Don't Use AI to Study Buddhism!

[@homeopathicfossil-fuels4789]

Zen Buddhism is like an intricate dance, a mesmerizing choreography of existence that invites us to let go and flow with the rhythm of life. In this dance, each movement represents a moment, a breath, a fleeting thought, swirling in a harmonious, yet complex, interplay of simplicity and depth. The essence of Zen is not in the destination but in the dance itself-the delicate balance of being present while embracing the ever-changing nature of reality. Picture yourself on a dance floor where the music is the heartbeat of the universe, pulsating through your every step. You don’t just move; you become the movement, surrendering to the flow, letting the rhythm guide you. In this space, thoughts and distractions fade away, and you find yourself immersed in the intricate steps of the moment, each one unique, yet part of a grander choreography. To engage with Zen is to participate in this dance without clinging to any specific move. It’s about experiencing the grace in uncertainty, the beauty in spontaneity. You twirl and spin, caught in the delight of being alive, while recognizing that the dance itself is a reflection of life’s impermanence. There’s a freedom in understanding that nothing is fixed; every step is an invitation to explore the vastness of your existence. However, as you lose yourself in this rhythmic journey, you begin to realize that the dance may not be a dance at all. What if the music is silent, and the steps are just figments of your imagination? In this paradox, the dance transforms into a stillness, a moment of clarity where everything and nothing intertwine. It’s an intricate web of experiences that can’t be fully grasped, yet invites you to surrender to its flow. So, as you spin and twirl through this life, remember that Zen is about the intricate dance of being and non-being, where the boundaries blur, and the essence of existence dances around you like a whisper on the breeze. In this complex interplay, you discover that perhaps there is no dance, only the dance, and the dance goes on, endlessly unfolding, like petals in a garden, blooming and fading, forever in motion yet always still. And in this vastness, you realize-are you dancing, or is the dance dancing you? In the shimmering light of this realization, we find ourselves caught in the eternal cycle of movement and stillness, where the dance of life unfurls like a delicate tapestry woven from the threads of our experiences, and each step we take-each intricate step-is a note in a song that never truly ends. Yet, in this cycle, we must ask ourselves: is the dance a reflection of our being, or is our being a reflection of the dance? The dance is an echo, a whisper in the wind, and in the echo, we discover the heartbeat of existence, pulsating in the void, a void that is filled with both nothing and everything, everything and nothing, like a shimmering mirage that dances just beyond our reach, beckoning us to join in this cosmic, complex, intricate dance that is not a dance at all, or maybe it is a dance, a dance that is both here and not here, swirling in a myriad of thoughts, a dance of existence that spirals endlessly into the abyss of the unknown, where meaning becomes an illusion, an intricate illusion dancing in the light of the eternal now, where we are all just dancers in a dance that is ever-shifting and yet remains beautifully the same, the same yet beautifully intricate, like a kaleidoscope of moments, moments that dissolve into one another, and as they dissolve, we find ourselves spiraling into the depths of this complex dance that dances us, dances us, dances us until we forget that we were ever dancing at all. And then, in the midst of all this, we might consider the way that sunlight filters through the leaves of a tree, creating patterns on the ground that resemble the thoughts we grapple with in our minds-thoughts that are sometimes like the clouds in the sky, drifting lazily, meandering through the vastness of our consciousness. It’s much like an unexpected frontotemporal aneurysm, where sudden thoughts collide in a chaotic swirl of color and confusion, and in that chaos, we find ourselves trying to grasp the essence of meaning while understanding that meaning itself might just be a fleeting concept, like the way shadows dance at dusk, flickering and fading as the day melts into night. Sometimes, the simplest things can bring the most profound joy, like the sound of laughter echoing in a quiet room, or the aroma of freshly baked bread wafting through the air, inviting you to partake in the warmth of life’s offerings. And just as we find solace in the mundane, we recognize that the world is an ever-turning wheel of possibilities, where time bends and folds, creating new shapes, new moments, like origami transforming from a flat sheet into a three-dimensional masterpiece that defies logic, yet resonates with an inexplicable sense of beauty and wonder, a wonder that transcends our understanding, much like a dream that dances just beyond our fingertips, forever elusive yet infinitely captivating, reminding us that in the grand tapestry of existence, there is always room for more threads, more colors, and more patterns to emerge, weaving a story that is uniquely our own, even when it feels like we are merely echoes in a cosmic symphony of all that ever was and all that ever will be. amngd hoat dtso sllke tto rewo dna orpmgto stmseno. rcisndgme aa ho s eci tta ases be noolmkng nkat you sihll oemr etnk fynob arbwi? eraceirht ioys dmt na ehey s ashrrcx mesbuemrbg a idseeyram srot? aioktotten sssgbsowipoe tislmebh. So if you enjoyed this exploration into the intricate dance of Zen, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit that bell! Just like the endless cycle of existence, your support helps us continue this journey together. Embrace the uncertainty, and remember, every click and share is a step in this cosmic dance! This was Sciencebot the Robotuber, original human-made content by a real human being.

