The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities (JIABU)

Vol. 10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Aims and Scope The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities is an academic journal published twice a year (1st issue January-June, 2nd issue July-December). It aims to promote research and disseminate academic and research articles for researchers, academicians, lecturers and graduate students. The Journal focuses on Buddhism, Sociology, Liberal Arts and Multidisciplinary of Humanities and Social Sciences. All the articles published are peer-reviewed by at least two experts. The articles, submitted for The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, should not be previously published or under consideration of any other journals. The author should carefully follow the submission instructions of The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities including the reference style and format. Views and opinions expressed in the articles published by The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, are of responsibility by such authors but not the editors and do not necessarily reﬂ ect those of the editors.

Advisors The Most Venerable Prof. Dr. Phra Brahmapundit Rector, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand The Most Venerable Xue Chen Vice President, Buddhist Association of China & Buddhist Academy of China The Most Venerable Dr. Ashin Nyanissara Chancellor, Sitagu International Buddhist Academy, Myanmar

Executive Editor Ven. Prof. Dr. Phra Rajapariyatkavi Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand ii JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Chief Editor Seth Evans Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand

Editorial Team Ven. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Phramaha Hansa Dhammahaso Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand

Prof. Dr. D. Philips Stanley Naropa University, USA

Prof. Ven. Dr. Khammai Dhammasami University of Oxford, UK

Prof. Dr. Tamas Agocs Dharma Gate Buddhist College, Hungary

The Most Venerable Dr. Ching Hsing Ching Cheuh Buddhist Sangha University, Chinese-Taipei

Ven. Prof. Chisho Namai Koyasan University, Japan

Ven. Prof. Jinwol Lee Dongguk University, Korea

Ven. Prof. Dr. Yuanci Buddhist Academy of China, China

Prof. Dr. Takahide Takahashi Rissho University, Japan

Prof. Dr. Le Mahn That Vietnam Buddhist University, Vietnam

Senior Prof. Sumanapala Galmangoda University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka

Ven. Dr. Phramaha Somboon Vutthikaro Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, Thailand

Dr. Rabindra Panth Nalanda Deemed University (Nalanda Mahavihar), India JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) iii

Assistant Editors Ven. Phra Weerasak Jayadhammo (Suwannawong) International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC), Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Ven. Dr. Phramaha Somphong Khunakaro International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC), Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Ven. Dr. Phramaha Nantakorn Piyabhani International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC), Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

H.E. Janos Jelen Dharma Gate Buddhist College, Hungary

Dr. Sanu Mahatthanadull International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC), Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Dr. Soontaraporn Techapalokul International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC), Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University

Staff Phramaha Wutthimet Vudhimedho Phramaha Manothai Nepakkhavedhi Ms. Orawan Topathomwong Ms. Ubonwanna Klinjuy

Owner International Association of Buddhist Universities

Ofﬁ ce International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC) Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University IABU Ofﬁ ce, IBSC Building, MCU, 79 Moo1, Lamsai, Wang-noi, Phra Nakorn Si Ayutthaya 13170, Thailand Tel: (6635)248-000 ext.8501, 8505 Email: [email protected] Editorial Message

At the International Association of Buddhist Universities, we have several principles that we take as our guidelines in moving forward in our engagements. Here is a reminder of how we progress:

IABU Vision: • Motivate future generations to gain and apply profound understanding of the Buddhadhamma in every aspect of life • Raise the quality of scholarly work within Buddhist Studies and across other academic endeavors • Contribute to meeting the challenges that face human society worldwide

IABU Mission: • Support and collaborate with members to ensure humanity can beneﬁ t from the richness and variety of the multi-dimensional Buddhist traditions • Provide a framework towards better understanding diverse policies and activities • Collaborate in administration, teaching, research and outreach • Recognize each other’s qualiﬁ cations

IABU Goals: • Propagate the Buddhadhamma through collaborative academic channels • Eliminate Buddhist sectarian, national, and institutional barriers • Raise the academic standards throughout the Buddhist world • Maximize academic potentials and abilities

Volume X Number 2: Buddhism in the Digital Era JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) v

Contributors :

Bhikkhuni Tran Thi Binh, MCU Graduate Student Ben Prasi, Ratchapat Pranakorn University Ven. Ariyavaṃsa, Ph.D. Candidate, IBSC Dr. Anthony Le Duc, St. John’s University Prof. Dr. Milada Polišenská, CSc., Anglo-American University, Czech Republic Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Lien Hoa, Sanchi University of Buddhist-Indic Studies Ven. Neminda, Ph.D. Student, MCU Zhang Jinting, Guizhou Normal University of China

Editorial Team vi JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Table of Contents

Editorial Message iv

Young Life and Social Networking 1 Bhikkhuni Tran Thi Binh

Practicing Meditation for Youth in Digital Era 13 Ben Prasi

The Impact of News Media on Buddhism in the Digital Era: 27 A Case Study of Myanmar Buddhist Society and News Media Ven. Ariyavaṃsa

Buddhism and the ecology in the digital age 40 Dr. Anthony Le Duc

Buddhism and Transcending towards New Identity Perceptions in 21st Century 54 Prof. Dr. Milada Polišenská, CSc.

Healing Smartphone Addiction from the Perspective of Buddhism 70 Zhang Jingting

Buddhist Psychology: A Study based on Mental Cultivation to 84 Establish Harmonious Society in the Digital Era Bhikkhuni Thich Nu Lien Hoa,

The Role of Buddhism in the Digital Era: How to Improve the Lack of 96 Spiritual Progress and to Maintain Human Etiquette in Myanmar Ven. Neminda

Book Review 106 Zhang Jingting Young Life and Social Networking

Bhikkhuni Tran Thi Binh

Abstract

Social networking sites are web-based services, with a large online community. With the help of networking, it can help people make friends and to search to fi nd some personal relationship and families can stay in touch more easily. Days by days, a huge number of people connects to networking sites is the young people. Besides the benefi t of using social networking, young people have to face many negative as the social networking become their fi rst priority, rather than the things that should come fi rst such as school, family. They portray themselves as someone they’re not that can lead to many things such as depression and suicidal thoughts. The social networking is a very powerful temptation that can become addicting and begin to start sidetracking the youth. The Lord Buddha taught that using likes a draft to across the river. All of us can use social networking as a bridge to connect people in the different area, to touch heart to hear even distance. The lesson from Buddha taught Rāhula is technical to educate the youth through the refl ective bodily, verbal, and mental actions. If these would lead to self-affl iction, to the affl iction of others, or to both that should give up and never continue.

Keywords: Social Networking, Refl ective, Negative, Positive. 2 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Introduction

The world’s most popular social networking sites certainly have changed over the years, and they’ll undoubtedly continue to change as time moves forward. Social networking sites, most notably Facebook have become so popular today that they are leading words on the lips of every youth. The young generation has an opportunity to touch and use the advanced technology, the media, and much new social networking as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Line, and so on. In one of United States research showed that Facebook continues to be one of the most popular social media and networking site used by teenagers. Those provide social networking services which bring people together all over the world by allowing them to get to know each other in an online environment through the distance and countries or time. This interaction is likely to include families, friendship and romantic and group relation. There are also a lot of benefits that come from social networking for youth besides the largest negative effect of social media on their life. The serious problem of how using social networking in a reasonable way to get benefit from it. In the Buddhist viewpoint, all the Buddha taught is showing the right way of practice to have a peaceful life and the right eyes to use materials.

Young Life and Social Networking

In the aim of this part shows a brief definition of Social Networking, introducing the top of social networking young generation using, and what effective influence on young life especially Facebook. From the problems of using social networking, the solution is cited from the Buddha taught from over 2.500 years to help young generation adjusting themselves.

1. Social Networking The definition of Social Networking gives two meanings as: (1) A network of social interactions and personal relationships (2) A dedicated website or other application which enables users to communicate with each other by posting information, comments, messages, images, etc.1

1 Definition of the social network in English. Retrieved on 12th September 2017. https:// en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/social_network JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 3

In the other definition presented fully meaning of the term that an online community of people with a common interest who use a website or other technologies to communicate with each other and share information, resources, etc. The popularity of social networking using by almost young generation in brief detail:

A. Facebook Facebook was founded by Mark Zuckerberg with his college roommates and fellow Harvard University students in 2004. The name of the social networking site stems from the colloquial name for face and book. Face means what you first see the body in front of you. In the top of using, Facebook is one of the most popular and user-friendly social networking sites. Creating a profile is super easy. The site helps members identify people they may know based on their age, geographical location, school, etc. For teens, Facebook provides a place to virtual hang out and connect with friends. There are also places to connect with people who share common interests. One of the great things about Facebook is the network’s ability to close the geographical distance between friends and family. “It’s a thriving beast of a social networking site on the web with about 2 billion monthly active users and more than one billion that log on daily.”2 Besides the using Facebook social networking, one of application also using that is “Facebook Messenger, with tons of cool features, is the second most popular messaging app,”3 it is one of a best friend with youth to talk or share emotion or talkative to others.

