Our Philosophy
Dharma by Design is a playful, modern twist on mindfulness training. Our name combines the twin pillars of our philosophical drive to reconnect people with their innate spirituality and creativity by combining eastern wisdom with design thinking, creative processes and art making.
“The purpose of our lives is to be happy.”
Our goal is to promote individual happiness. If more people are happy within themselves, they are more kind, generous, tolerant, relaxed and productive in society.
Our method is mindfulness meditation through action, specifically through creative activities.
'Dharma' is a Sanskrit word with multiple meanings. It can mean the Buddha’s teachings, duty, righteous conduct, and moral responsibility. It is also a word to express one’s life path, true calling, or purpose in life.
Design is an offshoot of art, and could be called “applied creativity” since all good design has an inherent practical purpose to communicate, or improve the everyday lives of its users.
Creativity as Mindful Meditation
Our workshops are designed to share ways to bring happiness & fulfilment to your life through mindful creativity.
One of the timeless paths to happiness is to follow the Buddha’s teachings, which provides insights into (1) why we suffer, (2) where our suffering comes from, (3) proposes that lasting happiness is possible, and (4) presents a way to do it. Collectively, these are known as the Four Noble Truths.
Throughout his lifetime, it’s said the Buddha taught 84,000 ways to end suffering. Through his limitless compassion and wisdom, he realised that everyone was different, and gave teachings catering to each individual’s level of intelligence, capability and temperament. These teachings have become codified into the three main paths of Buddhism we see today - Thervada, Mahayana and Vajrayana.
Most of our workshops are based on the “pleasure principle” of the Vajrayana teachings that the Buddha taught. Legend has it that this tantric path was first transmitted by the Buddha to King Indrabhuti of Oddiyana, who wanted a non-ascetic path, where it was unnecessary to renounce all worldly pleasures to attain liberation. The Buddha taught a method to harness this natural energy of “desire” in all people, and use it as a path to enlightenment. Creativity and visualisation are essential aspects of these tantric teachings.
In tantra, our creativity comes from our sexual energy. It is the essence of our true nature, which has always been free.
Everyone on this planet was “created”, and each one of us has the capacity to bring new life into this world.
Artists are those who choose to channel this life force into a form of self expression, not only through “art making”, but in everything they do.
Our workshops are open to all people interested in developing their creativity, learning a little about themselves and grounding the process of art making in spirituality.
Ben Lilagan is a designer and former university lecturer. The son of a Filipino ambassador, he spent his childhood living and studying in various countries around the world. His family migrated to Australia in the eighties, where he studied Industrial Design in Melbourne, and worked as a graphic designer.
His love for challenge and change is reflected in his diverse career choices. Prior to lecturing in design, he notably built a successful manufacturing business and semi-retired to study Buddhism full time.
With over 25 years of meditation practice, his governing passion is sharing the wisdom he has learned from various masters, and teaching the practical application of design thinking in everyday life – the blending of heart and head.
“The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls.”
Ian Gant is a graphic designer, university lecturer and budding singer-songwriter musician. He is fluent in Mandarin and specialises in teaching English as a second language. Like many creative people, his experiences are varied and extensive, from studying philosophy to working in the army reserves and radio hosting.
My Life
I grew up in rural NSW in a little spartan off the grid shack. I spent most of my time amongst the trees rather than with my peers. Books and music gave me a window into the outside world. What I loved best were stories of adventure and exploration, so as an adult I travelled extensively to North America and Europe. I’ve lived and worked in China for several formative periods of my life, and as a result, it forms a great part of who I am and my abiding interest in eastern culture.
A few of my favourite things
Music: Classical, Ambient, Folk, Soul, Jazz, Rock, Electronica
Art: The Expressionists, Dali, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Basquiat
Literature: Tolkien, Orwell, Hemingway, Camus, Burroughs, Kafka, Vonnegut, Solzhenitsyn, Joyce
Poetry: Eliot, Bukowski, Lorca, Yeats
Western philosophy: Nietzsche, Schopenhauer, basically all the Existentialists as well as the Ancient Greeks
Eastern philosophy: Zen Buddhist thinkers like Suzuki and Watts; Daoism and Confucianism
Food: Italian, Indian and Sichuan
Skills Teaching, creative writing and songwriting, Mandarin Chinese, drawing, dialogue, analytical/critical thinking, radio hosting, MMA and yoga
Formal study B.A. Graphic Design; B.A. International Relations (focused on Chinese language, history and politics); Cert IV in TESOL; Cert IV in Training and Assessment.
