Buddhism and Transhumanism.

[52midnight]

Comparatively few English speakers will have heard of Transhumanism, and even fewer Thai speakers; yet it is one of the most dangerous social programs in today's world. It has almost unlimited funding available from many wealthy, influential and determined proponents in all nations - people like Tom Cruise, Bill Gates, and the Dalai Lama; it enjoys the active support of the mainstream media and the movie industry; has its own dedicated university to spread its essentially religious message; and even a target date for achievement - 2045. Why, then, is it not better known?

Perhaps the main reason is that it sounds both absurd and impossible to sane, decent folk, who cannot conceive either of the future it promises nor the type of person who would want it. It envisions the future evolution of Mankind as a race of bioelectronically-enhanced super-robots - avatars as they are called - into which human consciousness is "uploaded". Of course, not everyone will be offered this opportunity; although never stated explicitly, it is obviously intended for the ruling elite. But young students are encouraged not to "miss out on the Singularity". "What's that?" I hear you ask. As Time magazine put it on a cover story, it's "The Year Man Becomes Immortal". Unlike mere biological bodies, you see, avatars can be continually repaired and upgraded, and are thus effectively everlasting.

In case you think that this is the ultimate conspiracy theory or party joke, I've provided links below if you care to investigate the simple truth of the matter. It's quite real. Singularity University advertises itself thus: "Our mission is to educate, inspire and empower leaders to apply exponential technologies to address humanity's grand challenges." True, immortality is nothing if not a challenge.

Most of the declared alternatives to Transhumanism derive from the Western Judeo-Christian tradition, albeit the modern decadent version that has adopted dialectical materialism as the preferred substitute for religious fantasies that are no longer credible. All of these agenda present a utopian vision of well-being and prosperity for everyone; but all are founded on the increasing dominance of a wealthy, empowered elite who will eventually own and control the entire planet, with the great mass of people serving as a work force, an organ farm, and a gene pool.

Extremes of social and political ambition in the past were hampered by lack of means for asserting invincible authority. Today this can be done using modern technology, as convincingly demonstrated, for example, by the use of remote-controlled aerial drones to carry out continuous wide-area surveillance and individually-targeted assassinations anywhere on the planet. Those who control such technology may well be able to exercize unbridled power indefinitely. Much of the extreme violence and inhuman brutality in modern movies are overt celebrations of transhumanist ideals arising from the physical supremacy and ruthless violence of which technologically-enhanced humans are presumed capable.

So why should this concern Buddhists? A recent report in "The Nation" highlighted the case of a jet-setting Thai monk indulging all the material pleasures in extremis; and, as the poster of the article remarks, "Many Thai Buddhists are also deeply into the habit of donating money for the construction of this and that gigantic Buddha or statues of venerable monks, despite the fact any fairly well-educated Buddhist must be fully aware that the historical Buddha forbade the making of Buddha statues for worship. Next, there's widespread belief in praying for health, wealth, and whatever you want from monks, Buddha statues, Hindu statues, Buddhist and Hindu amulets by those who are supposedly Buddhists. Never mind if the Buddha himself said one should depend of oneself and not on others."

In short, Buddhism is under attack, both from within and without. Its own adherents are increasingly abandoning their ancient wisdom for modern "pleasures", only to find their satisfaction partial and fleeting. Unless Buddhists can publicize real benefits of their doctrines and practices, they are doomed to extinction, and along with them what little hope remains for a sane human future.

Furthermore, Buddhists possess an "automatic" incentive to ongoing personal development that most materialists lack, but they do not recognize this invaluable trait as the great blessing it is. Materialism often leads to nihilism, and out of this comes the desire for "techno-human" development via a complete re-engineering of the planet's genetic code and humanity itself. Those who dismiss this as alarmist future-mongering have simply failed to appreciate both the present technological capabilities and the mind-sets of those obsessed by them.

Arthur Kroker, Professor of Political Science at the University of Victoria and Director of the Pacific Centre for Technology and Culture, identified an abhorrent element within the technological community. "Suicidal nihilists", states Kroker, "occupy the commanding heights of digital reality." He elaborates, "They can very happily ally themselves with a notion of nuclear holocaust or perfect exterminism. They're creating again and again the exterminism of human memory, the exterminism of human sensibility, the exterminism of individuated human intelligence, the exterminism of human morality itself."

The only effective response to these terminally destructive tendencies is to offer methods of subjective investigation that produce valid results, and a philosophy that elucidates them, a requirement that true Buddhist philosophy can surely meet.

http://extropy.org
http://www.extropy.org/faq.htm
http://humanityplus.org
http://singularity.org
http://www.2045.com
http://singularityu.org
http://ieet.org/index.php/IEET/more/treder20101111
http://intelligence.org/
http://www.globalresearch.ca/the-global-reserve-army-of-labor-and-the-new-imperialism/27549
http://www.blacklistednews.com/Biologically_Modified_Soldiers_Are_the_Future_of_Warfare/23359/0/38/38/Y/M.html

[camerata]

What interests me about transhumanism is that the Buddha's techniques of mental cultivation only work on humans as we know them. Human suffering hasn't changed since the Buddha's time, so the techniques still work. But in the future, with changes in the species, the quantity and quality of suffering may change quite a lot. A lot of suffering has a physical component, and that will be gone if we upload our minds to a machine. When I see someone get knifed in the stomach in a movie the nerves in my stomach start tingling. I'm sure that is a major component in empathy. Without it I suspect a human mind in a machine could be pretty ruthless.