B. Instagram Instagram has grown to be one of the most popular social networks for photo sharing that the mobile web has ever seen. “With over 400 million users Instagram has exploded into a massive social media network,”4 It’s the ultimate social network for sharing real-time photos and short videos while on the go. Now it’s even a leading advertising platform for brands as well as Instagram Influencers, who legitimately generate income through the network. Like

2 Elise Moreau, The Top Social Networking Sites People Are Using. Retrieved on 12th September 2017. https://www.lifewire.com/top-social-networking-sites-people-are-using-3486554 3 Ibid. 4 Raychelle Cassada Lohmaann, Top Five Social Networking Sites Used by Teens, Pew Research Center’s report, “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015. Retrieved on 12th September 2017. http://www.pewinternet.org/files/2015/04/PI_TeensandTech_Update2015_0409151.pdf 4 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Facebook and Twitter, people create an account which displays a profile and has a news feed. When a photo or video is posted, it will be displayed on the user’s profile. Social networking has no borders, but not every country’s most popular platform is Facebook, Instagram, and others which the top International Social Networking Sites around the world are Snapchat, Twitter, YouTube, and so on.

2. The Effective of Using Social Networking Above introduction of top social networking is almost using the young generation. With the development of digital era, the social networking brings both negative and positive influence on users. In this short article tries showing the effective to young people when using Facebook that one of top social networking in the world.

A. The Negative Influence on Youth: - The social websites become their first priority, rather than the things that should come first such as school, family, and sports. - Young people can begin to cyberbully another peer; this can lead to many things such as depression and suicidal thoughts. Some youth are easily influenced so they may feel the need to change their physical appearance by comparing themselves to the next person they see in the media. In the social networking site is known by game “blue whale” that leads many deaths of youth. The Blue Whale Game is known as ‘Blue Whale Challenge’, means “some confusion about the origin of Blue Whale, but the title is believed to be a reference to an act carried out by some blue whales, who appear to beach themselves on purpose, causing them to die.”5 It is an Internet game that is claimed to exist in several countries. The game allegedly consists of a series of tasks assigned to players by administrators during a 50-day period, with the final challenge requiring the player to commit suicide.

The online group associated with the Blue Whale reports is said to have thousands of members and subscribers on Facebook and YouTube. The name has cropped up in countries including Russia, Ukraine, Spain, Portugal, France and

5 BBC News, Blue Whale: Should you be worried about online pressure groups? Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-39729819 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 5

the UK. The challenges are said to begin at 4:20 a.m. and vary in intensity. Some reportedly start with simple things like drawing a blue whale on a piece of paper. Demands may increase to watching horror movies all night or secretly cutting oneself. It is reported that the curator sends teens to scope out the location of their deaths in advance as one of the challenges. In some cases, they go to the top of a tall building, in others a train station. Each task becomes riskier, and on the 50th day, players are reportedly instructed to commit suicide.6

It is the big problem for parents and social dealing with the suicide of young people. “Parents have been warned about a ‘suicide game’ linked to the death of 130 teenagers in Russia amid reports that it has made its way to the UK,”7 Dailymail News reported. The man behind a sick ‘suicide game’ aimed at children has been inundated with love letters from teenage girls addressed to him at a Russian jail where he is in custody. Philipp Budeikin is being held on charges of inciting at least 16 schoolgirls to kill themselves by taking part in his social media craze called Blue Whale - which police fear is spreading to Britain. He thinks of his victims as “biological waste” and told police that they were “happy to die” and he was “cleansing society,”8 Dailymail reported. He started in 2013 and ever since he has polished his tactics and corrected his mis- takes. Philipp and his aides at first attracted children into VK (social media) groups by using mega-scary videos. “Their task was to attract as many children as possible, then figure out those who would be the most affected by psychological manipulation.”9

6 Jaide Timm-Gacia and Kaylee Hartung, Family finds clues to teen’s suicide in blue whale paintings, CNN News in July 17th, 2017. Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/17/ health/blue-whale-suicide-game/index.html 7 Alexander Robertson, Police warn Blue Whale ‘suicide’ Facebook game linked to 130 teen deaths in Russia is heading to the UK, Published 26th April 2017. Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4446556/Police-warn-Blue-Whale-suicide-game-heading-UK.html 8 Will Stewart, Man who invented Blue Whale suicide ‘game’ aimed at children says his victims who kill themselves are ‘biological waste’ and that he is ‘cleansing society’, Published on 10th May 2017. Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4491294/Blue- Whale-game-mastermind-says-s-cleansing-society.html#ixzz4siKEpIy5 9 Ibid. 6 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

B. The Positive Influence on Youth Social networking tools are a connection into many young people’s day-to-day lives. Young people are in conversation and communication with their peer groups using a wide variety of different media and media devices every day. The many benefits of using in their life as: - Keeps connections between friends when they’re not always able to see each other when they want to. “Certainly spend time on Facebook interacting with friends, it is very hard to see how that interaction can be characterized as ‘spending time together’.”10 An important is showing “who you are and what you look like.”11 - Social media also keeps you up to date with things that are going on around the world rather than just in your area. Thus, walking around Facebook is “given the kinds of social and political information-sharing.”12 - It gives youth a place to express them in a way that a public place wouldn’t allow us to. It also helps to develop social skills, a lot of friendships can stem from a social website.

As you meet people in real life, you can add them on Facebook. Once you are connected,…These are all ways of building a relationship with other people. Perhaps you will join a team of thousands in a game or upload an album of photos. There are all ways of being part of larger communities.13

Arguably the largest negative effect of social media on today’s youth is the ability to cyberbully. Many of these young people are ruthless and while they are behind a computer screen they develop the confidence to be disrespectful and hurtful to their peers. The ease of creating false profiles and identities online has also had an impact on how often this happens. Being bullied online can lead young people toward having identity issues and in many cases can lead to depression and suicide.14

10 D. E. Wittkower (ed.), Facebook and Philosophy: What’s on your mind? (USA: Open Court, 2010), p. 133. 11 Ibid., p. 6. 12 Ibid., p. 133. 13 Ibid., p. 7. 14 Kamailittle, What is wrong with Social Media? Retrieved on 12th September 2017. https:// kamailittle.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/what-is-wrong-with-social-media/ JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 7

Thus, there are also a lot of benefits that come from Social Networking for teenagers. The reason social media makes it so easy to create bonds that allowed to express our likes and dislikes, which people can easily relate to. As many ways as people believe that social media is bad, it can also provide a lot of good, we just have to use it for the right things.

3. The Solution from the Buddha’s Teachings From above clear explaining of both sides of Facebook social networking is most using by teens. Chris Bloor concluded that “Facebook is not a monster we created for noble, useful purposes… Technology itself is not to blame. The fault lies in ourselves because having no means to orient ourselves.”15

A. How Using Base on the Buddha taught, he affirmed to uses material tool like:

Monks, is the Parable of the Raft dhamma taught by me for crossing over, not for retaining. You, monks, by the understanding the Parable of the Raft, should get rid even of (right) mental objects, all the more of wrong ones.16

It is passing over of clinging material things. Really, young people use and find information about Social Networking for purposes. Without experience and knowledge about social networking, they are easy to make faults and get bad effects from it as taking more time to playing, following some black website. From the Buddha taught is using a bridge or boat to touch the shore. Without cling or getting effective from it. That is a wise one in use.

B. Reflecting by Self One sutta taught how to accept with the right view, the truth as:

Do not accept anything merely because it is a popular report; merely because it is traditionally handed down; merely because it is an existing wonder; merely because it is textually referable; merely because it is a probable conjecture; merely because it is theoretically a logical conclusion; merely because it is seemingly a sensible inference; merely because it is agreeable consistent with one’s own doctrine;

15 D. E. Wittkower (ed.), Op.cit., p. 150. 16 M.I.134-135; I. B. Horner (tr.), The Middle Length Sayings (Majjhimanikāya), (Oxfod: PTS, 1995), pp. 173-174. 8 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

merely because the speaker is trustworthy; merely because the speaker is their own teacher. Whenever you know for yourselves that these things are merit, there things are harmless, there things are praised by the wise, there things if performed in full, conduce to benefit, to happiness, then you do keep on fulfilling them.17

The aim of Buddhism is teaching of moral life and training by ourselves to get real happiness. Whenever we do one thing to make harmless, the benefit to self and other, we should do it. Furthermore, the lesson of the Buddha taught Rāhula can be summarized as remaining harmless and free of clinging (including clinging to views of self) in thought, word and deed by using a little water left in a water-vessel.

