Dear Future Buddhas-to-Be (who are already Buddhas Within, but may not always act so 
... ),
The following continues to ask, assuming that certain medical, genetic and other technological developments ...
... how should such technologies be best employed to heal some of what troubles this world??
In the future, as now and in the past, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (as well as like ideal images from other religions and humanistic philosophies which represent the best in human kindness, generosity, caring, empathy non-violence and other like goodness) may serve as ideal models and symbols for the direction we wish to head and the values we wish to instill.
QUESTION: Do you think that a Buddha would oppose bringing about peace in the world, charity, generosity, empathy and the rest through such means, under such conditions?
My book says ...
[I]f we are to develop or design caring, gentle, charitable, peaceful humans or after-humans in the future, we will need some notion of “ideal caring, gentle, charitable, peaceful beings” with beneficial qualities and values as inspiration:
The Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas would serve well as ideals toward which we aim, just as they have since long ago.
In considering some excellent human qualities to emphasize should we need to genetically and neurologically engineer our descendants and program our machines, one cannot do better than the ideal qualities often associated with the images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas in traditional Buddhist literature. The Buddhas have been serving as models of the ultimate goal for sentient beings through the centuries, and Bodhisattvas are symbols of the best in human wisdom and compassion, not unlike the best qualities of saints, heroes and saviors in many other belief systems. **
( ** FOOTNOTE: In fact, this need not be limited to Buddhism: To the extent that the best images and ideals of other faiths and philosophies, religious or secular, share in such goodness, then followers of such beliefs can say much the same, all working together on this common plan. I am not about to assert that Buddhists have a monopoly on goodness and kindness: Other saints and heroes from other religions and history, both sacred and secular, might be added into the mix of inspirational figures, from Jesus to Gandhi to Albert Schweitzer. This is a book written from a Buddhist point of view, and I will focus on Buddhist things in the coming pages, but I sincerely hope that good people of many creeds and similar outlooks join together in these good works. )
Generally, for Buddhists, a “Buddha” represents the summit, a paradigm, a symbol or embodiment of the highest perfections and flawless qualities that a human being can hope for and aspire to. Among the traditionally ascribed attributes of a Buddha are that he or she is perfectly free of all defilements or, in plain English, is free of bad thoughts and harmful emotional reactions such as anger, hatred, anxiety, tension, depression, ignorance, jealousy, engaging in malicious gossip, excess clinging, unreasonable dogmatism, and the like. In contrast, a Buddha demonstrates and embodies acts of sharing and altruism, overall ethical morality, patience, simplicity and renunciation, wisdom, diligence, determination, loving-kindness toward all sentient beings, and equanimity in the face of both pleasant and unpleasant conditions in life. His or her thoughts, words, and acts are always pure, never doing harm … at least, never intentionally.
... The Bodhisattva has made a vow not to attain Buddhahood, and not to make a perfect escape from this world, until the very last suffering sentient being is rescued. Bodhisattvas exhibit ethical action, generosity, patience, diligent effort and insight into the true nature of this world and the causes which give rise to suffering, as well as an ability to creatively devise “skillful means” (Upaya) in order to save the suffering beings by bringing them to an understanding and realization of the path of liberation. You and I may even be said to be “bodhisattvas” (at least with a small “b”) when we vow and work to save our fellow sentient beings in similar way, while exhibiting such good qualities.
...
While they may be as imaginary as the X-Men©, the great Bodhisattvas also stand as symbols for the very real goodness and wisdom that this world requires. I like to say that, for example, their hands and eyes stand for our hands and eyes when we act with the good qualities which they represent, and our acts make those good qualities into real forces in the world, thus causing the Bodhisattvas to come to life. Our personal hands and eyes become two of Kannon’s hands and eyes when we hear the cries of our fellow human beings and seek to lend a hand.
In the future, the traits and characteristics represented by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas may be important to rescuing this troubled world. What is more, even many of the more fantastic powers and abilities attributed to them might actually come to be. To explain this, and for simplicity’s sake, I would describe the characteristics of Buddhas and the great Bodhisattvas as being generally of three types or levels:
First, there are certain practical, beneficial and healthful human qualities (such as the avoidance of anger and violence) that are relatively “down to earth,” not particularly magical or mystical in nature, yet which promise positive effects in our society and world if more widespread. The ability to enhance many of these characteristics in humanity may come within our reach in the coming decades, given our advances in human genetics and understanding the mind. We will look more closely at these qualities in the next few chapters by discussing the “Nirmanakaya,” the “Human Buddha,” the form of a Buddha who lived and breathed in this messy world with a human body. We will ponder how we can take small steps toward Buddhahood, as aspiring bodhisattvas looking to help other beings in this messy world in any way we can. In an age in which violent crime and the threat of war still plague us, we need to be saved by the Bodhisattva’s qualities of peace.