On the other hand, I think I would feel a kind of existential anguish being fully conscious inside a machine. I would feel incredibly vulnerable without the mobility a human has. How could I act on the "fight or flight" instinct? Even if I was fully mobile, who controls my power source? Could someone remotely control me or switch me off via an iPhone app? Did the maker of my exoskeleton build in a secret expiry date as a safety measure. I think the ego would rapidly become extremely paranoid about this and be beyond the help of Buddhism.

I read a book on genetics a few of years ago (Remaking Eden) that pointed out that genetic engineering is driven by supply and demand rather than ethical or moral considerations. Governments don't determine what is done (despite trying), parents do. And parents will go to any country that will do what they need.

The author (a geneticist) extrapolated what would be possible in the near future and beyond, and it went something like this. Gradually more and more of the genes and gene-combinations that control characteristics and behaviour will be discovered. At present we can do some engineering to fix faulty genes, but ultimately we'll be able to add or subtract genes to provide custom-made babies. With (rich) parents driving the business, eventually they'll be able to order up a baby with the ideal physique, ability and inclination to be a quarterback or a physicist.

Over a period of time, this genetically rich level of society (which he called GenRich) would voluntarily separate itself from (relatively poor) natural humans and after more time its DNA would be different enough that cross-breeding would not be possible and it would be a new species. In the author's scenario, the GenRich use their skills and money to move out to other planets in the galaxy and leave the natural humans to suffer on a polluted and overcrowded earth.

I think that ultimately the minds of the GenRich would not be human in the way that we understand "human" today and would therefore not be responsive to the Buddha's techniques of mind cultivation. On the other hand, who's to say that a GenRich Buddha wouldn't arise - or be created - to teach new techniques?

[52midnight]

> the Buddha's techniques of mental cultivation only work on humans as we know them.

Interesting point, though I'd question its validity in the broader sense, since we've no way of testing your hypothesis.

> Human suffering hasn't changed since the Buddha's time

Again, I'm not sure that this is certain. Have you heard of "Offline Camps" where the social-media-addicted go for "cold turkey"? I think we've actually generated a whole new range of possible sufferings, many of which start out as mere curiosities, but end in alienating people so drastically, not only from others but also from their own psychospiritual natures, that they quite likely feel horribly ? mutated? ADHD etc?

> with changes in the species

Again, the plans to feed the whole human population on genetically modified foodcrops raise unanswerable questions; and if you're not yet aware of the grotesque human-animal hybrids being genetically engineered in labs across the world, you've only begun to imagine depravity:

http://www.blacklistednews.com/Human-Animal_Hybrids%3A_Sick_And_Twisted_Chimeras_Are_Being_Created_In_Labs_All_Over_The_Planet/27282/0/38/38/Y/M.html


> that will be gone if we upload our minds to a machine.

OK, so imagine George W. Bush as a first-generation avatar. Works pretty well, but still a few things to be ironed out. Forget the booze; alcohol has no effect on electronic circuitry; and although he can "get it up" quite strongly, there's no actual sensation - just keep poking it in and out, in and out, in and out - just who the hell designed this thing, anyway? It's good for another two hundred years, by which time he may even be able to feel something between his legs; but that could just be what's coming out from behind ... You're welcome to it.

My personal experience is that deep meditation on your own physical mechanism not only keeps it far healthier than the norm, but enhances its sensual abilities (decorum prevents further elaboration) and, properly pursued, could well result in a superior type of mechanism if practised across generations.

> I suspect a human mind in a machine could be pretty ruthless.

You're on the money there, right enough!

> Could someone remotely control me or switch me off via an iPhone app?

You can be very certain of someone "higher up" with, not only an on/off switch, but a number of knobs to tweak that may give you spasms of intense pleasure, and also spasms of ... well, best not to dwell on it.

A thoughtful post. My own ideas centre around strengthening the flow and quality of "chi", "ki", "prana". Whatever you call it, anyone who's gotten past the elementary stages of focused physical meditation knows that it's real, it works as a health-giving energy, and it can be actively strengthened and altered once familiarity is gained. I mean, honestly, you're in a country that's been Buddhist for centuries, where meditation is a daily practice amongst the population, and if you think that all of their meditation is on "being holy", you may be interested to know, not only that there is such a thing as a sex industry in Thailand, but that the beauty of their women far exceeds that of almost all Western females; in fact, many young Thai males possess far greater physical beauty than the average Western female. And this is just an accident of diet and climate?

Edited July 13, 2013 by 52midnight

[camerata]

> the Buddha's techniques of mental cultivation only work on humans as we know them.

Interesting point, though I'd question its validity in the broader sense, since we've no way of testing your hypothesis.

Obviously, this is just extrapolation, but the technique has to have limits. Going back in time, would it work on a Neanderthal? I'm pretty sure it wouldn't. Would it work on an intelligent species from another solar system or a genetically modified human? I think it depends on how far the mind has deviated from the way it works today. What if we can eliminate the "selfish gene" in the future? Would we even need "liberation" then?

Presumably, if the GenRich scenario becomes a reality, parents could specify a child with all the attributes needed to attain arahantship in a short time.