Best Of
Re: Some delusions that come from meditation
I think it is interesting that some enlightened beings are said to say that everything that comes from love is justified.
Jeroen
Re: My favourite 'cult'
@Jeroen said:
It’s interesting how many alternative religious movements are now being targeted as cults. I’m not sure if you remember this, but back in the eighties when the word cult was much more niche, there was a very open feel to experimenting with these things.I think when you are interviewing a ‘cult intervention specialist’ you are automatically going to get a narrative that is slanted a certain way, that person has a vested interest in perpetuating a certain set of ideas around cults on which their livelihood depends.
But in a way monasteries are organisations where people come together to spend time on the spiritual parts of life, and I wonder how long it will be before they are called cults. It seems to be an attack on the spiritual mindset, to convince people not to support these organisations.
There are definitely cults out there, and people organized to help others get out of them. Its all a spectrum though and it can be hard to draw a line on when something is a cult and when it isn't. A lot of cults also start out not culty but then devolve into one. So people on the lookout for cults almost certainly become a bit of a hammer and start seeing nails more often than probably deserves. A simple metric that came up in the interview was how controlling a group was. But again, if a group that controls at 49% isn't a cult but one that controls at 51% is how do we really define these things?
person
Re: Buddhism and the Theatre *raises hand in a dramatic fashion*
If you can not meditate or offer picnics in the hell realms you might be stuck in the Purelands for a very long time. Could be worse. Could be better... 
lobster
Re: Rebirth as an animal
I think I’ll be reborn as a small venomous flying caterpillar with fangs, fuzzy red and black with a loud buzz.
Steve_B
Re: The AI tsunami
@Jeroen said:
@person said:
Kurzgesagt is on the job. Pointing out how shoddy AI information can lead to the rot of information online through an iterative process of AI using previous imperfect AI slop to remove any bit of trust remaining online. As well as other negative social effects from current AI.It’s funny… this video popped in my feed, I just watched it, and thought, I must post that on the ‘AI Tsunami’ topic on NewBuddhist.
But yes. It seems the amount of AI slop is reaching a significant threshold. This video is like the canary in the coal-mine, if they are noticing it it is likely already worse than is being reported. It’s not as if the state of click-baiting wasn’t already distorting human writing habits, this is much worse. Soon the internet will be filled with AIs talking to each other.
I also think Kurzgesagt rightly points out that “AI is like a hammer which doesn’t know what a nail is, and it’s being trusted to put up shelves in the library of human knowledge.” AI doesn’t truly reason - yet - and it just seems clever.
There's an idea called "dead internet theory" that says that at some point most of the stuff online will be bots posting on content generated by other bots.
person
Re: Should a Buddhist own a gun ?
This is why I can't stomach AI. Much of the time, it's wrong with its answers. (It's still a work-in-progress as an online resource. Still in the design phase.) Other times, all it can do is pull up random relevant info, without doing any thinking or analysis to go with it. Of course it doesn't analyze; it's not human!
Anyway, whether or not a Buddhist "should" own a gun depends on what the Buddhist would want to use it for. I've always enjoyed target practice, with a bow and arrow, or a gun. It's a harmless hobby or pastime. AI, however, can only envision anyone owning one for the purpose of killing. I find that ridiculous.
Sorry, AI: YOU'RE FIRED!
Dakini
Re: My Dharma practice today
It is 3.33AM and all is dharma.
- Finally managed to print the dharma (manual) on our new Multicooker (mindful eating bodhi)
- AM sitting with a straight back on a piano stool (the piano has been replaced by the 'music' of a keyboard)
- About to have a Tantric break fast of whatever is available or I feel required. (The Boddhisatvas from the Purelands have smiled on us, not US)
Then using what ever remains of 'Enlightened Mind' I will take out the Zen garbage as their is no wood to chop.
Have a great day everyone. Merry Christmas
lobster
Re: Should a Buddhist own a gun ?
Heh heh. Be comforted in this - if you kill one fly, squash one cockroach, none of the others will mourn or suffer because of it.
Fosdick
