何处染尘埃 Where could any dust be attracted?
相看两不厌 Never tired of looking at each other
On November 2, 2023, coinciding with the Guanyin Festival, a significant Buddhist celebration, Shaolin Temple’s Abbot Shi Yongxin visited Meta’s headquarters in San Francisco. During an in-person sharing session, he discussed the remarkable potential when “Zen meets AI,” highlighting the fusion of ancient Eastern Zen philosophy with the advanced artificial intelligence of the 21st century.
On Facebook, Yongxin first talked about the nature of Zen Buddhism.
“Zen seeks spiritual awakening,” Yongxin writes. “Its practice primarily emphasizes genuine cultivation and validation, unbounded by any knowledge, logic, thinking, or even consciousness, and is a manifestation of enlightenment wisdom.”
For Chinese Buddhist monks, even in the face of the many temptations of modern society, they still need to maintain a pure soul that is not bound or compelled. This may sound like a harsh code to impose on followers, but it is not bad advice for students. In such an age of information technology, young people are faced with many challenges and compulsions. If our minds are always restless, we will not be able to truly focus on our studies.
Yongxin then asked a question about AI and gave his answer: Can technological progress replace moral and ethical advancement?
“I cannot possess the awakening and consciousness preached by Zen,” Yongxin writes. “In the face of AI, humans should maintain clarity of mind and seek inner enlightenment and transcendental wisdom. enlightenment and transcendental wisdom, as advocated by Zen.”
This profound question teaches us many lessons. No matter how powerful AI becomes it will never be able to truly think as deeply as humans do. At its current stage, AI is a tool developed and informed by human intelligence. However, excessive reliance on AI, particularly driven by laziness, can lead to a situation where our intelligence and spirit become confined, limited to our own selves instead of exploring and expanding beyond.
But at the same time, Yongxin also said that AI still has a role to play.
“Together, they (Zen wisdom and AI) can build a platform for communication, allowing the public to immerse themselves in experiencing the culture of Shaolin’s Zen, martial arts, medicine, and arts,” Yongxin writes.
血肉苦痛，机械飞升？Flesh and blood suffering, mechanical ascension?
But what if technology progresses to a point where society embraces technological body modifications, such as implanting computer chips to augment brain power? While this scenario may seem distant in the 21st century, humanity’s contemplation of religion and the future persists. How would Buddhists react to such advancements? Should they completely reject these developments, or accept them as inevitable?
This quandary reflects the broader narrative of the intersection between spirituality and technology. Through various literary works, we witness the fluctuating presence and influence of Buddhism within the realm of the cyber world, illustrating the complex relationship between ancient beliefs and modern innovations.
In one of the protagonist’s experiences, he saves the younger of a pair of monk brothers. Unfortunately for the monk, he has already been subjected to prosthetic body modification by other gangs. Contrary to what we might expect, the monk brother does not alienate his brother who has become a reformed human being, and the brother still meditates every day and continues his monastic practice.
This gives us a chance to think, does the transformation of the body mean the transformation of the soul? I believe this full metal monk tells us the answer is no. For him, the prosthetic body is just a tool to help with life, and as long as the mind remains pure, he will eventually succeed in his practice.
But this does not mean that it is absolutely right to pursue physical pleasures. It is human nature to relax when necessary, and no one can afford not to eat, drink or sleep. This monk reminds us that worldliness is not the original sin; it is sinking that is the worst enemy.
Maintaining pure hearts, performing good deeds, and being virtuous individuals ensure that human wisdom continues to illuminate our world—even centuries into the future.
不敢高声语 Dare not speak loudly
But Louis also mentioned that human beings can’t completely rely on AI.
“If AI can be a good helper for Buddhist believers, we’d better stop there,” Louis said. “The wisdom of Buddhism ultimately needs to be understood, enlightened and carried forward by humans. aI can be a friend, but we can’t treat it as a savior on the path of cultivation.”
Louis also talked about his views on righteousness and modern technology.
“Buddhism is about for the spiritual pursuit, the simpler the physical body, the better,” Louis said. “In modern society, it’s common to use technology to improve the quality of life, but we can’t just focus on fulfilling selfish desires. Otherwise, it is easy to fall into deadly temptations and forget the peace of the spiritual world. Drugs are a good example.”
