From: mike99 (mike99@lascruces.com)
Date: Sun Feb 22 2004 - 18:28:27 MST
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."
Regards,
Michael LaTorra
mike99@lascruces.com
mlatorra@nmsu.edu
"For any man to abdicate an interest in science is to walk with open eyes
towards slavery."
-- Jacob Bronowski
Member:
Extropy Institute: www.extropy.org
World Transhumanist Association: www.transhumanism.org
Alcor Life Extension Foundation: www.alcor.org
Society for Technical Communication: www.stc.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-sl4@sl4.org [mailto:owner-sl4@sl4.org]On Behalf Of
> entropy@farviolet.com
> Sent: Sunday, February 22, 2004 9:01 AM
> To: sl4@sl4.org
> Subject: Zen singularity
>
>
>
> Sometimes I wonder if the reason we don't see singularity bubbles
> currently, is that they may all reach a similar conclusion:
>
> "The universe is perfect as it is"
>
> An engineered being might possibly never experience suffering, and
> never experience the need to change the universe to suit them. Perhaps
> there is a fairly effective barrier to expansion created by the ability
> to think? The cosmos may be full of beings who have stopped expanding,
> and are happy to watch nature take its course.
>
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