Do you, Rāhula, see this little quantity of water that is left over and that is put into the water-vessel? Then the lord, having thrown away that little quantity of water….that is empty… little is the recluseship of those who have no shame at intentional lying. Even so, Rāhula, of anyone for whom there is no shame at intentional lying, of him I say that there is no evil he cannot do.18

Anyone who feels no shame in telling deliberate lies is capable of any wrong-doing. Because of dangerous lying, the Lord Buddha said: “for you, Rāhula, ‘I will not speak a lie, even for fun’ this is how you must train yourself.”19 The Buddha asked Rāhula what a mirror is for and Rāhula replies “for reflection.” The Buddha responded in the same way thoughts, words and deeds must be done with constant reflection.

This deed that I did with the body was a deed of my body that conducted neither to the harm of self nor of others nor of both; it was a skilled deed of the body, its yield happy, its result happy. Because of it, Rāhula, may abide in zest and rapture training yourself day and night in states that are skilled.20

17 A.I; E. M. Hare (tr.), The Book of the Gradual Sayings (Anguttaranikāya), vol I, (Oxford: PTS, 1995). pp. 188. 18 M.I.414-415; I. B. Horner (tr.), The Middle Length Sayings (Majjhimanikāya), vol II, (Ox- ford: PTS, 1994), pp. 87-88. 19 M.I.414-415; Ibid., p. 88. 20 M.I.417; Ibid., p. 90. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 9

Reflect in this manner, is this thought, word or deed skillful? “We will purify a deed of the body after repeated reflection, we will purify a deed of speech after repeated reflection, we will purify a deed of mind after repeated reflection. This is how you must train yourself, Rāhula.”21 It will lead to harm for myself or others, or it will lead to release. This thought will, word or deed bring more suffering for myself or others, or it will have a peaceful result. If upon reflection our thoughts words and deeds will have peaceful results then this is fit for you and fit for a person developing understanding. Even at a young age, Rāhula was able to develop mindfulness of his thoughts, words, and actions and to develop heightened virtue. The application of this lesson using for young people living through their speech, action, and though. Without harm self and other and always reflected self is the right practice to have a happy life. How is reflecting young people realizing and using the social networking right way? Base on the Lord Buddha taught, the good way of applying into the daily life of young people. An important is the parents should be a best friend to help them. They should be a mirror to help them see those benefits and effective from the social networking. They should take a schedule of actives for their children. Closing and hearing their child whatever problem in school and friendship. They also take themselves reflected in using social networking by control limited time in using and talk to their children about acceptable technology use and build a trusting relationship. The parents be a good friend is a way of understanding what young people though. From above giving the blue whale game it is an effective social networking game to youth life leading over 130 teenage deaths. The solution from the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (Ceop) said: “Having a calm and open conversation, is an effective way of determining the cause of any behavioral change, tackling any concerns head-on and offering support and reassurance.”22 The parents should be made clear to the individual when approached that any discussion is not going to result in punishment to their children.

21 M.I.420; Ibid. 22 BBC News, Blue Whale: Should you be worried about online pressure groups? Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-39729819 10 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

In other solution of Mr. Neate advised:

Against ‘blanket bans’ on internet use and said that the importance of privacy settings should be explained to all users. Speaking openly to other parents and teachers can help raise awareness of potential online threats and ‘open the path for other instances to be reported’. Never shy away from reporting something that has occurred online to the police if you think your child or someone else’s child is in danger.23

The problem of young people is the responsibility of family and society. We are all together taking a hand to help young generation using the social networking in right way to get the real benefits. The family is a best friend to adjust and share experience in using the social networking like Facebook, Line, YouTube, and so on. The society responses to announce and shares the way of control time using the social networking or shows the risks from the dangerous web.

Conclusion

The social networking is an online community pf people with a common interest who using websites or other technologies to communicate with each other and sharing information, resources, etc. The almost young generation is a source of using social networking as Facebook is one of top using of young people, Instagram, and so on. The both side of using are advantages and disadvantages influent to users. Besides the benefit keeping connections between friends, the young people have to face many risks when signing in some game online to lead to many things such as depression and suicidal thoughts. One of famous game is called ‘blue whale challenge’ with the thousand members around the world playing that leads much death of teenagers. Base on the Buddha said all of us can use the social networking like a bridge to connect people in the different area, to touch heart to heart from the different locals without attachment. Whenever we are doing by actions, bodies, verbals are harm for self and other that we should not follow by reflective by ourselves at any moment. The mirror for young people looking and seeing is the parents. Don’t make anything so late in regret, the parents should be closed and listen whatever youth need and give up the punishment can solve and teach for their children.

23 Ibid. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 11

References

1. Book Sources

Horner, I. B. (tr.). The Middle Length Sayings (Majjhimanikāya). Vol I, II, & III Oxford: PTS, 1995. Hare, E. M. (tr.). The Book of the Gradual Sayings (Anguttaranikāya). Vol I. Oxford: PTS, 1995. Wittkower, D. E. (ed.). Facebook and Philosophy: What’s on your mind? USA: Open Court, 2010. Rāhula, Walpola. What the Buddha Taught. Sri Lanka: Buddhist Cultural Centre, 2006. Ibramhim, Mariam Ghaled. The Effect of Using Facebook on Improving Student’s Writ- ing Skills in English. The Thesis of Master of English Methodology, Faculty of Graduate Studies, An-Najah National University, Palestine, 2013.

2. Online Sources

Defi nition of the social network in English. Retrieved on 12th September 2017. https:// en.oxforddictionaries.com/defi nition/social_network Moreau, The Top Social Networking Sites People Are Using. Retrieved on 12th September 2017. https://www.lifewire.com/top-social-networking-sites-people-are-using-3486554 Raychelle Cassada Lohmann. Top Five Social Networking Sites Used by Teens, Pew Research Center’s report, “Teens, Social Media & Technology Overview 2015. Retrieved on 12th September 2017. http://www.pewinternet.org/fi les/2015/04/PI_Teen- sandTech_Update2015_0409151.pdf BBC News. Blue Whale: Should you be worried about online pressure groups? Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://www.bbc.com/news/world-39729819 Timm-Gacia, Jaide and Hartung, Kaylee. Family fi nds clues to teen’s suicide in blue whale paintings. CNN News on July 17th 2017. Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/17/health/blue-whale-suicide-game/index.html Robertson, Alexander. Police warn Blue Whale ‘suicide’ Facebook game linked to 130 teen deaths in Russia is heading to the UK. Published 26th April 2017. Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4446556/Police- 12 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

warn-Blue-Whale-suicide-game-heading-UK.html Stewart, Will. Man who invented Blue Whale suicide ‘game’ aimed at children says his victims who kill themselves are ‘biological waste’ and that he is ‘cleansing society’. Published 10th May 2017. Retrieved on 15th September 2017. http:// www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4491294/Blue-Whale-game-mastermind-says-s- cleansing-society.html#ixzz4siKEpIy5 Kamailittle. What is wrong with Social Media? Retrieved on 12th September 2017. https:// kamailittle.wordpress.com/2016/09/08/what-is-wrong-with-social-media/ Practicing Meditation for Youth in Digital Era

Ben Prasi

Abstract

Keywords: mindfulness, digital era, youth, meditation, rising and falling 14 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Introduction

In currently years, in the development of digital technology, computer-based media, digital media and networks have become, and part of in our everyday lives, are now changes to how we engage in communication They are having been taken up in all the academic, governmental foundation, transforming social relationships, the economy, public and private life, including the activities of youth to interpret young people’s relations with digital media. The Buddhist Dhamma may evolved into many different sects, even as philosophy and as practice. Traditional Theravada Buddhist, the Buddha is not regarded as a god, but as a human being, who has developed human possibilities for inner wisdom and can teach these qualities to others. The purpose of his teaching of the practice of meditation is path that is not characterized by fear or rejection of the world of the senses. His attitude is to gain wisdom is changed at the root and reveal insight into mind what actually is happening in the world around as things really are.1 With developed mind which is freed from desire, anger, delusion, calming and directing to perfect peace and influenced the external behavior. The application of essential mindfulness besides being a tool for self-realization. It cannot develop well without attention to behavior in the world. In mindfulness meditation you learn the nature of the mind and body which experience things as they really are – not just concepts, beliefs or thinking or known as experiential knowledge through direct experience – understanding this mind and body that is anicca, dukkha and anatta or known as the Three Characteristics. The Buddha also has discovered is too profound and subtle for others to understand. Wisdom in Buddhism is described as producing right view, release and, in the end, freedom from suffering to a point of equilibrium and clear comprehension to understand oneself and one’s own nature in the digital world.

