Intro to House of One People

Written Wed, 2011-03-09

Welcome to House of One People, a sanctuary for global philosophy and religion, dharma study, creative expression, and honest consideration of the issues of our time. We aim to encourage a respectful dialogue between differing points of view. Our goal is to promote mutual understanding and non-violent conflict resolution.  Along with our spiritual and philosophical explorations, we offer meditation instruction, spiritual counseling services, workshops and training programs, and improvisational music for contemplation and movement.  A section of the site focused on our musical offerings, CDs, and creativity workshops is still in development. Currently the "Music CDs" link takes you to my old site.

For me the most basic and extraordinary mystery is the complex and intense reality of life here on planet earth.  A huge sphere spinning in  a vast universe, teeming with life, including some seven billion of us humans, with our families, ethnic groups, nations, and all the extraordinarily diverse things we do and create.  How do we understand and manage all this harmoniously?  Is it possible?   What is the true nature of the existence we find ourselves in? What is the best way to live and act? How do we relate with one another? How do we resolve our conflicts? How do we alleviate our own suffering, and the suffering of others?  What are we creating in our global society, and where are we going? Can we sustain human human civilization in the long run?    

The middle name – Genyo – that I use here means song of the mystery.  It is a name I received from Zen teacher, Eve Myonen Marko, to mark my personal committment to to the precepts of peacemaking.  I use this name not so much to refer to me, but rather to honor this committment, and to refer to the meaning of the name. What can we say about the fundamental mystery of existence? How do we give it song? How do we approach and give expression to the central questions of our lives?  House of One People is a vehicle address these questions.

What about that last question?  How long do you think we can sustain our global society? Human history goes back thousands of years. Can we find a way to create a healthy society that can be maintained thousands of years into the future?  

Ultimately, of course, the answers to these questions are bigger than any one person's, or any one philosophy's point of view.  No one answer, no one perspective can encompass the entirety of this existence, of our diverse lives and all their possibilities.  On the other hand, we each have to make choices about how we understand the world, and what set of values we choose to live by. Each of us has our own individual relationship with the mystery of life, and House of One People aims to be a valuable resource in finding clarity and harmony in that relationship.