星雲大師闡發不生不滅義理之恆廣價值 : 略說人工智能證諸法自性「空」=The Lasting Value of Venerable Master Hsing Yun’s Explication of the Theory of Non-arising and Non-ceasing: A General Discussion of Artificial Intelligence and the Realization of Emptiness of All Phenomena
Venerable Master Hsing Yun integrated the Buddha’s words with early-Mahayana and Chinese Buddhist theories in his explication of the cornerstone Buddhist philosophy of emptiness. This paper seeks to present an understanding, though may not wholly encapsulate the fullness of emptiness that this world, and everything in it is in constant change. It presupposes that the only thing eternal in reality, in this modern age, is change itself. This paper probes into the three aspects of emptiness of self-nature of all phenomena through an understanding of emptiness that affirms phenomena and offers corrections to some misconceptions. These three aspects, as emphasized by Venerable Master Hsing Yun, are: 1) cultivation as the transformation of affliction that leads to awakening; 2) use of understanding the nature of existence in understanding emptiness; 3) transformation of consciousness into wisdom. This paper concludes that artificial intelligence makes a strong argument for the inherently empty nature of humans and artificial intelligence. It points out that the Buddha already explained the dependent origination in inherent emptiness through the science of language, Buddhist logic, art, and medicine. Furthermore, he agreed with these empirical sciences which form the basis of modern science. Thus, modern science and knowledge can also be used in Buddhism’s explanation of dependent origination. The conclusion also proposes that emptiness transcends the adaptive thinking of certainty and uncertainty. Only through understanding emptiness can one adequately approach the inevitability of change and prevent the unexpected. This can help people lessen their mistakes and even the likelihood of catastrophic disasters. Emptiness carries the limitless possibilities of the future, and understanding emptiness can spark an endless exploration into the universe and its relation to the spiritual world of humans.
