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F ORUM TEACHINGS | EASTERN HORIZON 599

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• Pure Dhamma can be freely expressed and published with friends will impact our understanding in more far
without borders such as the established orthodoxy, reaching ways.
and cultural restrictions or adulterations.
• AI generated audio visual support can be I find it strange to read expectations that AI will one

garnered to enhance illustrations for teaching and day become sentient, or omniscient! AI generated
understanding. information on compassion or wisdom is very
• Online platforms can be leveraged to foster impersonal, quite different from the nourishment we
connection and collaboration in global Buddhist receive when hearing live teachings from virtuous
projects aimed at the betterment of the world. teachers who deeply embody the compassion and
wisdom they teach. There’s no comparison!
The main challenges are
• The difficulty, by non-scholar Buddhist People are yearning to unplug, even if they initially
practitioners, of discerning the authentic teachings resist. Studies indicate that the Gen Alpha is already
from the abundant information available. seeing the downside of tech from observing their
• Making ethical decisions on the accountability of scrolling-addicted parents. Perhaps AI is just another
behaviours generated by AI. tech bubble? Time will tell. In any case, our human
mind, not AI, has Buddha nature and thus is more
Ming Yi: Buddhist teachings are evolving to meet important. EH
the challenges and opportunities presented by
digital technology in several key ways. The internet
provides unprecedented access to teachings, texts, and
Venerable Āyasmā Aggacitta is
resources, allowing practitioners to explore Buddhism
the founder of the Sāsanārakkha
from anywhere. Online communities, or virtual
Buddhist Sanctuary (SBS) in
sanghas, foster connections among practitioners,
Taiping, Perak, a Pāli scholar and a
promoting support and shared learning across
meditation teacher.
geographical boundaries.

Additionally, mindfulness apps and digital resources
Ven. Min Wei is a teacher of e-learning at the
encourage the integration of meditation practices
International Buddhist College (IBC) and an
into daily life, making them more accessible. However,
independent translator of Buddhism.
these advancements also raise concerns about
distraction and superficial engagement. In response,
Venerable Tenzin Tsepal was
teachings emphasize the importance of mindfulness in
ordained by HH The 14th Dalai
digital consumption, urging practitioners to cultivate
Lama in 2001 and received her
awareness and intentionality in their interactions. This
higher ordination in Taiwan in
adaptability helps maintain the relevance of Buddhism
2019. She is currently a nun
in a rapidly changing technological landscape.
residing at Sravasti Abbey, USA,
supporting Ven Thubten Chodron in
Tenzin Tsepal: We tend to apply new technology to
her teachings.
everything, including the Dharma. But is this necessary?
Is it beneficial? Time will tell. Buddhist monasteries,
Dharma centers, libraries, online platforms and
practitioners already use digital technology and we can
get an answer to a Dharma question from ChatGPT or
Gemini. However, reading books and discussing Dharma