Ethics, Technology & Buddhism

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
 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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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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Two views of reality around the time of Buddha

Parmenides Heraclitus
The world made is up The world is in constant flux
of discrete material
“stuff”
 Buddhism
Two views of reality around the time of Buddha

Parmenides Heraclitus
The world made is up The world is in constant flux
of discrete material
“stuff”
 Buddhism

Characteristics of Power provide

information about the underlying
worldview
 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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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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Western Notion of Power
 Power “over”… property or others
(something you can win or loose) giving
rise to:
 Buddhism
Western Notion of Power
Separate sense of self exacerbates
Western culture’s anxiety, depression and
sense of isolation.
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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 mind”and “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
 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”
 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
 Buddhism
Fundamental Assumption is Buddhism relates to the notion
of Suffering
– Suffering stems from “power over” + lack of wisdom (can’t 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 can’t see the whole—mutually 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 what’s mine
 Buddhism
Fundamental Assumption is Buddhism relates to the notion
0f Suffering
Suffering stems from “power over” + lack of wisdom
(can’t 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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 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
 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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• 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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Sangha
• Radical inter-connectivity
• Power with…
• Sharing
• Fundamental generosity-making sure everyone has
enough
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 The means by which such a resolution is possible is found in the
practice of the Eight Fold Path—we 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
insight…and 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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• 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 one’s 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 one’s action with an eye on one’s motive. How much
generosity is involved and how much self-seeking. One moves from selfishness
toward charity with the Buddha’s 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 isn’t in alignment is to be avoided.
– Right effort--Steady effort.
– Right mindfulness--Continuous self-examination, and.
– Right concentration.
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