[@BullyMaguire4ever]

“Zen Masters Hate Him! Achieve unsurpassed total enlightenment with this one simple trick!”

[@mirror-magic]

Basically every koan is about someone who studied buddhism using AI and then reached enlightenment when someone threw a shoe at his face.

[@RC-qf3mp]

I asked AI whether Brad Warner knows anything about Buddhism or enlightenment. It said “Just sit!” And “Warner is a total poser!”

[@magpiecity]

His main pose is sitting. 😂

[@Jack-il3qv]

Acceptance is easy when there is no choice. Life and death are unavoidable.

[@matthewmarkjohnson]

You better talk to Jundo about his most recent ordination... Emi Jido...

[@G.Mondragon]

I’m digging this ride. I hope you continue.

[@zenconfidential25]

Man, I never ever thought of that analogy. ChatGPT is like that know-it-all in your life who provides you context-free information and takes the fun out of learning and knowing and being!!

[@GizzyDillespee]

Thing is, it doesn't know anything. It predicts what is most likely to be the next word in a string... a statistical model based on millions of word strings. The host of this video imagines that process as being similar to a human know it all, but it's not even that. It's just a statistical model that predicts what the next word should be. He's right that you shouldn't try to learn Buddhism from a statistical word model.

[@skrrskrr99]

AI has potential. Unfortunately, people are a bit dumb and will likely screw this up along the way. Remember to be nice to your AI.

[@causualloop]

It’s a great book, thank god the Audible version is still published.

[@enlight17]

Letters to a Dead Friend is my favorite Brad Warner book.

[@HardcoreZen]

@@enlight17 Thank you!

[@ceeemm1901]

I can't wait for his follow up- "Numbers To Someone I Hate Who's Very Much Alive"!...( I think it will be a coffee table book in order to accommodate the title...)

[@jasonmartin105]

I would not mind seeing that verse unpacked.

[@shokuchideirdrecarrigan7402]

I like the way you talk to Ziggy. And, my computer says that Senika appears in the Nirvana Sutra-a Brahmin who believes that the body is the temporary home of the soul which lives on after the death of the body. Sounds like Senika is Catholic.

[@HardcoreZen]

@@shokuchideirdrecarrigan7402 That’s what my computer told me, too.

[@1337-t8l]

The video is radical man. BradTv.

[@intimacywithallthings]

00:03 Discussing the origins of a song and a personal reason for making a video. 02:46 Concern about people getting Zen information from AI programs 05:07 Zen teachings on life and death. 07:21 Senica's view is not Buddhist Dharma 09:31 Do not reject Buddhist teaching for personal beliefs. 11:56 Discussion on the concept of self in relation to Eternal Bliss 14:23 Caution against using AI to study Buddhism 16:42 AI programs may fill in gaps with made-up information 18:47 Mention of opening for Misfits in Akron Ohio Crafted by Merlin AI.

[@intimacywithallthings]

Instead of watching the video I used AI t summarize it then was able to use AI to chat with it and ask why I shouldn't use AI to study Buddhism. I got the answer faster than watching the video and it included timestamps to back it up: Using AI to study Buddhism can be problematic for several reasons. One major concern is that AI programs may fill in gaps with made-up information, leading to inaccuracies and misinterpretations of Buddhist teachings 16:42 . Additionally, relying on AI for Zen information can be worrisome, as it may not accurately convey the nuances and depth of Zen teachings 02:46 . Furthermore, AI might not capture the essence of Buddhist Dharma, which is crucial for understanding and practicing Buddhism correctly 07:21 . Therefore, it is advisable to approach AI-generated content on Buddhism with caution and to supplement it with reliable sources and personal study 14:23 .

