容是非常科学的,以浅显易懂的方式阐释了多种精神现象。我意识到神佛真的存在,而且是可以用科学逻辑证明的,不是人类臆想出来的。”“我现在真心敬仰神佛。这是因为我知道神佛真的存在,并且一直在保护人们。”

杨明禄说,这本书解答了他的许多疑问,并令他开始注重道德修养。

他说,“我一直认为人类的幸福是很有限的,因此很想知道是否有永恒的幸福。在阅读《转法轮》后我明白了,人只有遵循宇宙特性‘真、善、忍’,才能获得永恒的幸福。”

“通过修炼法轮功,我确信只要我的思想和行为符合‘真、善、忍’,该我得的东西,会以各种方式让我得到。当你认识到生命的本质后,即使在困境中你也会感到幸福。”

谈到中共对法轮功的持续迫害时,杨明禄说,这场迫害已经超出了中国国界,“变成了对全世界人的良心拷问”。“不管你来自哪个国家、是什么样的肤色、信仰哪种宗教,在这样的罪恶面前,你都很难保持沉默。”

这幅画作描绘一名被关押在监狱里的法轮功学员,在遭暴打后仍坚持打坐,同一监室的刑事犯们以敬畏的眼神看着她。(杨明禄提供)
《妈妈,天上见》根据真实的故事创作。画中的一位母亲因为修炼法轮功而遭到酷刑折磨,她几个月大的儿子被中国狱警打死,但他的灵魂升上了天,鼓励母亲坚定信仰。(杨明禄提供)
这幅名为《共产邪灵在统治着我们的世界》的画作,是杨明禄为《魔鬼在统治着我们的世界》一书为在捷克的发行活动创作的。(大纪元)

保持头脑清醒 激发善念

这位充满智慧的年轻人相信,在日常生活中坚守传统和道德规范,是获得更持久、更有意义的成功的秘诀。

杨明禄事事处处都在提升自己的道德水准,例如首先考虑他人的需要、保持平和及慈悲的心态等。他说,当内心纯净时,灵感就会像喷泉里的水一样源源不断地涌出。

他说,“在创作过程中也会有找不到灵感的时候。但我很快就意识到这是因为自己的思想中有了私念,如希望作品受到夸赞或者担心别人提出负面评价等,这使得神圣的创作过程受到影响。”

“夹带着私心的快乐不会持久。因此你如果带着这样的思想作画,你的灵感很快就会枯竭。”“在现代生活中,我看到有许多电影、课程、企业和名人教人如何通过捷径快速取得成功。然而我也看到,持续成功的人士往往是那些追求传统美德(耐心、诚实和宽恕)的人。”

名为《未来之光》的画作。画中是一群孩子,拿着写有“真善忍好”的法轮功护身符。(杨明禄提供)
杨明禄打坐的照片。(杨明禄提供)

作为艺术家,杨明禄强调,在创作时重德有着深远的意义。他说,“一幅画应该提醒人们重视传统的道德观。这样的作品会唤醒人们内心深处与生俱来的善念,从而令他们坚信神。”

杨明禄亲身体验到在神的指引下灵感涌现的状态。他说,每当自己想通过画作来传达正面的价值观或者描述神灵时,创作思路就会在脑海中闪现,自己只是将其画出来而已。

他说,“我觉得绘画就像是一扇将观众带入其它世界的门。当然,有神圣的世界,也有邪恶的世界。邪灵也可能想让我画它。所以我必须保持清醒,排除淫邪的想法。如果我是为了发财或出名而画画,我很可能把观众引向毁人的世界,我的创作能力很快就会停滞不前。”

“因此,我在画画前通常会想像一下画中的世界会带给人怎样的感觉,如果让我感动,我就会画出来和大家一起分享。”

责任编辑:高静 #

Source: https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/23/2/20/n13934127.htm


朋友,您知道吗?从1992年5月开始,到2010年底为止,法轮功已经传到114多个国家,在那里人们都可以自由自在的炼功…

可是,在中国,从1999年7月20日开始,江泽民因为妒忌法轮功人数众多,对法轮功恶毒的诽谤与迫害。社会上很多人听信了共产党媒体的宣传和煽动,对法轮功产生了很深的误解与仇恨。

最为恶劣的,是在2001年1月导演了一场所谓的”自焚”闹剧,并通过新华社以从未有过的速度向全世界散播,嫁祸法轮功。这场闹剧,后被包括服务于联合国的国际教育发展组织(IED)在内的多个国际组织认定为虚假编造。朋友,您愿意把法轮功真相与更多的人分享吗?


请观看: [动画] 小太妹今昔 

(https://youtu.be/zS2R9_d8HcI)


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【九评之五】评江泽民与中共相互利用迫害法轮功http://thetruthaboutfalungong.blogspot.com/p/blog-page_05.html

[VIDEO] 连环画音像片:评江泽民与中共相互利用迫害法轮功http://thetruthaboutfalungong.blogspot.com/p/video.html