智慧生命的多元可能 -- 基於《起世經》文本的哲學考察=Diverse Possibilities of Sentient Beings: Philosophical Speculation Inspired by the Qishi Jing 起世經 [Sūtra on the Arising of the Worlds]
With the development of science and technology, human beings have entered an unprecedented era. In this era, artificial life and the artificially enhanced life gradually emerge on the historical stage. This era is often called the era of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Its advent has posed unprecedented challenges for the future development of human beings; and has even raised serious questions about the nature of life. So, will the traditional ancient wisdom still be useful in such unprecedented time? In my view, although the era is constantly changing, traditional intellectual resources will still be the powerful support for our future endeavor. It is unwise and, in any case, impossible to overlook the traditional intellectual resources. Among the abundant cultural resources that can respond to the problems of our time, the precious wisdom in Buddhism should be especially cherished. This article will focus on the Buddhist text Qishi jing 起世經 [Sūtra on the Arising of the Worlds]. It condenses the unique Buddhist view on world and on life in such concepts as the Three Realms (Ch. sanjie 三界) or the Four Lives (Ch. sishi 四世). Moreover, the last chapter of the Qishi jing, the ‘Chapter on the Ultimate Superiority’ (Ch. ‘Zuisheng pin’ 最勝品), also known as the ‘Chapter on the Establishment of Heaven and Earth’ (Ch. ‘Tiandi cheng pin’ 天地成品), tells an interesting story about the origin of mankind. If we examine this story from a philosophical perspective, we could extract profound meaning to inspire ourselves to reflect on the possibilities of life, the boundaries of wisdom, and even the value or meaning of life itself. There is no doubt that the era of AI will require a new civilizational model, while the human society will acquire new characteristics in its subjectivity, civilization and even life-form.
