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Zach
Buddhism and Technology: Do Buddhist Monks’ Increasing
Use of Technology Conflict with Buddhism?
Zach Henderson
University of Minnesota
Zach Henderson
University of Minnesota
 |
PSY 3960
Dr. Angus MacDonald III
Dr. Angus MacDonald III
At
its’ core philosophy, Buddhist perspective into the causes of human suffering
maintains that suffering stems from our desires and cravings. If one wants or
craves something (presumably not currently owned), this alone has the potential
for us to suffer. For example, if one craves a 90” television, they may choose
to work overtime each week for a year to save enough money to do so, thereby
causing suffering. As models of Buddhism, monks have established 227 rules in
order to help themselves avert these causes of suffering. However, the dawn of
the 21st century has introduced a plethora of technology that
societies around the globe have readily adopted. This leads us to an important
question, do Buddhist monks’ use of technologies such as mobile phones and the
internet conflict with their religion?
Unfortunately, this question presents an answer that is unable to suffice with a simple yes or no. In this regard, an analysis of this question is best explained by an outline of potential conflicts via use of technologies followed by any benefits that may be attained by use of technologies.
By using technologies such as mobile phones and computers, Buddhist monks clearly have a better ability to communicate with the outside world. However, it goes without saying that not everything that is able to be seen or heard, are those of a beneficial or non-distracting nature. Pornography, gambling, online auction sites, web domains maintained by hate groups, all of which are but a sampling of portals an online monk may access at the click of a button. These offerings represent a danger, however seemingly small, that a monk may become so distracted that he may choose to become disengaged monkhood in order to follow these newfound interests.
Additionally, a Buddhist monk’s use of items such as mobile phones and computers presents ample opportunities for wanting or craving, inevitably leading to suffering. Positional goods are defined as goods or services whose value is judged in relative, rather than absolute, terms. For example, although your ownership of a laptop in Minneapolis, Minnesota may be an item considered to be of value, the high number of other laptop owners in your immediate area would result in laptop ownership to be of average value. In contrast, when your ownership of a laptop occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa where you are the sole laptop owner in your village, the fact that you are the only laptop owner makes your laptop very valuable relative to the village, regardless of its’ identical store pricing in America. In this sense, because it is impractical for a monastery or other Buddhist establishment to uniformly distribute mobile phones to its’ monks, could this introduce positional goods? Could, for instance, a phone-less monk desire the new cell phone that another monk is using? Despite extensive efforts by monks to resist wanting, these items potentially pose an additional object of desire leading to suffering.
Although increasing use of technology may present the potential for negative effects, their adoption by the monkhood also presents several benefits. One key benefit of the internet that computer-enabled monks may take advantage of, is the ability to instantly distribute information to the entire world. By using the internet, monks have an ability to:
- Extensively research an area of concentration, whether this be Buddhism-related information about meditation and chanting’s, or for other educational benefit like modern economics
-Prepare and distribute lectures, pamphlets, and other materials that help spread Buddha’s teachings and educate all who are interested about Buddhism
-Organize and facilitate community events such as enquiring the Red Cross about a blood drive, or arranging a youth soccer tournament
-Check prices of building materials for maintenance in order to get the best possible value
These are only a few examples among many, but arguably the most valuable adaptation of the internet lies in its’ ability to store valuable information, after all, there’s nothing in Buddhist literature that states that a typed word is different than a quill stroke. The internets’ ability to indefinitely store information enables ancient Buddhist literature to be stored in safety. A shining example of this in action is the Asian Classics Input Project (ACIP). The ACIP is dedicated to locating, cataloguing, preserving, and sharing Sanskrit and Tibetan manuscripts dating back more than 2500 years and heavily relies on Tibetan refugee women and monastics for text input. To date, more than two million pages of Buddhist literature have been digitally saved and tens of thousands of pages have been catalogues into searchable e-books for public use.
Beyond benefits of internet usage, the ability for monks to use mobile phones presents its’ own set of benefits. By use of mobile phone, monasteries can better keep in touch with remote temples and the monks who go to them, helping monks travel between Buddhist sites as well as improving the safety of monks who travel alone or in remote locations. As explained by Pra Jay at Wat Sri Soda, mobile phones also present educational advantages. As a monastic teacher, it was important for Pra Jay to be able to help novices visit their often-remote families, as well as stay in communication with the temples that welcome novices into the monastic life.