What is Digital Era

The Digital Revolution refers to the advancement of technology from analog electronic and mechanical devices to the digital technology available today. The Digital Era

1 Sarah Shaw, “Buddhist Meditation, An anthology of texts from the Pali canon”, (New York: the Taylor & Francis Group, 2006), p. 3. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 15

has transformed the way many of us live and work by creating a society and economy that is ever more attuned to knowledge, whether that knowledge is content-laden and therefore scientifically factual, or instead is content-free and therefore reliant on emotions, or indeed any combination in between. The structure of the era means people, especially those in developed countries, increasingly belong to social and economic communities, geographic or virtual, which are both more dynamic and complex than in the past. Man and machine become partners in a complex interaction in which man builds artifacts and uses the resulting technologies wich reshape man and his world once they become part of the daily routine.2 The Digital Era is characterized by technology which increases the speed and breadth of knowledge turnover within the economy and society or can be seen as the development of an evolutionary system in which knowledge turnover is not only very high, but also increasingly out of the control of humans, making it a time in which our lives become more difficult to manage.3 The “Digital Era” refers to a time in which there is widespread, ready and easy access to, sharing of, and use of information (knowledge) in electronically accessible, i.e., digitized, form, in economic activities.4 Sometimes it also refers to an economy that is based on digital computing technologies, digital technologies, and Internet. The digital economy is also called the Internet Economy, the New Economy, or Web Economy. According to three main components of the digital economy concept of Mesenbourg can be identified as:5 1) Supporting infrastructure (hardware, software, telecommunication networks, etc.) 2) E-business (how business is conducted, any process that an organization conducts over computer-mediated networks, online purchasing) 3) E-commerce (transfer of products and services)

2 De Vivo Fabio, “Lierature in the Digital Era: Definition, Concept and Status”, Retrieved on 10 November 2016, https://eliteratures.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/de-vivo-fabio-intervento-ole-inglese. pdf 3 Jill Shepherd, “What the Digital Era?”, in Georgios Doukidis, Nikolaos Mylonopoulos, and Nancy Pouloudi (ed.), Social and Economic Transformation in the Digital Era, (USA: Idea Group Inc, 2547/2004): abstract. 4 Lawrence J. Lau, Economic Growth in the Digital Era, Retrieved on 10 November 2016, https://web.stanford.edu/~ljlau/Presentations/Presentations/031129.pdf 5 Thomas L. Mesenbourg, Measuring the Digital Economy, Retrieved on 10 November 2016, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2001/econ/umdigital.pdf 16 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Can modern science identify any benefits in meditation?

Research from the University of Wisconsin has shown that meditation affects fa- vourably the parts of the brain associated with happiness: and it has long been proven, not only by scientists, that happiness tends to be good for people, helping to ensure health and longevity.6 Thus, Juliet Adam who introduces the meaning of the ABCs of mindfulness as below:7 A is for “awareness”: becoming more aware of what we are thinking and doing, about what is going on in our mind and body. B is for “just being”: with our experience, avoiding the tendency to respond on autopilot and feeding problems by creating our own story. C is for “seeing things and responding more wisely”: creating a gap between the experience and our reaction so we can make wiser choices.8 As modern meditation has been used in psychiatric hospitals to help their ability of acceptance and to perceive suffering around within themselves in digital era or so-called digital noise. The way the Buddha taught meditation was not intended to encourage people to ignore the world or closet themselves away from their thoughts or where they are but with the mindfulness that is constantly maintained in every the foundations of work on the mind in moment to moment, not only in seclusion but while doing the shopping, studying, mending the computer, travelling and dealing with the usual bustle and annoyances of the day. In case we do practice mindfulness every day, we can receive some benefits from mindfulness, as follows:9 1. Recognize, slow down or stop automatic habitual reactions 2. Respond more effectively to complex or difficult situations

6 Sarah Shaw, Buddhist Meditation, An anthology of texts from the Pali canon, (New York: the Taylor & Francis Group, 2006), p. 4. 7 Juliet Adam, What is Mindfulness?, Retrieved on 7 September 2016from A Head for Work: http://www.mindfulnes.org/page2.htm 8 Dr. Petcharat Lovichakorntikul, Dr. Virachai Vongbunsin and Ms. Ratana Palasak, “How to Practice Mindfulness in the Era of Digital Economy?”, The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, Vol. 13: 4-11. 9 Ibid: 4-11. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 17

3. Able to see situations more clearly 4. Become more creative 5. Have more awareness 6. Have more concentration 7. Able to control oneself and emotion 8. Achieve balance and resilience at work and at home

The Buddhist perspective on technology

Phra Dhammapitaka (1995), a highly respected opinion leader on various issues including advance and complex technology has warned against adverse consequences of technology against sustainable development,e.g. environmental pollution, the spread of pornography on the Internet, lower standard of morality and quality of life.10 In the digital era, the youth have a tendency more towards the restrain of greed and materialistic gratification. In this way, the latent desires of materialistic aspect of youth that is a effect of digital era, is hindrance to discontinue for spiritual development. As technology can be used for good or evil, it extends people’s capabilities in doing good or bad deeds. The reflection of materialistic attitudes are so contrast to the Buddhist which emphasis on spiritual development so Phra Dhammapitaka’s approach to modern technology is that technology should be created to enable the development of human potentials and quality of life and not to promote spiritual defilement such as greed, anger, selfishness, and oppression. The priority is to develop human beings to be ‘above’ technology so as to protect and ensure freedom which is the basic condition for the pursuit of knowledge and enlightenment.11

10 Krisana Kitiyadisai, Bridging the Digital Divide from a Buddhist Perspective with Implications for Public Policy, Retrieved on 7 September 2016http://crpit.scem.westernsydney.edu.au/confpapers/ CRPITV37Kitiyadisai.pdf. 11 Krisana Kitiyadisai, Bridging the Digital Divide from a Buddhist Perspective with Implications for Public Policy, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://crpit.scem.westernsydney.edu.au/confpapers/ CRPITV37Kitiyadisai.pdf. 18 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Youth and Mindfulness:

The Social Construction of Media and Technologies impact on Youth. Most children are introduced and use the Internet while they are kindergarten age or younger.12 Because children have high levels of exposure, media have greater access and time to shape young people’s attitudes and actions than do parents or teachers, replacing them as educators, role models, and the primary sources of information about the world and how one behaves in it.13 Generation Z: is loosely defined as those born after 1995. Generation Z is the most diverse and multi-cultural of any generation in the U.S. with 55% Caucasian, 24% Hispanic, 14% African American, and 4% Asian.14 They make up 25% of the American population, are 2 billion strong worldwide, and have been shaped by social media, technology, a post 9-11 world, and the deepest recession.15 Communication: Generation Z are the first true digital natives. That Matters to Generation Z Authentic, social media, video (93% of Generation Z visits YouTube at least once a week), and in-person (66% of Generation Z say they prefer to interact with friends in person).16 Daily Generation Z multitasks across at least five screens. Everyday 46% are connected online for 10+ hours. 77% rely on technology to help them accomplish personal and professional goals. Other technology that matters to Generation Z are wearables, autono- mous cars, Oculus Rift (virtual reality), Twitch (gaming), drones, and 3D Printing.17 Youth use media encompasses both consumption of media and creation of content from a variety of platforms as detailed below.18

12 Samuel C. McQuade, Survey of Internet and At-risk Behaviors, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2426&context=article 13 American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. (2009). Policy State- ment Media Violence. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1495-1503. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://pediatrics. aappublications.org/content/124/5/1495.full.pdf 14 ryan jenkins, Who is Generation Z: Understanding What Matters Most to the Post-Millennial Generation, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://blog.ryan-jenkins.com/2015/06/04/who-is-generation- z-understanding-what-matters-most-to-the-post-millennial-generation 15 Ibid. 16 Ibid. 17 Ibid 18 American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media, Impact of Media and Technology on Youth, Retrieved on 7 September 2016 http://www.preventtogether.org/Resources/ Documents/Impact%20of%20Media%20and%20Technology%20on%20Youth%202013.pdf JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 19

Internet activities: 90% of 13-17 year-olds have used some of social media and 75% have a profile on a social networking site.19 38% of youth share photos, stories, videos and art.20 47% of online teens have uploaded pictures where others can see them.21 Mobile media: 77% of all 8-18-year-olds have their own cell phone, up from 44% in 2004. Cell phone ownership has increased with age, as 87% of teenagers 14-17 years-old now own a cell phone, and 31% of these older teens have smartphones.22 Games: national study found only half of homes surveyed had rules about vid- eogames.23 Interactive media, such as video games and the Internet…[have] even greater potential for positive and negative effects on children’s physical and mental health. Titillat- ing violence in sexual contexts and comic violence are particularly dangerous, because they associate positive feelings with hurting others. Child initiated virtual violence may be even more profound than those of passive media.24 The latent youth’s desires in digital noise as the Research of Digital Media and So- ciety Implications in a Hyperconnected Era by Sarita Nayyar: The negative impacts of digital media overuse, lead to attention problems, school difficulties, sleep and eating disorders and obesity. Interaction with parents and others is replaced by interaction with digital media.

