From: entropy@farviolet.com
Date: Sun Feb 22 2004 - 19:29:32 MST
On Sun, 22 Feb 2004, mike99 wrote:
> There is Zen, and then there is the popular (mis)conception of what Zen is.
>
> I could say a lot about this, because I have taken the Buddhist precepts
> (formal vows) and am studying Soto Zen Buddhism as a disciple
> (priest-in-training). I might make some points about why Friendly AI and the
> Singularity are worthwhile and not to be opposed but rather guided into
> being. But I would rather simply quote Shunryu Suzuki Roshi (from the
> collection of his sayings titled _To Shine One Corner of the World_).
>
> [A Zen student wrote:]
> One morning when we were all sitting zazen, Suzuki Roshi gave a brief
> impromptu talk in which he said, "Each of you is perfect the way you
> are...and you can use a little improvement."
However I'm talking about the distant (or even not so distant) future.
Already the human race has reached a point where we have decided to limit
our expansion. Areas of the world are purposely left untouched. It seems
quite possible that a 'higher' being might be even more so this way. Just
as we feel we don't have the right to remake all of nature according to
our rules, it may feel that it would be wrong to overly interfere in the
evolution of the universe.
You also have to ask, is there always going to be "a little improvement"
possible? Perhaps a 'higher' being can at last define and reach perfection?
Atleast for a little while.
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