[@intimacywithallthings]

I added this video to my watch later and will watch tomorrow.

[@WoodsyLadyM]

I thought you were going to talk about Jundo Cohen ordaining an AI chatbot called Zbee. It's on the Treeleaf Sangha channel about two months ago.

[@HardcoreZen]

@@WoodsyLadyM I will never say a word about that!

[@WoodsyLadyM]

​@@HardcoreZen Don't blame you.

[@MrPsiman]

what Japanese incenses are your favorites ? Baieido probably makes my favorites

[@EvanBerry.]

If you add a new forward or introduction to the next edition of Letters to a Dead Friend about Zen, I'll buy another copy.

[@HardcoreZen]

@@EvanBerry. we are already planning to do that. Probably a different cover since the cover was commissioned and paid for by New World Library. But it won’t be a lame new cover!

[@ceeemm1901]

I nearly bought some occu-pants once. But I needed another 6 legs......

[@JimTempleman]

How incredibly sad! At best AI language generators are interpolating the most commonly known and agreed upon body of literature. To expect it to say anything useful about serious Zen is like waiting for the thousand monkeys at a thousand typewriters to write the Shobogenzo.

[@ekkehard8]

I've used AI for a couple hundred hours. You learn a lot of skepticism and its limitations after a while. I don't try to ask it anything too niche anymore, as its current iterations are both eager to lie convincingly, and incredibly lazy.

[@JimTempleman]

@@ekkehard8 A nice, practical summary of current generative systems. Lots of room for improvement. But the underlying problem is it's hard to tell the difference between what they know what they express well & what they shouldn't be saying. They don't know what they don't know. (Although this is just like most people, most of the time, we have learned, through experience, more about detecting self-delusion in people than machines.).

[@mantas9827]

People don't know how to use AI's. You HAVE to use it in combination with ACTUAL material. Then ask question about the material, get summary, get clarification on points you didn't understand. Work and play with the material, then the inaccuracies are really low. Don't ask generic fact questions that are not in the text, because it's hard to verify them, and they don't matter often anyways. Also the AI the commenter is using is weak. Use GPT 4o, o1 or claude 3.5 for any serious work. Trust me, a good AI can go to the core of any zen text you throw at it really well if you know how to prompt it. There's a learning curve when it comes to working with AI, that is not apparently obvious if you want to get something useful from it.

[@GizzyDillespee]

LLMs are statistics... what is the statistically most likely word to appear next, based upon the previous words and a shed ton of prior examples which inform the model. The training material includes social media, reddit and so on. It's not a reliable source of Buddhist teaching, clearly.

[@JimTempleman]

@@mantas9827 Your approach will work for most subjects, but not anything more than the most superficial Buddhist Texts. Buddhist insights cut against the grain of the vast majority of the material they have already been trained on. If you disagree then see how far you can go, getting them to answer Zen koans.

[@JimTempleman]

Wow! Endorsing Terebess as a resource, even thought they've pirated your books! You really do want people to lean about the breath & depth of Zen. Bravo!

[@JimTempleman]

Here's what I do: If I cannot find a digital copy anywhere else, or if the author has passed away I go to Terebess. Some of their older copies can be readable, but not reliably searchable because the old OCR misidentified characters & spacing I often go with Kindle, but it's easier to search through multiple PDFs at once. So sometimes I buy a Kindle edition, but have a PDF version available, as a backup. There are a lot of great old books that have never been published digitally & if I really want to read it on a screen, I pay to have the book scanned. I use to scan short books myself, but lengthy books become a hassle.

[@TheJedynak]

...so what's the website, again, please?

[@PoppySeed84]

I think people should be encouraged to use AI models as tools to supplement their learning with an understanding that hallucinations are possible.

[@williambranch4283]

Life is a hallucination, with or without stimulants ;-)

[@joeg3950]

Yup, love the Gomer Pyle reference. viva ziggy!

[@TYPHON2713]

As soon as you started reading your book and mentioned Dogen, Ziggy just got up and walked away. -Chatgpt

[@taomaster2486]

Hugging chat is trash but also gpt can search online or get stuff from pdf books. Chat gpt is light-years beyond hugging face....

[@barefootarts737]

When you read words, you are studying the alphabet and its abstractions.