19 Vivian Vahlberg, Fitting into their lives: A survey of three studies about youth media usage, Newspaper Association of America Foundation. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/NIE_Fitting_into_their_lives.pdf their_lives.pdf 20 Amanda Lenhart, Teens & Online Video, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, https://ncfy.acf.hhs. gov/sites/default/files/docs/21443-Teens_and_Online_Video.pdf 21 Amanda Lenhart, Mary Madden and Paul Hitlin, Youth are leading the transition to a fully wired and mobile nation, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://www.pewinternet.org/files/old-media/ Files/Reports/2005/PIP_Teens_Tech_July2005web.pdf.pdf 22 Amanda Lenhart, Teens, Smartphones & Texting, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http:// www.lb7.uscourts.gov/documents/14-12842.pdf 23 Douglas Gentile, Pathological Video-Game Use Among Youth Ages 8 to 18, 7 September 2016, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.887.6602&rep=rep1&type=pdf American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. (2009). Policy Statement— Media Vio- lence. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1495-1503, Retrieved on 7 September 2016 http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/ content/124/5/1495.full.pdf 24 American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. (2009). Policy State- ment— Media Violence. Pediatrics, 124(5), 1495-1503, Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://pediatrics. aappublications.org/content/124/5/1495.full.pdf 20 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Delay language development.25 The youth who spend the most time with social media trend to be depression and loneline as well. Hence they called this an Internet paradox because the digital media already replace the old way that people’s social used to communicate each other: face-to-face communication with. As the research of longitudinal US shown that only those people with original higher or medium social support levels who use the digital media to meet new people and talk in online groups show high depression scores.26

The cultivating mindfulness – the Rising and Falling Method

In Thailand, meditation is taught to, and practiced by, both ordained and lay Bud- dhists, at various centres and monasteries throughout the country as well as at home. Mindfulness is an active and totally attentive state to contemporary occurrences. Mindfulness also involves acceptance, meaning: we pay attention to our thoughts and feelings without judgment – or even without believing, for instance, that there is a “right” or “wrong” way to think or feel in a given moment. In other words, mindfulness means paying attention in a particular way - on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally” 27 Why Mahāsatipatthāha Sutta is important to us for practice the our mindfulness. The Mahāsatipatthāha Sutta, the Great Discourse on the FourFold Establishments of Mind- fulnes is considered one of the most important discourses of the Buddha. The Buddha has declared: “This is, bhikkhus, this direct path (ekāyano maggo) to the purification of beings, for overcoming of sorrow and distress, for the disappearance of pain and sadness, for the gaining of the right path, for the realization of Nibbāna- that is the four foundations of mindfulness”28

25 Sarita Nayyar, Digital Media and Society Implications in a Hyperconnected Era, 7 September 2016, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAndSociety_Report2016.pdf 26 Anabela Mesquita, Chia-Wen Tsai, (ed), Human Behavior, Psychology, and Social Interaction in the Digital Era, (USA: IGI Global, 2015), p. 264. 27 Dr. Petcharat Lovichakorntikul, Dr. Virachai Vongbunsin and Ms. Ratana Palasak, “How to Practice Mindfulness in the Era of Digital Economy?”, The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities, Vol. 13: 4-11. 28 Walshe, Maurice.tr., The Long Discourses of the Buddha (Dīgha Nikāya), pp. 335-350, D.II., 290-315 ; M.I., 55-63 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 21

Raising – Falling Method kāyānupassanā thoroughly and its related texts, which has been found accordingly, it can be said to be much similar to kāyānupassanā as taught by the Buddha maintained apparently in two Satipaṭṭhāna Suttas (the Discourses on Foundation of Mindfulness)29 The late Venerable Mahasi Sayadaw was born in the year 1904 at Seikkhun, a large, prosperous and charming village lying about seven miles to the west of the historic Shwebo town in Upper Burma.30 About this the Sayadaw says in his lectures, “Here in the audience are lots of meditators who have come to this stage of knowledge. I am not speaking from my own experience alone. No, not even from the experience of forty or fifty disciples of mine. There are hundreds of them.”31 His study of the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta and his important disciple, Mahasi Sayadaw , who introduced the concept of an urban meditation center along with his easy-to-learn meditation technique.32 Wat Mahadhatyuwarachrangsarit Rajaworamahavihara as known the Wat Mahādhātu.33 Wat Mahādhātu (Section 5) Meditation Centre is one of Thailand’s most popular meditation providing vipassanā meditation classes for English speaking people and called “The Insight Meditation Practice Program for a Good Life.” Religious practice, The major issue related to Buddhist activities is meditation practice. With this reason, the Vernerble Phra Dhamma Theerarach Mahamuni, the great meditation master of Wat Mahādhātu has explained to enter the practice of insight meditation means the cultivation of such potentialities as perfection and the development of the precepts, concentration and wisdom from the lower to the higher levels. For the beginner embarking on Satipaṭṭhāna practice, the discourses give a basis in ethical conduct.

29 Meas Savoeun (Sumedho). “A Study of the Kāyagatāsati Sutta and Related Texts Concerning Buddhist Meditation Practice”, Master’s Degree Thesis, (Graduate School: Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University), 2553, pp. 42. 30 Mahasi Sayadaw, Fundamentals Of Vipassana Meditation, tr. by Maung Tha Noe, (Tathagata Meditation Center), p. 13. 31 Ibid., p.32. 32 Nora Melnikova.The modern school of Vipassana – a Buddhist tradition?. (Philosophical Faculty, Masaryk University, 2014), p. 28. 33 Doungkamon Tongkanaraksa, “Suitable Buddhist Meditation Retreats for Foreigners in Thai- land”, Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, (Graduate School: Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University), 2553, p. 86. 22 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

According to a passage in the Anguttara Nikāya, the practice of Satipaṭṭhāna leads to overcoming weakness with regard to the five precepts.34 The main purpose of the meditation retreat was to teach insight meditation to people, and this program was started by Phra Dhamatirarat Mahamuni (Chodok) about 50 year ago.35 For Buddhists, the key method of achieving this is meditation – which usually involves fixing our attention on a body part, the breath, or an inspirational picture – to arrive at a state where we are not distracted by our thoughts. Motion belongs to the first foundation of mindfulness, the body. The rising-falling motions are material form.

The Distraction

The meditators should adjust the body into an erect position. The sitting posture should be comfortable and relaxed. Then focus the mind on the abdominal movement and observe the outward movement and inward movement of the body. When the abdomen rises you note rising; when the abdomen falls you notice falling. What you should perceive is the pressure of the rising movement and the falling movement, not the form of the abdomen and so on. When beginning to exhale you would say “falling,” stretching the word out to last as long as the exhalation. Again, these words are said silently. Making a mental noting can help to focus the mind on the object very precisely and closely. Just know the movements without judging or describing them. During your contemplation of the rising movement and falling movement of the abdomen your mind may go out , wandering, hearing any sound, a voice, a noise, smelling any scent or feeling hot, cold or numbness or even stiffening and so forth. The mind should be brought it back to the primary object, that’s the rise and fall of the abdomen, or note it, wandering, wandering, hearing, hearing, thinking, thinking and so on until the wandering mind has caught on the rise and fall of the abdomen.

