[ExI] Tricycle on Transhumanism

[darren shawn greer]

> Since there's so much hubbub about religion here, I thought you'd be
> interested in what a Buddhist magazine has to say about transhumanism.
>
> http://www.tricycle.com/blog/?p=2190


Thanks. The comments were much more interesting than the article, especially the one calling transhumanists "quaint." I got a laugh over that.


The interesting thing for me is that the discussion was less about the practice of meditation and mindfulness than it was about defending the tenets of organized religion. Siddartha couldn't have given a rat's ass about technological advance. He never mentioned it, just as he refused to answer when one of his disciples asked him whether there was an after-life. The goal for him was mindfulness in the moment, not the future -- either his or the future of mankind. Life was suffering for Siddartha. That's all that mattered. He wasn't trying to save the world. Only himself. If you wanted to tag along, great, if life was tough going for you too.


They should ask what Taoists think about transhumanism. Now THAT would be an interesting discussion. Lao Tzu objected to the invention of the water-wheel because it isolated people from nature and put the water-wallah out of work.

He would likely have a heart attack if he knew about the Internet.


Darren


'Tis not too late to seek a newer world.
Push off, and sitting well in order smite
The sounding furrows; for my purpose holds
To sail beyond the sunset, and the baths
Of all the western stars, until I die.

-Alfred Lord Tennyson






----------------------------------------
> Date: Tue, 17 Aug 2010 02:47:38 -0700
> From: algaenymph at gmail.com
> To: wta-talk at transhumanism.org; extropy-chat at lists.extropy.org
> Subject: [ExI] Tricycle on Transhumanism
>
> Since there's so much hubbub about religion here, I thought you'd be
> interested in what a Buddhist magazine has to say about transhumanism.
>
> http://www.tricycle.com/blog/?p=2190
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