I decided to ask AI: what Dharma Practice of the 22nd century may look like?
I decided to ask AI: what Dharma Practice of the 22nd century may look like? This is the answer I got.
“Here is a glimpse of what Dharma practice may look like:
1. Secularization and Essentialism
Focus on Mind Training: The Dharma may be widely practiced as a secular "mind training" system focused on ethics, loving-kindness, and meditation, stripping away religious and cultural formalities. (*** LOVE this IDEA the most)
Secular Buddhism: This approach will emphasize meditation, ethics, and reducing suffering in this life, rather than focusing on reincarnation or metaphysical aspects. (*** Great Idea)
Modern Zen: A shift towards "Tathagata Chan" or "Sudden Enlightenment" may occur, focusing on seated meditation and living in the present without relying on extensive rituals. (*** Great Idea)
2. Technology-Enhanced Practice (I am not sure how much I like it, I actually don’t. Recently I had the worst experiences on many Zoom teachings. It feels heartless, fake, staged and unauthentic and I gave up on formal ritual practice after this experiences.)
Digital Sangha: Community interaction will likely take place through advanced immersive digital spaces, with the potential for artificial intelligence to offer personalized guided meditations, counseling based on Dharma principles, and real-time study of ancient texts. (Nah, please don’t)
Online Rituals and Teachings: Online and virtual reality (VR) retreats will become mainstream, making monastic teachings from around the world accessible to everyone, regardless of location. (Definitely NOT a good idea)
3. Environmental and Socially Active Dharma
Eco-Dharma: Given the environmental challenges, future practice will deeply integrate ecological awareness, treating environmental protection as a modern monastic vow or ethical imperative.
Engaged Buddhism: Practice will focus heavily on compassion and action, blending traditional Buddhist views on interdependence with "radical" social action and community service to address collective suffering. (Volunteering is great, but it is, sometimes, detrimental for certain people. This smells like Communism, unfortunately. Buddha did not get involved in Politics. He actually did not even want to talk to anyone, for almost 40 years after his Enlightenment. He definitely did not get engaged in Social Political Actions. But then again, if you realize the Nature of the Mind, this kind of content would not even arise.)
4. Hybridized and Decentralized Traditions
Less Hierarchical: Lay-led and decentralized groups will replace traditional, centralized, and monastic-led structures, encouraging individual inquiry over blind faith. (Great Idea)
Integration with Science: Dharma will likely be practiced with a continued, intense focus on its compatibility with modern scientific understandings of the mind and body.”