Second, there are certain extreme or idealized traits (such as those ascribed to super-hero like Bodhisattvas, said able to predict the future, leap light years, change their bodily form or change the weather) which may appear far less realistic, far-fetched, or downright unbelievable to some. That is so right now. However, I will propose that even many such characteristics will come to manifest in a world of super-intelligent machines and advanced technologies of the not-so-far future (where, for example, hyper-massive computing power might include increased ability to alter the weather, better predict many future events, select outer appearances at will, jump through worm-holes and maybe even create whole new realms and worlds.) I will address those possibilities later, especially in the coming chapter on the “Sambhogakaya Buddha,” the “Reward Body” of Buddha, typically the most magical, fantastic, super-human and other-worldly depiction of a Buddha and his accompanying Bodhisattvas in Buddhist literature. Inventions and innovations may come close to religious myth and legend in our technological future.
As well, in a chapter of this book on the timeless “Dharmakaya Buddha,” the universal Buddha, we will consider the traditional view of an aspect of Buddha that sweeps in all things, all time and space, as the emptiness of individuality that is the wholeness of this world of phenomena. I will attempt to show how such perspective presents a model of reality that is fully compatible with modern science’s ever developing understanding of this universe and the inter-connection/inter-flowing wholeness of all things.
But before speaking of the cosmos, real magic, time-space transcendence and other wild future possibilities, in the next few chapters, let us focus on the relatively small steps by which we can start to change ourselves and the world to make things better, even within the lifetime of people already existing today, all very down to earth and practical for us human bodhisattvas (small “b”) trying to be as Buddha-inspired as we can. Some changes, although still on the borderline of science fiction, are coming within reach and may begin to happen soon.
Cosmic Buddhas and super-human Bodhisattvas have their role too, but what characteristics do human Buddhas and bodhisattvas represent which have more immediate benefits in our personal lives, in more proximate years, close to home, all to heal our current mess of a planet?
(that is the topic of our next chapter)
Gassho, J
stlah
... ), The following continues to ask, assuming that certain medical, genetic and other technological developments ...
(1) are inevitable and coming anyway, cannot be halted, cannot be ignored;
(2) have a high chance of being misused by bad actors unless we use them in beneficial ways;
(3) can be shown to be effective and safe to use; and
(4) can be introduced in an ethical way respectful of individual free choice, civil and human rights ...
(2) have a high chance of being misused by bad actors unless we use them in beneficial ways;
(3) can be shown to be effective and safe to use; and
(4) can be introduced in an ethical way respectful of individual free choice, civil and human rights ...
... how should such technologies be best employed to heal some of what troubles this world??
In the future, as now and in the past, the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas (as well as like ideal images from other religions and humanistic philosophies which represent the best in human kindness, generosity, caring, empathy non-violence and other like goodness) may serve as ideal models and symbols for the direction we wish to head and the values we wish to instill.
QUESTION: Do you think that a Buddha would oppose bringing about peace in the world, charity, generosity, empathy and the rest through such means, under such conditions?
My book says ...
~ ~ ~
[I]f we are to develop or design caring, gentle, charitable, peaceful humans or after-humans in the future, we will need some notion of “ideal caring, gentle, charitable, peaceful beings” with beneficial qualities and values as inspiration:
The Buddhas and Great Bodhisattvas would serve well as ideals toward which we aim, just as they have since long ago.
In considering some excellent human qualities to emphasize should we need to genetically and neurologically engineer our descendants and program our machines, one cannot do better than the ideal qualities often associated with the images of Buddhas or Bodhisattvas in traditional Buddhist literature. The Buddhas have been serving as models of the ultimate goal for sentient beings through the centuries, and Bodhisattvas are symbols of the best in human wisdom and compassion, not unlike the best qualities of saints, heroes and saviors in many other belief systems. **
( ** FOOTNOTE: In fact, this need not be limited to Buddhism: To the extent that the best images and ideals of other faiths and philosophies, religious or secular, share in such goodness, then followers of such beliefs can say much the same, all working together on this common plan. I am not about to assert that Buddhists have a monopoly on goodness and kindness: Other saints and heroes from other religions and history, both sacred and secular, might be added into the mix of inspirational figures, from Jesus to Gandhi to Albert Schweitzer. This is a book written from a Buddhist point of view, and I will focus on Buddhist things in the coming pages, but I sincerely hope that good people of many creeds and similar outlooks join together in these good works. )
Generally, for Buddhists, a “Buddha” represents the summit, a paradigm, a symbol or embodiment of the highest perfections and flawless qualities that a human being can hope for and aspire to. Among the traditionally ascribed attributes of a Buddha are that he or she is perfectly free of all defilements or, in plain English, is free of bad thoughts and harmful emotional reactions such as anger, hatred, anxiety, tension, depression, ignorance, jealousy, engaging in malicious gossip, excess clinging, unreasonable dogmatism, and the like. In contrast, a Buddha demonstrates and embodies acts of sharing and altruism, overall ethical morality, patience, simplicity and renunciation, wisdom, diligence, determination, loving-kindness toward all sentient beings, and equanimity in the face of both pleasant and unpleasant conditions in life. His or her thoughts, words, and acts are always pure, never doing harm … at least, never intentionally.
