Buddhist monk vs. hackerspace (2011)
I would have love to hear the debate about this back then, if there were indeed someone who was willing to advocate for the Tibetan Buddhists. I practice meditation, though not Tibetan Buddhism. I&#x27;m comfortable with both code and ceremonies of different kinds. It would have been interesting to attempt to mediate this.<p>As an exercise, I thought, how might I have approached this. What came up in the shower was something along the lines of:<p>This debate isn&#x27;t really about a freedom of religion or tolerance, though it might seem like it. The Hackerspace has its own community, with it&#x27;s own unspoken code of conduct, ethics, and values. Those values appear to be violated. I argue, though, there is a lot more in common between technologists and the Buddhists.<p>Hackers value freedom. The freedom to create, and to tinker. There is something liberating about being able to discover surprising things about the world, and reconfigure them in clever ways. Hackers do not like technological shackles. The practice of being able change technology is an exercise in this freedom.<p>Buddhists also value freedom -- the freedom of the mind and self. While classical Buddhists will argue up and down about the emptiness of mind, we&#x27;re really talking about liberating all sentient beings from mind-made illusions. When you strip away the Mahayana (ceremonial) garments of Tibetan Buddhism, at it&#x27;s core is about the liberation from the tyranny of yourself.<p>Ever had these nagging thoughts that won&#x27;t go away? Ever wonder sometimes why things seem to suck even if everything seem OK? While Buddhist meditation practices do not specifically address psychology, it cannot help overlap it. Being aware of how mind and nature of mind leads to clearly seeing yourself.<p>In other words: these meditation practices hack the mind.<p>How effective are they? Can you measure happiness? To what extent can technology help or hinder this? Wouldn&#x27;t you want to know?<p>There are some things that Hackers can benefit from the Buddhists, in so far as the hacking of the mind. So why would the ceremonies be uncomfortable?<p>To this, I address the Buddhists, some things from the core doctrines:<p>1. Right action
2. Right speech -- make no divisive speech
3. One of the Bodhisattva attainments: to teach according to where each person is at.<p>Can you honestly say this is Right Action and Right Speech? Is your speech really reaching the hackers?<p>The Hackers might state that law protecting freedoms is important, but as you know, causes and conditions can distort and change understanding of this. Not everything important might be said out in the important. What is _unsaid_ may be more important. Are those deeper values being honored?<p>If the core common value is freedom, maybe there is something the Buddhists in turn can learn from the hackers. They may want to participate, but participate in their own way. To measure what is going in the brain while someone is meditating. To record and track any benefit such practices might have.<p>The Bodhisattva ideal has this streak of radical inclusiveness too. There&#x27;s something here that might benefit both groups.