Do Buddhist monks’ use of technologies such as mobile phones and the internet conflict with their religion? In short, it seems there is nothing explicit that Buddhist monks should not be able to use technologies such as mobile phones and internet-enabled computers. Clearly, the adaptation of these devices can yield significant benefits. Conversely, the adaptation of these devices may also present temptations that could potentially lead to wanting, and ultimately suffering. Although a monk may use the internet to maintain a monastery web domain, once he begins to deviate from this religious work and begin browsing the Amazon.com website, this begins to present a problem. It seems that although a Buddhist monk should be allowed to make full adaptation of these technologies, this adaptation represents a double-edged sword that requires a delicate balance between its’ use in Buddhism, and the temptation of desire.
Unfortunately, this question presents an answer that is unable to suffice with a simple yes or no. In this regard, an analysis of this question is best explained by an outline of potential conflicts via use of technologies followed by any benefits that may be attained by use of technologies.
By using technologies such as mobile phones and computers, Buddhist monks clearly have a better ability to communicate with the outside world. However, it goes without saying that not everything that is able to be seen or heard, are those of a beneficial or non-distracting nature. Pornography, gambling, online auction sites, web domains maintained by hate groups, all of which are but a sampling of portals an online monk may access at the click of a button. These offerings represent a danger, however seemingly small, that a monk may become so distracted that he may choose to become disengaged monkhood in order to follow these newfound interests.
Additionally, a Buddhist monk’s use of items such as mobile phones and computers presents ample opportunities for wanting or craving, inevitably leading to suffering. Positional goods are defined as goods or services whose value is judged in relative, rather than absolute, terms. For example, although your ownership of a laptop in Minneapolis, Minnesota may be an item considered to be of value, the high number of other laptop owners in your immediate area would result in laptop ownership to be of average value. In contrast, when your ownership of a laptop occurs in Sub-Saharan Africa where you are the sole laptop owner in your village, the fact that you are the only laptop owner makes your laptop very valuable relative to the village, regardless of its’ identical store pricing in America. In this sense, because it is impractical for a monastery or other Buddhist establishment to uniformly distribute mobile phones to its’ monks, could this introduce positional goods? Could, for instance, a phone-less monk desire the new cell phone that another monk is using? Despite extensive efforts by monks to resist wanting, these items potentially pose an additional object of desire leading to suffering.
Although increasing use of technology may present the potential for negative effects, their adoption by the monkhood also presents several benefits. One key benefit of the internet that computer-enabled monks may take advantage of, is the ability to instantly distribute information to the entire world. By using the internet, monks have an ability to:
- Extensively research an area of concentration, whether this be Buddhism-related information about meditation and chanting’s, or for other educational benefit like modern economics
-Prepare and distribute lectures, pamphlets, and other materials that help spread Buddha’s teachings and educate all who are interested about Buddhism
-Organize and facilitate community events such as enquiring the Red Cross about a blood drive, or arranging a youth soccer tournament
-Check prices of building materials for maintenance in order to get the best possible value
These are only a few examples among many, but arguably the most valuable adaptation of the internet lies in its’ ability to store valuable information, after all, there’s nothing in Buddhist literature that states that a typed word is different than a quill stroke. The internets’ ability to indefinitely store information enables ancient Buddhist literature to be stored in safety. A shining example of this in action is the Asian Classics Input Project (ACIP). The ACIP is dedicated to locating, cataloguing, preserving, and sharing Sanskrit and Tibetan manuscripts dating back more than 2500 years and heavily relies on Tibetan refugee women and monastics for text input. To date, more than two million pages of Buddhist literature have been digitally saved and tens of thousands of pages have been catalogues into searchable e-books for public use.
Beyond benefits of internet usage, the ability for monks to use mobile phones presents its’ own set of benefits. By use of mobile phone, monasteries can better keep in touch with remote temples and the monks who go to them, helping monks travel between Buddhist sites as well as improving the safety of monks who travel alone or in remote locations. As explained by Pra Jay at Wat Sri Soda, mobile phones also present educational advantages. As a monastic teacher, it was important for Pra Jay to be able to help novices visit their often-remote families, as well as stay in communication with the temples that welcome novices into the monastic life.
Do Buddhist monks’ use of technologies such as mobile phones and the internet conflict with their religion? In short, it seems there is nothing explicit that Buddhist monks should not be able to use technologies such as mobile phones and internet-enabled computers. Clearly, the adaptation of these devices can yield significant benefits. Conversely, the adaptation of these devices may also present temptations that could potentially lead to wanting, and ultimately suffering. Although a monk may use the internet to maintain a monastery web domain, once he begins to deviate from this religious work and begin browsing the Amazon.com website, this begins to present a problem. It seems that although a Buddhist monk should be allowed to make full adaptation of these technologies, this adaptation represents a double-edged sword that requires a delicate balance between its’ use in Buddhism, and the temptation of desire.
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