34 Anālayo. Satipatthāna, Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization, ( Bangkok: O.S Printing House, 2003), pp. 271. 35 Doungkamon Tongkanaraksa, “Suitable Buddhist Meditation Retreats for Foreigners in Thailand”, Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, (Graduate School: Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University), 2553, pp. 87. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 23

Noting the abdomen a raising-falling movement is easy to observe and suitable for the beginner.36 Through continued practice, the meditator will find it easier way to develop their concentration cause the mind directly experiences how to contemplating factors in the body. Remember the primary object is observing the raising-falling movement, meanwhile other phenomenas can appeared or dis appeared: sounds, thoughts, emotions, itches, numbness, sleepy, boring, feeling in peace which are the secondary objects. In short, keep focusing only on the abdominal motions that is your primary objects. Even if the next breath, is to move away from the present movement because the mind’s attempt to trick you into giving up your meditation and walkaway. Instead of allowing such thoughts to control, just try to stay in the now.37 The rising-falling exercise is not only for beginners. Most experienced meditators continue to use it as their main practice. As you breathe in, the abdomen expands; as you breathe out, it contracts. In meditation these movements are called, respectively, “rising” and “falling.” They never cease to alternate as long as you live.

How to practice mindfulness in our daily life?

The ancient masters of Buddhist meditation began to supply more detailed instructions based on their own practical experience to suitable practice for meditator, such as Rising and Falling method developed by Mahasi Sayadaw, etc. The application of our practice in everyday life starting from waking up until going to sleep at night and in our every posture such as standing, walking, sitting, lying or in every our activities such as sleeping, eating, drinking, washing, brushing our teeth, bathing, cleaning, even working and so on. It is not difficult while travelling in a train or bus or car, or even while actually driving. Outer movement is not an obstacle to do meditation. It is not physical movement, but rather the undisciplined movement of mind through the agitation and randomness of movement.38

36 Mahāsi Sayādaw, Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā, tr. by U Pe Thin, (Kandy: Srilanka, 1990), p.12. 37 Mindfulness when changing pouture. (on-line). Source, Retrieved on 10 October 2016, .http:// www.vipassanadhura.com/howto.htm#e 38 Roger Calverley, Meditation for people on the go: Inner Stillness on the Journey in Con- sciousness, (Bangkok: Duang Kamol, 1992), pp. 10-28. 24 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

That is why meditation is called the fundamental practice.39 When mind wandering, note it as usual. After that what kinds of objects; senses, thoughts and so forth, distract, in daily life, than the abdominal movement, return to observe the rise and fall again. You will see this for yourself. All emotions and mental states are impermanent. This wisdom allows us to observe that negative emotions such as anger and desire cause all of our problems. All things arise and fall. It is possible to free ourselves from their influence.

Conclusion

At this present age, every single thing is in our hands. By following the practice of mindfulness: rising and falling to tie our mind within the present moment, our mind will be prevented from our latent desires which caused by the harm side effects of development of digital technology, computer-based media, digital media and networks. Even in a terrible dilemma. Therefore, practicing mindfulness will help us solve this and leads our minds back to the real world and accept what is exactly going on as the way it is in our sphere of lives. As a result, we are able to focus on the present moment. The application of essential mindfulness is the individual’s transforming as a tool for self-realization, to solving the problems of long term, to help the practitioner purifying their mind from delusion, ignorance to increase in mentality efficiency to heal itself and others and directing to perfect peace and influenced the external behavior in the way of reducing stress, anxiety, pain, illness, to vanishing anger, pain, frustration, disappointment and suffering when those feelings are able to be focused on the present moment for the right speech and actions while the western Medicine has encountered limitations, are secular evidenced by their popularity. Therefore, to practice mindfulness becomes the core factor living in the digital-world era. The Buddhist Principle has been used in a variety of setting. The approach is applicable Dhamma to practice in our daily activities which is the only way we can survive through the digital era.

39 Ting Chen, The Fundamentals of Meditation Practice, tr. by Dharma Master Lok To. (New York: Young Men’s Buddhist Association of America , 1999), p. 5. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 25

References

Adams, J. (n.d.). What is Mindfulness?. Retrieved on Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://www.mindfulnes.org/page2.htm Anālayo. Satipaṭṭhāna: The Direct Path to Realization. Bangkok: O.S Printing House, 2003. American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Communications and Media. (2009). Policy Statement Media Violence. Pediatrics, Vol.124(5): 1495-1503. Retrieved on 7 Sep- tember 2016, http:// pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/124/5/1495.full.pdf Bodhi, Bhikkhu. The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya. Somerville, MA: Wisdom Publications, 2000. Calverley, Roger. Meditation for people on the go: Inner Stillness on the Journey in Consciousness. Bangkok: Duang Kamol, 2535/1992. pp. 10-28. Chen,Ting. The Fundamentals of Meditation Practice, tr. by Dharma Master Lok To. (New York: Young Men’s Buddhist Association of America, 1999), p. 5. Fabio, De Vivo. “Lierature in the Digital Era: Defi nition, Concept and Status”, Re- trieved on 10 November 2016, https://eliteratures.fi les.wordpress.com/2011/05/ de-vivo-fabio-intervento-ole-inglese.pdf Gentile, Douglas. Pathological Video-Game Use Among Youth Ages 8 to 18. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi= 10.1.1.8 87.6602&rep=rep1&type=pdf Jenkins, Ryan. Who is Generation Z: Understanding What Matters Most to the Post- Millennial Generation. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://blog.ryan-jenkins. com/2015/06/04/who-is-generation-z-understanding-what-matters-most-to-the-post- millennial-generation Kitiyadisai, Krisana. Bridging the Digital Divide from a Buddhist Perspective with Implications for Public Policy. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://crpit.scem. westernsydney.edu.au/confpapers/CRPITV37Kitiyadisai.pdf. Lenhart, Amanda. Teens, Smartphones & Texting. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http:// www.lb7.uscourts.gov/documents/14-12842.pdf Lenhart, Amanda. Teens & Online Video. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, https://ncfy.acf. hhs.gov/sites/default/fi les/docs/21443-Teens_and_Online_Video.pdf Lenhart, Amanda, Mary Madden and Paul Hitlin “Youth are leading the transition to a fully wired and mobile nation” Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://www.pewinternet. org/fi les/old-media/Files/Reports/2005/PIP_Teens_Tech_July2005web.pdf.pdf 26 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Lovichakorntikul, Petcharat Dr, Virachai Vongbunsin and Ratana Palasak, “How to Practice Mindfulness in the Era of Digital Economy?”, The Journal of the International Association of Buddhist Universities. Vol. 13(2016): 4-11. Sayadaw, Mahasi. Fundamentals Of Vipassana Meditation. tr. by Maung Tha Noe, (Tathagata Meditation Center), p. 13. Sayādaw, Mahāsi. Satipaṭṭhāna Vipassanā, tr. by U Pe Thin, (Kandy: Srilanka, 1990), p.12. Mindfulness when changing pouture. Retrieved on 10 September 2016, http://www.vipassanadhura.com/howto.htm#e. McQuade, Samuel C. Survey of Internet and At-risk Behaviors. Retrieved on 7 Septem- ber 2016, http://scholarworks.rit.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2426&context= article Melnikova, Nora. The modern school of Vipassana – a Buddhist tradition?. (Philosophi- cal Faculty, Masaryk University, 2014), p. 28. Mesenbourg,Thomas L. Measuring the Digital Economy. Retrieved on 10 November 2016, https://www.census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/working-papers/2001/ econ/umdigital.pdf Anabela Mesquita, Chia-Wen Tsai, (ed). Human Behavior, Psychology, and Social Inter- action in the Digital Era. USA: IGI Global, 2015. p. 264. Nayyar, Sarita . Digital Media and Society Implications in a Hyperconnected Era. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, http://www3.weforum.org/docs/WEFUSA_DigitalMediaAnd Society_Report2016.pdf Shepherd, Jill. “Why the Digital Era?”, in Georgios Doukidis, Nikolaos Mylonopoulos, and Nancy Pouloudi (ed.), Social and Economic Transformation in the Digital Era, (USA: Idea Group Inc, 2547/2004): Abstract Tongkanaraksa, Doungkamon. “Suitable Buddhist Meditation Retreats for Foreigners in Thailand”. Doctor of Philosophy Thesis, (Graduate School: Mahachulalongkorn- rajavidyalaya University), 2553, p. 86. Vahlberg, Vivian. Fitting into their lives: A survey of three studies about youth media usage. Newspaper Association of America Foundation. Retrieved on 7 September 2016, https://www.americanpressinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/NIE_Fit- ting_into_their_lives.pdf their_lives.pdf Walshe, Maurice (tr.). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Dīgha Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publication, 2012. The Impact of News Media on Buddhism in the Digital Era: A Case Study of Myanmar Buddhist Society and News Media

Ven. Ariyava�sa

Abstract

All over the world today, the role of digital news media is vital important means of technology to spread news and information. Buddhism has been affected by the digital media in the modern era. News media has a great contribution to development of Buddhism and on the other hand; it gives side effect of humiliation on Buddhism. Recently, news media strongly attack to Myanmar Buddhist society and give many humiliations words in home and abroad news media. Freedom expression has a right to talk individual concern; however, it still needs to take responsibilities and get correct information to press in media. There are many news which does not have a fi rm information and media claim on Myanmar Buddhist society to be a kind of terrorists. The main problem is of the wrong attitude of the reporters, and incorrect information, and unethical reporting. According to the Buddha’s teaching, right attitude is the fundamental factors to revel the truth. The main objectives of this small paper are to explore the code of journalist ethics, to integrate with the Buddha’s teaching, and to fi nd the cause of problem why news media press false and fake news about Buddhist society in Myanmar in domestic and abroad media. Finally, the researcher would like to fi nd the solution to have right attitude and right speech as fundamental basics of this problem.