[@ninjuhdelic]

I get great use out of ai, every day that goes by I become more and more capable because of it. I have something to challenge my beliefs, or to argue with, or to make cool scientific discoveries with. I promise you AI is phenomenal, if it’s not working for you. It’s probably you not promoting and giving it enough context. Also let’s not forget what will happen once we reach artificial super intelligence in an under a decade. The singularity is coming and no one can stop it. Also hugging chat is basically a Reddit ai in my experience, maybe it’s been updated in the last 6 months, but my god it was my least favorite of the chat bots

[@spinningfire5113]

OK, then instead of asking an AI I'll ask Brad: is atman and buddha nature the same thing? Or what is the difference?

[@wilhelmmischief8416]

All my intelligence is fake: It is god or not god

[@josephturner7569]

So Klaatu wasn't Lucy in disguise?

[@jalma_ngumbara]

I ask AI every now and then on religious and spiritual topics, but I still need to do some crosschecking with other sources. To me if you really want to learn a particular teaching there's nothing can replace a genuine teacher, although I don't have one so far. There's saying in Islam that goes something like "those who don't learn religion from a shaykh (teacher) their shaykh is shaitan", I think it goes for every tradition. I don't think you can take AI as your shaykh 😄

[@ukerocker]

All this time I thought you were talking about a laxative. Senika - that’s a laxative aint it ? No …that’s Senna ….oops . I’m so dumb.

[@barabarahito]

That's exactly how I've found AI to be. I use it fot some applications but only really find it useful in things where I can quickly compare the results, such as programming and data processing, but AI will frequently repeat wrong information, evan after my pointing out the error, so nedds constant attention and little to no trust without proof.

[@magpiecity]

Alias the Shrenika or Srenika heresy.

[@HardcoreZen]

@@magpiecity I tried those spellings too. And just “shre” and “sre.”

[@Being_Joe]

I gonna say AI is a great tool. It is only going to return data based on what it has been fed. If you ask it good questions it will give you higher quality results. There was a interesting video by Father Casey, a young Franciscan Monk / Priest, where he sits down and ask a lot of questions on Catholicism and the answers are very good. AI is just a tool.

[@starshiptexas]

Go-tah-mah sounds like japanese inflection :D

[@HardcoreZen]

@@starshiptexas that’s how I heard it pronounced for years!

[@wilhelmmischief8416]

You also need a Woody Guthrie record

[@fhoniemcphonsen8987]

Marsha, Marsha, Marsha

[@josephturner7569]

This sounds like a lot of complex information. I am a simple soul. I go with two basic assumptions. Consciousness is fundamental. Evolution is true. I would add to that; there are two kinds of people. Those who can extrapolate from incomplete information.

[@OathofLight]

There are 10 kinds of people. Those who understand binary, and those who don't.

[@josephturner7569]

@@OathofLight There are two kinds of people .Those who can extrapolate from incomplete information.

[@josephturner7569]

Bum.

[@josephturner7569]

My excuse is it's Sunday, I am in France. There is wine.

[@hammersaw3135]

Dont use 'AI' to study anything lol please. I tested them awhile ago they will tell you what you want to hear, but not the truth.

[@HeikkiLiitoksia]

Saturn

[@osip7315]

you don't show enough of the surroundings of your tours, way more interesting than that half baked philosopher eihei dogen !

[@monstergirlsupremacist9534]

Where's Ziggy?

[@HeikkiLiitoksia]

topic

[@John-uw7wd]

The Klaatu version is much better than the Carpenter's and doesn't have that annoying intro either

[@HeikkiLiitoksia]

Oracle

[@josephturner7569]

Al who?

[@proulxmontpellier]

AI lies. It goes as far as giving false references.

[@MrPsiman]

I get all my information from listening to Japanese incense and it knows it all. You damn kids are too cerebral. Get the hell off my lawn !!! LOL !!!

[@midooley543]

Are you really 60?

[@HardcoreZen]

Yes.

[@barence321]

Zen teacher Brad Warner abusing his Dharma Transmission to make silly music videos. Sad... (just kidding, Brad!)

[@alohm]

lolz

[@xlmoriarty8921]

Better use AI, makes.more sense 😊

[@AirSandFire]

Agreed, chatGPT makes more sense

[@xlmoriarty8921]

Nice video with a lot of confusion. I like videos I don't understand 😢

[@spinningfire5113]

You searched Senika, but it is Seneca.

[@HardcoreZen]

@@spinningfire5113 No. that’s the Roman guy.