The Teaching of Future Buddhism in Two Dynamic Virtual Worlds
Author: Nano-organic Elixir
Date: 15th February 2020
Keywords: #technology, #virtual world, #social media, #Dhamma, #teaching
Length: 1363 words
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| The Lord Buddha's Teachings reach people of the world through online opportunity. |
The message for Gen Xers, Gen Yers, and millennium is that in
the modern society, there is education which is good. There is
technology which is also good. But what absent in the techonomic world
education system is its function to educate people the values of the
mind, and of loving-kindness. It does not matter whether being Buddhist
or non-Buddhist. Loving-kindness lives in the heart, beyond religion.
Now the new generations of world citizen live in other worlds constructed by texting, Facebook, Twitter, and other online social media. These other virtual social worlds exist only through the eyes and mind: there is no touch, no taste, no smell, and very little hearing. As such, virtual worlds present Buddhist teachers with students and practitioners who live not just one step removed from reality, but two.
Buddhist lay-teachers and teaching monks cannot afford to underestimate the impact of virtual social media on people today, particularly young people who become neurologically adapted to this lifestyle, and on people’s ability to meditate in order to know themselves, to touch truth, and to become enlightened. The next generation of Dhamma teachers and monastics must not shy away from understanding the force of technology on young people because these virtual worlds are also a part of reality in the same way that every human’s thoughts is part of reality, too. People in the IT-oriented world need to understand that, just as thoughts are one part of reality, a part that can distort reality significantly, so too are these virtual worlds online.
So it is essential that Dhamma teachers and Sangha understand two basic issues. First, they must incorporate the Teachings with the use of technology. They need to become adept at teaching through the internet to reach those who use the internet as their primary learning tool, to allow them to access the Buddhist know-how so they can live their lives mindfully and wisely, and to engage the great technologies of their age in ways that benefit themselves, their society and their world.
However, it is not saying that all Buddhist teaching monks need to understand the virtual social world the next generation lives in. Fact has shown that there were plenty of great venerable monks in mountain temples and forest monasteries in the past century and are at present time who did not and do not drive a car, watch television, use a mobile phone, or play video games, yet they taught the Buddha’s knowledge in a way that many could understand and many led more enlightened lives as a result.
But for teaching Dhamma outside monasteries and in the world, such as teaching Sunday school classes or working with university students, the teachers really must take into account that most of young Dhamma students or practitioners live in two different worlds, and one of those worlds is even more virtual than this one. Just as people get lost in this world, they get lost in that virtual one as well, and Dhamma teachers need to know how to enter that world in order to lead them out. The main focus is definitely on the Dhamma principle itself, but it should be relatable to a broader framework of life in today’s world. For example, the teacher may suggest meditation practitioners to text message to each other every time they sit meditating, as a way of encouraging one another.
So instead of shying away from technology, they should emphasize meditators and practitioners to try to function it within mainstream culture, embrace it, and try to integrate it into their practice, which is definitely a new, and very futuristic thing.
Second, monks and non-monk teachers need to know the importance of connecting and linking the Teachings with the real society. Society is really the key to Buddhist studies. People are experiencing a profound loss of a sense of society at the same time that social networking is taking off. As such, Buddhist monks and teachers need to actually remind people in the present overwhelming digital technology world the importance of participating in human community and family; it means actually go and encourage people by saying, ‘Turn off your computer for a little while, you can turn it back on later, go find other people to meditate and socialize with.’
In routine life pattern, everybody should learn the need to go out and get dinner, not a second-life dinner but have an actual dinner. It is human’s connection. It is the key to deeply understanding Buddhist teachings through building human connections with each other.
With the new trendy culture fascinating in Buddhist practice, Buddhism of tomorrow is more diverse, and therefore continues to grow. Buddhist practice in some countries is more what it is called ‘alternative’; ‘alternative’ in the sense of being outside the mainstream belief of the majority population but acceptable because Buddhist teachings are absolutely relevant to all Gens and all time. And technology will help drawing youth in, not alienate them from Dhamma practice as some are talking and worrying. The inclusion of youth in the Dhamma or meditation centers or temple’s community will only create a vital, exciting new form of Buddhism. So Buddhist teaching is far from dying out but its future expressions may take people by surprise.
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Now the new generations of world citizen live in other worlds constructed by texting, Facebook, Twitter, and other online social media. These other virtual social worlds exist only through the eyes and mind: there is no touch, no taste, no smell, and very little hearing. As such, virtual worlds present Buddhist teachers with students and practitioners who live not just one step removed from reality, but two.
Buddhist lay-teachers and teaching monks cannot afford to underestimate the impact of virtual social media on people today, particularly young people who become neurologically adapted to this lifestyle, and on people’s ability to meditate in order to know themselves, to touch truth, and to become enlightened. The next generation of Dhamma teachers and monastics must not shy away from understanding the force of technology on young people because these virtual worlds are also a part of reality in the same way that every human’s thoughts is part of reality, too. People in the IT-oriented world need to understand that, just as thoughts are one part of reality, a part that can distort reality significantly, so too are these virtual worlds online.