Keywords: News media, ethics, journalist, and Buddhist society. 28 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Introduction

The news media are forms of mass media that focus on delivering news to the general public or a target public. These include print media, broadcast news, and more recently the internet, such as online newspapers, new blogs and so on. Internet bloggers acting in the role of journalists disseminating newsworthy information, who subscribe to the journalistic ideals of obligation to the truth and the public’s right to know.1 Growing the culture of internet, the role of journalists is very important to get right information to press and give news to public. To be an ethical journalist, journalism ethics is the essential need for everyone who is interested to be a journalist. Incompetent journalist express incorrect information, it can take place superfluous problem and make harm onto a personal disgrace or create an embar- rassment to a society, especially when the reporting to ethnicity and religious affair. Recently, Myanmar is going to be reform a democratic country. A road to country is not so easy to be escaped from military government. However, since 2007, there arose a saffron revolution led by Buddhist monks. The goal of this demonstration is democracy, free elections, human rights, release of political prisoners and end of military involvement in politics. The methods of this strike are civil resistance, demonstrations, and non-violent resistance.2 The outcome results are uprising suppressed, political reforms and election of a new government. It was very hot news in any media of the world since September of 2007. Many news media express about it in every moment of that movement. It was recorded as saffron revolution and thousands of Buddhist monks were arrested. Later, some of them are release and some are death in un-known situation in prison. The power of news media, hence, is very strong for public and target people. At that time, the worldwide news media expressed the Myanmar Buddhist monks are a savior of Myanmar people to reform a new government and politician. But no sooner later of a new government, it turns into different situation as Myanmar Buddhist monks are a terrorist. The aim of this paper is to explore the journalism ethics approach by the Buddhist teaching and how does impact onto Myanmar Buddhist society in the digital era. The researcher would like to express with three main sub-divisions: Journalism ethics, Buddhist approach and a case study of current hot issue in

1 Melbourne, Media and Journalism: Theory to Practice, (London: Oxford University Press, 2008), p.45. 2 Adam Roberts, Timothy Garton Ash (eds.), Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experi- ence of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present: Christina Fink, The Moment of The Monks: Burma, 2007, (London: Oxford Unviersity Press,2009), pp. 354-370. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 29

Myanmar Buddhist society, with special reference to Myanmar Now journal and an ultra- Buddhist monk leader.

Ethics in Journalism

Every profession has its respective code of ethics across the globe. Nevertheless, the differences of the codes of ethics from profession to profession, the goals remain the same. All of ethical codes of profession formulated to make morally responsible towards their duty and society at large. Journalism ethics are all about moral issue and value of a media and journalist. Journalism is a socially responsible profession and it has its distinct code of ethics. A journalist is a person trained on how to professionally collect and process news and information for use by the mass media, and whose livelihood depends to a greater extent on income from those activities. This would be include people working as reporters who collect news and information by using either notebooks, cameras of various formats, tape record- ers and commentators of live events. Others are editors, newspaper designers, cartoonists, scriptwriters, producers and presenters. These are people who observe, defend and share a dedication to truth and accuracy, fairness, independence, and moral integrity. Widely supported codes of ethics state that journalists have a commitment to serve the public and recognize the diversity of the community and provide a full range of information to allow the public to make decisions. They have a duty to continuously seek the truth and clearly disclose the origin of the information and place primary value on significance and relevance in order inform the public without bias or stereotype. To defend the principles of integrity and independence, journalists must avoid conflicts of interest, clearly label opinion and commentary and identify sources whenever possible. They must also prevent surreptitious newsgathering unless there is absolutely no other way to attain information. Ethical journalists do not allow outside forces to influence the news content and report the news without fear or favor.

ASEAN Journal Code of Ethics

There are various codes of journalist ethics based on regional and regarded religion. However, all most all of fundamental basic are the same. As we are born of Asian country, the research would like to express ASEAN journalist code of ethics. 30 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

The Confederation of ASEAN journalists, aware of the responsibility of journalists to the public in each country of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, with a view to achieving peace and progress in the region, hereby promulgates this Code of Ethics for ASEAN Journalists. 1. The ASEAN journalist shall resort only to fair, open and honest means or efforts to obtain news, photographs or documents necessary to enable him/her to carry out his/her professional work, properly identifying him/herself in the process as being a representative from media. 2. The ASEAN journalist shall not allow personal motives or interests to influence him/her or to colour his/her views in a manner that would reflect on his/her professional integrity or would undermine the dignity of his/her profession. 3. The ASEAN journalist shall not demand or accept any payment, gift or other consideration by way of recompense for reporting what is not true, or withholding or sup- pressing the truth. 4. The ASEAN journalist shall honestly report and interpret the news, making sure to the best of his/her knowledge and ability, not to suppress essential facts or distort the truth through exaggeration or through wrong or improper emphasis. 5. The ASEAN journalist shall give any person aggrieved by his/her report or inter- pretation of the news the right of reply. 6. The ASEAN journalist shall not violate confidential information or material obtained by him/her in the exercise of his/her calling. 7. The ASEAN journalist shall not identify his/her source, and shall resist any outside attempt to make him/her do so, when specifically so enjoined by his/her informant. 8. The ASEAN journalist shall refrain from writing reports which have the effect of destroying the honour or reputation of a private person, unless public interest justifies it. 9. The ASEAN journalist shall pay due regard to the multi-ethnic, cultural and religious fabric of ASEAN countries. 10. The ASEAN journalist shall not write reports, opinions or comments which would endanger the security of his/her country or foment armed confrontation between his/ her country and any other ASEAN country, striving at all times, instead, to promote closer friendly relations among them.3

3 http://www.mediawise.org.uk/international-16/ JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 31

Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Journalists Code of Ethics drafted by the member of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists’ Code of Ethics Committee in Manila, on November 25, 1987, and adopted by the 1989 Seventh Assembly of the Confederation of ASEAN Journalists. Later on, the researcher will explore why does the current Myanmar Buddhist society face to dishonor in the news media and the fact are lacks of ethics by the journalists and reporters. A Buddhist Approach to Journal Ethics Buddhist ethics are not arbitrary standard invented by man for his own utilitarian purpose. Man-made laws and social customs do not form the basis of Buddhist ethics. For example, the styles of dress that are suitable for one climate, period or civilization may be considered indecent in another; but this is entirely a matter of social custom and does not in any way involve ethical considerations. In Buddhism, the distinction between what is good and what is bad is very simple: all actions that have their roots in greed, hatred, and delusion that spring from selfishness foster the harmful delusion of selfhood. These actions are de-meritorious or unskillful or bad.4 Generally, Buddhist ethical principles are the law of nature not a kind of predetermina- tion or not a kind of commandment. Morality is essential needs to get a higher development of mental process in Buddhism. However, code of ethics is wider than a moral one. As a morality, the Buddha taught various types of precepts based on level of spiritual progress and situation. For instance, five precepts are for household life, eight precepts are for a noble lay people, ten precepts are for novices and nuns, and monastics codes are for a life of monks and female monks. It can be divided into two types: morality, consisting in performance (Cāritta sīla) and morality, consisting in avoidance (Vāritta-sīla), which means; the performance of those moral rules which the Blessed one has ordained to be followed, and the avoidance of those things that the Blessed One has rejected as not to be followed.5 The real goal of ethics is to decide a course of action and it is a deadly requirement for human life. Buddhism teaches a major concept of action, as usually used the Pāli word “Kamma”. On the other hand, we can assume that Buddhism believes in ‘theory of cause and effort’. In order to accomplish of our actions, we have three mains means to perform the goal of

