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Spaceweather.com opens its web page with ‘This is an AI Free Zone!” Really? How do we know this disarming statement is true? It is well-written, could be artificial and can be inaccurate.
As if AI isn’t daunting enough, we now have information extraction. It seems when big data runs out of source material, one option is to “create” more with information extraction. To be clear, I have no idea what AI is let alone information extraction. But I do know what the Buddha had to say about such statements. One translation reads:
“Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observing and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it.”
Granted, the Buddha was talking about religion. Some religions required accepting what was told by an authority figure, and believing, on faith, in the ineffable. Almost like the statement that “This is an AI free zone.” We want to believe, it is so much easier than the alternative that requires effort on our part.
We live in a world with electronic information overload on screens and broadcast that according to most statistics is taking its toll on our collective mental health. Americans are becoming more anxious and stressed with reports showing younger people have higher incidences than older Americans.
Our bottom line, as Buddhists, is to live in a Dukkha Free Zone. Is it possible? Yes. And it does not mean abandoning everything and living a hermitic life on a mountain top. If we just stop a moment to think about this we see we have choices.
The Buddha’s gentle admonition to discern what we accept as true requires our participation. We do have choices about how we choose to live this life. Entrusting is a choice. Fear crushes our options to choose. Perhaps taking that first step onto that white path will be the path to the dukkha free zone. Most of us choose to do nothing, to keep the status quo.
Entrusting in ourselves and entrusting in the reality of the Buddhist teachings may not happen overnight, but if no effort is ever made, nothing will change. We can continue to live in a zone of illusions, or, take one step and entrust that a dukkha free zone is possible.
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Namo Amida Butsu
Rev. Anita
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