... The Bodhisattva has made a vow not to attain Buddhahood, and not to make a perfect escape from this world, until the very last suffering sentient being is rescued. Bodhisattvas exhibit ethical action, generosity, patience, diligent effort and insight into the true nature of this world and the causes which give rise to suffering, as well as an ability to creatively devise “skillful means” (Upaya) in order to save the suffering beings by bringing them to an understanding and realization of the path of liberation. You and I may even be said to be “bodhisattvas” (at least with a small “b”) when we vow and work to save our fellow sentient beings in similar way, while exhibiting such good qualities.
...
While they may be as imaginary as the X-Men©, the great Bodhisattvas also stand as symbols for the very real goodness and wisdom that this world requires. I like to say that, for example, their hands and eyes stand for our hands and eyes when we act with the good qualities which they represent, and our acts make those good qualities into real forces in the world, thus causing the Bodhisattvas to come to life. Our personal hands and eyes become two of Kannon’s hands and eyes when we hear the cries of our fellow human beings and seek to lend a hand.
In the future, the traits and characteristics represented by the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas may be important to rescuing this troubled world. What is more, even many of the more fantastic powers and abilities attributed to them might actually come to be. To explain this, and for simplicity’s sake, I would describe the characteristics of Buddhas and the great Bodhisattvas as being generally of three types or levels:
First, there are certain practical, beneficial and healthful human qualities (such as the avoidance of anger and violence) that are relatively “down to earth,” not particularly magical or mystical in nature, yet which promise positive effects in our society and world if more widespread. The ability to enhance many of these characteristics in humanity may come within our reach in the coming decades, given our advances in human genetics and understanding the mind. We will look more closely at these qualities in the next few chapters by discussing the “Nirmanakaya,” the “Human Buddha,” the form of a Buddha who lived and breathed in this messy world with a human body. We will ponder how we can take small steps toward Buddhahood, as aspiring bodhisattvas looking to help other beings in this messy world in any way we can. In an age in which violent crime and the threat of war still plague us, we need to be saved by the Bodhisattva’s qualities of peace.
Second, there are certain extreme or idealized traits (such as those ascribed to super-hero like Bodhisattvas, said able to predict the future, leap light years, change their bodily form or change the weather) which may appear far less realistic, far-fetched, or downright unbelievable to some. That is so right now. However, I will propose that even many such characteristics will come to manifest in a world of super-intelligent machines and advanced technologies of the not-so-far future (where, for example, hyper-massive computing power might include increased ability to alter the weather, better predict many future events, select outer appearances at will, jump through worm-holes and maybe even create whole new realms and worlds.) I will address those possibilities later, especially in the coming chapter on the “Sambhogakaya Buddha,” the “Reward Body” of Buddha, typically the most magical, fantastic, super-human and other-worldly depiction of a Buddha and his accompanying Bodhisattvas in Buddhist literature. Inventions and innovations may come close to religious myth and legend in our technological future.
As well, in a chapter of this book on the timeless “Dharmakaya Buddha,” the universal Buddha, we will consider the traditional view of an aspect of Buddha that sweeps in all things, all time and space, as the emptiness of individuality that is the wholeness of this world of phenomena. I will attempt to show how such perspective presents a model of reality that is fully compatible with modern science’s ever developing understanding of this universe and the inter-connection/inter-flowing wholeness of all things.
But before speaking of the cosmos, real magic, time-space transcendence and other wild future possibilities, in the next few chapters, let us focus on the relatively small steps by which we can start to change ourselves and the world to make things better, even within the lifetime of people already existing today, all very down to earth and practical for us human bodhisattvas (small “b”) trying to be as Buddha-inspired as we can. Some changes, although still on the borderline of science fiction, are coming within reach and may begin to happen soon.
Cosmic Buddhas and super-human Bodhisattvas have their role too, but what characteristics do human Buddhas and bodhisattvas represent which have more immediate benefits in our personal lives, in more proximate years, close to home, all to heal our current mess of a planet?
(that is the topic of our next chapter)
Gassho, J
stlah
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