▁Le ight on ▁has ▁a ▁Ph . D . ▁degree . ▁ ▁Le ight on ▁has ▁been ▁involved ▁in ▁many ▁inter fa ith ▁dialog ue ▁programs , ▁including ▁conduct ing ▁Buddh ist – Christ ian ▁dialog ue ▁work sh ops . ▁He ▁has ▁long ▁been ▁active ▁in ▁various ▁Eng aged ▁Buddh ist ▁programs ▁for ▁social ▁justice , ▁including ▁Environment al ▁and ▁Peace ▁activ ism . ▁Le ight on ' s ▁peace ▁activ ism ▁goes ▁back ▁to ▁dedicated ▁anti - V ietnam ▁War ▁work ▁in ▁high ▁school , ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁then ▁as ▁a ▁College ▁fresh man ▁arrested ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 8 ▁week - long ▁building ▁occupation ▁at ▁Columbia ▁University ▁protest ing ▁the ▁War ▁and ▁rac ism . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 7 ▁Le ight on ▁re located ▁to ▁Chicago ▁to ▁serve ▁full - time ▁as ▁Gu iding ▁D har ma ▁Te acher ▁for ▁An cient ▁Dragon ▁Z en ▁Gate , ▁which ▁he ▁had ▁founded ▁with ▁students ▁there ▁a ▁few ▁years ▁before . ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 8 ▁Le ight on ▁performed ▁Z uis se ▁cer emon ies ▁at ▁E ihe iji ▁and ▁S ō j iji ▁tem ples ▁in ▁Japan ▁to ▁be ▁recognized ▁as ▁a ▁D har ma ▁teacher ▁by ▁the ▁Japanese ▁S ō t ō ▁School . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 9 ▁Le ight on ▁completed ▁D har ma ▁transmission ▁cer emon ies ▁at ▁An cient ▁Dragon ▁Z en ▁Gate ▁for ▁his ▁D har ma ▁he irs ▁Ny oz an ▁Eric ▁Sh utt