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NEWS | EASTERN HORIZON 53

It is also Thailand’s first digital Buddhist research The research center also demonstrated the “Digital religion
platform to be established after the release of the standing machine”, a product that combines online guided
country’s “Summary of the 2023-2037 Buddhist tours, online offering of lights, and pre-booking of Buddhist
Promotion Master Plan.” events using an H5 platform as a carrier for online and
offline services. Ven Brahmapundit greatly admired this
The center is led by Ven Prof Dr Phra Brahmapundit, product, stating that it was exactly the form of digital
who is a member of the Supreme Sangha Committee of temple that he had envisioned for years.
Thailand, Chairman of the International Council of the
United Nations Vesak Day, Chairman of the International Additionally, the center also displayed AR tour guides and
Association of Buddhist Universities, and former President interactive installations that combine VR technology with
of Mahachulalongkorn University. After visiting the Buddhist themes. It also features the ActivPanel 9, a new
center, Ven Brahmapundit affirmed the digitization efforts interactive tablet from Promethean. The Promethean smart
of NetDragon and supported the work to deploy Thai screen provides an integrated, immersive, interactive
digital Buddhism for local and global use. He hope that classroom and various smart teaching software tools which
the research center will in time produce a model plan for is expected to redefine how Buddhist education will be
comprehensive modernisation and high tech development implemented.
of Thai Buddhism.
The completion of the Digital Buddhist Research Center
Mi Xiong, General Manager of NetDragon Digital will provide a more diverse range of discussion topics
(Department of religion), accompanied Ven Brahmapundit for the upcoming United Nations Vesak Day. The project
and his team throughout their visit to the centre and welcome eminent monks, scholars, and professors
introduced various digital products developed there. from around the world to visit and experience it’s
Mi Xiong expressed his honor in assisting the Thailand groundbreaking use of technology.
National Center for The Dissemination of Buddhism in
constructing the country’s first national level digital Mi Xiong said that the department is prepared to
Buddhist research base and pledged to continue exploring exchange and learn from professionals from the Buddhist
the use of digital technologies to assist in the dissemination world. Efforts will focus on promoting effective global
of Thai Buddhism and Buddhist culture. dissemination of Buddhist culture, and supporting the
development of Buddhist education using advanced
During this debut, the Center showcased several digital technology. Very soon, the center will explore expandable,
Buddhist projects, including an “AR Vision-Nine Ball sustainable, and reconstructable digital Buddhist worlds in
Meditation”, which is a tool jointly developed by NetDragon the areas of teaching, propagation, experience, and research.
and Rokid. The project combines Rokid’s latest AR glasses
to provide users with auditory, visual, and even tactile NetDragon Digital will also utilise the center as base to
assistance for meditation. Rokid AR breaks the barriers assist the United Nations in promoting and deploying
between the body and space through “AI+AR,” utilizing digital tools for development of Buddhism to universities
spatial computing capabilities for “visualization” and and other institutions. By utilizing advanced software and
“interaction,” allowing participants to enter into a space of hardware, such as AI, VR, and AR technologies, as well
intelligent creation. as gamification, modern technology, and modern healing
methods, the department aims to promote innovation in
This not only brings a new experience to meditation but the dissemination of Buddhist culture.
also provides a new form of experience that is observable,
touchable, and experiential for personal practices, Buddhist The end game is the the quest to form a sustainable way of
education, and the dissemination of Buddhist wisdom and life and preservation of time honoured values.
culture. After experiencing it, Ven Brahmapundit expressed
Source: www.buddhistchannel.tv EH
that this new form of digital practice will inspire a broader
and deeper application for Buddhist education, thus
deserving further exploration and promotion.