Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Thursday, January 12, 2006
Vipassana
I just went to a 10 day Vipassana meditation course. I have to say that was one of the most gruelling experiences I've been through, but extremely worthwhile. I have a much better, deeper understanding of the nature of suffering (how it arises from craving and aversion) and how to get out of it, as well as a calmer mind.
I think some of what I learned can be applied to the development of Artificial Intelligence (as in, building a more enlightened AI so that it will be less likely to harm us). But I'm still trying to understand why an enlightened being, who presumably does not seek out pleasure or have an aversion to pain, would do anything. What motivates it do do one thing and not another? Why would it get out of bed in the morning?
Perhaps pleasure and pain are not completely eliminated as motivators in the enlightened ones, but a sort of feedback loop which leads to intensified craving and aversion is dampened.
I think some of what I learned can be applied to the development of Artificial Intelligence (as in, building a more enlightened AI so that it will be less likely to harm us). But I'm still trying to understand why an enlightened being, who presumably does not seek out pleasure or have an aversion to pain, would do anything. What motivates it do do one thing and not another? Why would it get out of bed in the morning?
Perhaps pleasure and pain are not completely eliminated as motivators in the enlightened ones, but a sort of feedback loop which leads to intensified craving and aversion is dampened.
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