Ethics, Technology

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Ethics, Technology Buddhism
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Buddhism

• How are the Ethical Norms characteristic of
  Buddhism similar to other religions?
• Harmonious relations between people
• Compassionate care for other beings
• Self restraint
• Economic justice
• Non-violence

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Buddhism

• How are the Ethical Norms of Buddhism different
  than other religions?
• No supreme authority
• Radical relativity
• Interdependence of phenomena
• Dependant co-arising
• Everything arises and ceases in continuous flux

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Buddhism

• How are the Ethical Norms of Buddhism different
  than other religions?
• To understand the notion of dependant co-arising
  and and interdependence of phenomena one must
  think of everything in endless flux. To have
  this understanding is to experience wisdom and
  to the extent one is grounded in this
  awareness, ethical behavior (silla) arises
  effortlessly.
• Example Wisdom and Silla (like two hands washing
  each other) ethical behavior informs wisdom and
  wisdom informs ethical behavior.

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Buddhism

• Characteristics of Power provide information
  about the underlying worldview

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Buddhism

• What are the characteristics of power in the
  West?
• Power has metaphysical and epistemological roots.
  Our unexamined assumptions or story about the
  structure of reality determines how we will view
  power.

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Buddhism

• What are the characteristics of power in the
  West?
• Story that the world is made of stuff
• Separate, autonomous or independent things
• Power is about keeping ourselves separate
• What these separate things can do to each other?
• Exert our will to control the stuff
• Win or loose it
• Power becomes domination and subordination of
  will and control over something

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Buddhism

• Western Notion of Power
• Power over property or others (something you
  can win or loose) giving rise to

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Buddhism

• Western Notion of Power
• Separate sense of self exacerbates Western
  cultures anxiety, depression and sense of
  isolation.

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Buddhism

• Western Notion of Power
• This sense of separate things that can assert
  power over other
• Defenses
• keep things unchangeable (I am so powerful I
  will not change my mindand invulnerable)
• Win-loose mentality-Remember Bateson..hubris
• Fear (life forms need defenses but if you want
  something to grow those same defenses need to be
  able to break apart) (US most powerful nation,
  spends the most on defenses to make us
  invulnerable)
• Axiomatic but not a logical connection

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Buddhism

• What are the characteristics of power in Buddhist
  culture?
• Experience ourselves as inter-connected whole, in
  flux and flows revealing patterns that
  self-organize
• Different notion of power

Power with
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Buddhism

• Buddhist Notion of Power with
• Power is an emergent phenomena (property) that
  arises as we act together
• Power results from synergy
• Connectivity results in power

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Buddhism
Fundamental Assumption is Buddhism relates to the
notion of Suffering

• Suffering stems from power over lack of
  wisdom (cant see interconnectivity)
• Three Poisons (opposite of the three virtues)
• Delusion-Seeing ourselves as separate (ignorance)
  is thinking that you are separate (from web of
  life
• see the parts and cant see the wholemutually
  reinforcing mistake about life
• Aversion-Keeping ourselves defended, separate
  gives rise to hatred
• Greed-Craving things for ourselves alone at the
  expense of others
• Gives rise to need to hold on to whats mine

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Buddhism
Fundamental Assumption is Buddhism relates to the
notion 0f Suffering

• Suffering stems from power over lack of
  wisdom (cant see interconnectivity)
• Wisdom is gained by the experience of the
  following of inter-connectivity and radical
  relativity through meditation
• Annata-no-self
• Annica-everything is constantly changing

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Buddhism

• Biology and system thinking changed the lens with
  which we see reality. Instead of seeing things as
  separate we now began to see things as flows of
  matter and energy and information and what
  appeared to be separate entities we began to see
  as nodes and patterns that self organize thanks
  to these flows.
• Open systems because they sustain themselves
  through the flow of matter, energy and
  information.
• Systems thinkers fascinated analyzing the
  principles and properties by which the flows
  generated these open systems.
• Example of the neural net

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Buddhism

• Four Noble Truths
• Life is suffering (dukkha) or out of joint
• Cause of Dukkha is desire for private
  fulfillment---craving and aversion
• There is a means by which such a resolution is
  possible overcoming craving and aversion gives
  rise to freedom from suffering
• 8 fold path leads to this freedom

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Buddhism

• Eight Fold Path suggest a way to behave that
  provide the optimal conditions to shift our
  thinking and resolve the Four Noble Truths.

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Buddhism

• Sangha
• Radical inter-connectivity
• Power with
• Sharing
• Fundamental generosity-making sure everyone has
  enough

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Buddhism

• The means by which such a resolution is possible
  is found in the practice of the Eight Fold
  Pathwe can dissolve the patterns of conditioning
  that bring about suffering by developing right
  view, right intention, right speech, right
  action, right livelihood, right effort, right
  mindfulness, and right concentration. This is not
  to be accepted passively, but with insightand it
  requires training--training for life.
• In sum, the root of Buddhism lies in developing
  skillful insight into the interdependent
  origination of all things, and through this,
  redirecting the movement of our situation from
  cycles of chronic trouble and suffering toward
  release from those cycles.

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Buddhism

• Eight fold path designed to release the
  individual from ignorance, unwitting impulse, and
  the drive for private fulfillment.
• Right view-the intellectual viewpoint necessary
  to embark on this path and a belief in the basic
  map and understanding of it.
• Right intention--The intention to be
  single-minded in ones pursuit.
• Right speech--Attention to language--avoiding
  uncharitable, false or unkind speech, and
  avoiding speech which thickens the ego such as
  rationalizations because we are afraid of
  revealing ourselves.
• Right action--Reflect on ones action with an eye
  on ones motive. How much generosity is involved
  and how much self-seeking. One moves from
  selfishness toward charity with the Buddhas
  version of 10 Commandments such as do not steal,
  do not kill, do not lie, do not be unchaste, do
  not drink to point of intoxication.
• Right livelihood--Our work will influence our
  progress on the path therefore any work which
  isnt in alignment is to be avoided.
• Right effort--Steady effort.
• Right mindfulness--Continuous self-examination,
  and.
• Right concentration.

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