So it is essential that Dhamma teachers and Sangha understand two basic issues. First, they must incorporate the Teachings with the use of technology. They need to become adept at teaching through the internet to reach those who use the internet as their primary learning tool, to allow them to access the Buddhist know-how so they can live their lives mindfully and wisely, and to engage the great technologies of their age in ways that benefit themselves, their society and their world.
However, it is not saying that all Buddhist teaching monks need to understand the virtual social world the next generation lives in. Fact has shown that there were plenty of great venerable monks in mountain temples and forest monasteries in the past century and are at present time who did not and do not drive a car, watch television, use a mobile phone, or play video games, yet they taught the Buddha’s knowledge in a way that many could understand and many led more enlightened lives as a result.
But for teaching Dhamma outside monasteries and in the world, such as teaching Sunday school classes or working with university students, the teachers really must take into account that most of young Dhamma students or practitioners live in two different worlds, and one of those worlds is even more virtual than this one. Just as people get lost in this world, they get lost in that virtual one as well, and Dhamma teachers need to know how to enter that world in order to lead them out. The main focus is definitely on the Dhamma principle itself, but it should be relatable to a broader framework of life in today’s world. For example, the teacher may suggest meditation practitioners to text message to each other every time they sit meditating, as a way of encouraging one another.
So instead of shying away from technology, they should emphasize meditators and practitioners to try to function it within mainstream culture, embrace it, and try to integrate it into their practice, which is definitely a new, and very futuristic thing.
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| Buddhist monks are trained to spread Buddhist knowledge on social media. |
The website is also a wonderful model for how the Buddhist knowledge dissemination is evolving. It is an incredible gift of skillful means. It allows more people especially the young generation to contribute in the way that they can contribute. There are so many new blogs and websites that are not run by teachers but by young Buddhist practitioners and students who want to talk about Dhamma in their ways, and to be part of it. They tailors it to their lifestyle which is very important because young people are coming to Buddhism for a myriad of reasons. And it seems their reasons tend to be profound and important. Yet, they are also very interested in retaining their individuality rather than just becoming a certain Buddhist identity. That is one of the more interesting phenomena occurring right now.
There are a numbers of Buddhist teachers and monks exploring potential teaching opportunities with virtual reality. Through these technologies, it connects people to the Teachings and peers. In this way, the Religion can serve wide range of people who want spiritual fulfillment and for those who shun traditional way of receiving the Teachings including those who may be socially marginalized or geographically isolated. Technology makes Dhamma knowledge more equally accessible. As all can see, numbers of young generation who may not enable to afford for Dhamma courses or a meditation retreat spends thousands of hours studying Buddhism in the online virtual world second life. People innately have a longing for something greater than the small sense of self that they find themselves living in. It is a spiritual or sacred longing.
However, surfing the internet on they own as online pre-mature religious seekers, they need to the curate digital content in order to be sure of the accuracy and trustworthy. And Buddhist technologies can be thought of not as a substitute, but as a ‘workaround’. At some point, those who want a deep dive into practice will have to find their way to a Buddhist meditation center and do a residential retreat.
Deep Dhamma practice in the present complex time is not only not out-of-date but rather seem to be trendy as the latest cool lifestyle with which to experiment. Now on social media, it is often seen that a millennial shares postings on IG, FB or TT that just being back from a meditation retreat which are seen as commonplace occurrences that apparently convey both a meaningful and hip life. This evolution offers strength and benefit when the young Gen culture’s attention moves toward the next hip, cool thing to do. And when these youngsters make close bonds with their peers on the teen retreats, and then stay in touch and check in with one another, it makes them want to come back again for the retreat in the future.
The stark contrast of retreat to present busy, over-committed ways of living, offers something easily tangible for those beginning to explore Buddhist practice, while also supporting deeper insights for those who have practiced longer. Experiences with renunciation connect practitioners to the monastic lifestyle that the Lord Buddha created to support practice.
Second, monks and non-monk teachers need to know the importance of connecting and linking the Teachings with the real society. Society is really the key to Buddhist studies. People are experiencing a profound loss of a sense of society at the same time that social networking is taking off. As such, Buddhist monks and teachers need to actually remind people in the present overwhelming digital technology world the importance of participating in human community and family; it means actually go and encourage people by saying, ‘Turn off your computer for a little while, you can turn it back on later, go find other people to meditate and socialize with.’
In routine life pattern, everybody should learn the need to go out and get dinner, not a second-life dinner but have an actual dinner. It is human’s connection. It is the key to deeply understanding Buddhist teachings through building human connections with each other.
With the new trendy culture fascinating in Buddhist practice, Buddhism of tomorrow is more diverse, and therefore continues to grow. Buddhist practice in some countries is more what it is called ‘alternative’; ‘alternative’ in the sense of being outside the mainstream belief of the majority population but acceptable because Buddhist teachings are absolutely relevant to all Gens and all time. And technology will help drawing youth in, not alienate them from Dhamma practice as some are talking and worrying. The inclusion of youth in the Dhamma or meditation centers or temple’s community will only create a vital, exciting new form of Buddhism. So Buddhist teaching is far from dying out but its future expressions may take people by surprise.
🍸🍷🍹🍼🍸🍷🍹🍼🍸🍷🍹