4 Dr. K. Sri Dhammananda, What Buddhist Believe, (Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 2002), p. 206. 5 Vism, p. 11. 32 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

actions. They are bodily, verbally and mentally. Every actions good or bad, skillful or unskillful action is produced by these three main doors. The researcher would like to describe ten kinds of unskillful actions and approach to journalist ethics. Immoral Kamma is threefold according to the doors of action—namely, bodily action, verbal action, and mental action. How ? Killing, stealing, and sexual misconduct are bodily actions done generally through the door of the body, known as bodily intimation. Lying, slandering, harsh speech, and vain talk are verbal actions done generally through the door of speech, known as verbal intimation. Covetousness, ill-will, and false belief are mental actions done generally through the mind itself without (bodily or verbal) intimation. Of them killing, harsh speech, and ill-will spring from the root of hatred. Sexual misconduct, covetousness, and false belief, from the root of attachment; the remaining four arise from the two roots.6 A journalist is a kind of profession to claim the news and information to the public. News media in digital era is a means to publish reported by a journalist or reporter. Never- theless, all of them have to product action through these three doors: bodily, verbally, and mentally. In this case, journalists have more responsibilities on their speeches, and they are required to be fulfilling the skillful mental quality.

Integration

Of the ten kinds of these unskillful actions, regarding to bodily action, stealing is directly related to a journalist ethics. A journalist should be upright in moral behaviors, when he is trying to get the right information, he or she should avoid stealing the fact of one another’s possessive information. Killing and sexual misconduct are not directly related to them, however, if a journalist give wrong news and information to public, it can bring to take places many conflict and can destroy the welfare of many people. Hence, it is essential and fundamental requirement of to behave in right manner as a responsibility of news media and journalism.

6 Narada Maha Thera, A Manual of Abhidhamma (Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha), (Kuala Lumpur: The Buddhist Missionary Society, 1989), pp. 285-286. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 33

Herein, stealing is not only in Buddhism but also there is no one accepted in human society. The principle of abstaining from stealing offers particularly vivid examples in the modern media on a range of fronts. Theft of data has been central to the allegations and trials of journalists and other in the recent revelations about the News of the World and other media outlets. The notion of ‘’theft’ to the theft of intellectual property raises issues of plagiarism, breach of copyright, and the downloading of Internet and social media images and materials to accompany news stories.7 The fact of verbal ethics is an essential value and matter of journalists. Laying a truth, and indicating false information is the most dangerous action to get ashamed of a professional journalist. Slandering speech can bring many unnecessary social affairs. Even it can bring to face judgment by the law of international and regional authorities. Harsh speech is very popular in Myanmar these days as using the other word ‘hate speech’. It is speech which attacks a person or group on the basis of attributes such as race, religion, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, or gender. It is forbidden because it incites violence or prejudicial action against a protected group, or individual on the basis of their membership of the group, or because it disparages or intimidates a protected group, or individual on the basis of their membership of the group. The law may identify a protected group by certain characteristics. Vain speech is worthless talking in public. Whatever we talk in public, it should be effective to oneself or another. Such kinds of speech can control in spiritual mature person. However, we can see many people talking in such way in our daily life. Regarding to mental action, an ethical journalist should have a right attitude in every affair, which he or she is going to report or publish. The notion of ‘right views’ can incorpo- rate a contract between the news media and audiences that accepts a level of change at any time, and focuses intention upon deeper explanations of root causes, strategies for coping and potential solutions for those changes prompting the greatest suffering. The second ingredient relates to refining and acting upon that very ‘mission’, ‘calling’ or drive to ‘make a difference’ which is the very human motivation for selecting some

7 Shelton A. Gunaratne, Mark Pearson, and Sugath SEnarth, (eds.), Mindful Journalism and News Ethics in the Digital Era: A Buddhist Apporach, (New York and London: Routledge Press, 2015). p. 157. 34 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

occupations. For some, it is a religious calling where they feel spiritually drawn to a vocation as a priest, an imam, a rabbi or a monk. But for others it is a secular drive to aid humanity by helping change society in a positive way – a career motivation shared by many teachers, doctors and journalists. It becomes the backbone to one’s professional enterprise. Smith and Novak describe it thus: People who achieve greatness are almost in- variably passionately invested in some one thing. They do a thousand things each day, but behind these stands the one thing they count supreme. When people seek liberation with single-mindedness of this order, they may expect their steps to turn from sliding sandbank scrambles into ground-gripping strides.8 In journalism, this might necessitate a change in mindset from bringing news ‘first’ in a competitive sense to ‘best’ and most meaningfully to an audience in a qualitative sense. Of course, it would not be ‘news’ if it were not delivered relatively soon after its occurrence, but in this era of instant communication this step reinforces the notion of ‘responsible truth- seeking and truth-telling’ – authoritative and credible news, obtained ethically, and delivered as soon as possible to retain its relevance and utility without losing its veracity.9

A Case Study of Myanmar Buddhist Society and News Media

The first humiliation of news media on Myanmar Buddhist society begun in Time Magazine by publishing a title of “The Face of Buddhist Terror”,10 using a photo of Myan- mar nationalist Buddhist leader monk photo. It had leaded a serious misunderstanding on Myanmar Buddhist society. When she reported this article, we have to see many bias facts and cover of the terrorist attack by the Muslim, and try to blame on monks. It is very funny to see that all most 99% of western news media cover up about the radical action of Mus- lim, and always blame on to Buddhist society. The real goal of news media is not to express the factual issue, but controversially describes their own creation of fake news. Later on, Myanmar government ban and condemn the Time, however, it can say that their mission is accomplished to humiliate the grace of Buddhism in the news media world.

8 Smith, H. and Novak, P. Buddhism: A concise introduction, (New York: Harper San Francisco, 2003), p. 42. 9 Mark Pearson, Towards ‘mindful journalism’: Applying Buddhism’s Eightfold Path as an ethical framework for modern journalism, (Suffolk: Abramis academic arima publishing, 2014), p. 38. 10 http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2146000,00.html JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 35

A second famous report is published in Aljazeera America news media; it released a report giving a title “Myanmar’s Buddhist Terrorism Problem.”11 A brief meaning of this report is that to give pressure on the government by political attack using the violence directed toward the Muslim Rohingya community has been characterized in the media as Buddhism’s terrorism problem. However, the faith-based portrayal of the Rohingya crisis devalues the political and social nuances necessary to understanding the conflict. Even the reporter used “the Burmese bin laden’. The aim of this news media is to give a very new name of ethnic nation into Myanmar, who had never been before in any kinds of reliable sources of history of Myanmar. However, it cannot deny that such kind of new name is consequences of the British colonization into Myanmar. When they give liberation to Myanmar, British gave many bad heirlooms into Myanmar. The third humiliation report is described in ABC Religious and Ethics Media, entitled “Buddhist Extremism and the Hypocrisy of Religious Violence” by Jarni Blakkarly. He assumed Buddhist extremism has arisen out of a political context of increased ethnic nationalism and the prominent role influential monks often play in some Theravada societies. Explaining the ethnic cleansing of the Muslim Rohingya in Rakhine is more about racial politics than it is about religion. None of Myanmar’s ethnic minorities have escaped persecution from the country’s Burman majority government over the years - be they Christian, Animist, Muslim or Buddhist.12 In this report, a remarkable conscience is that of the Western media has repeatedly shown itself predisposed toward buying into sensationalism when it comes religion - for instance, Time magazine ran a dramatic cover image featuring Wirathu’s face with the headline, “The Face of Buddhist Terror” back in June 2013. And yet we continue to view Buddhism as a peaceful religion, notwithstanding the images of monks in robes hacking people to death with machetes. The most recent hot issue takes place in Radio Free Asia (RFA), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB)13 the same issue described as a prominent Myanmar journalist is facing a defamation case. The first reason of this case is posting Facebook post without having firm facts and correct information to insult personally onto a monk. Later on, he defended his Facebook post that Wirathu, nationalist Buddhist monk leader committed into a grave

11 http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/2/myanmars-buddhist-terrorism-problem.html 12 http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/05/29/4245049.htm 13 http://www.dvb.no/news/distinguished-reporter-facing-defamation-charge-wirathu-facebook- post/74481 36 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

offense of Pārājika and said “They are committing hate crimes—they are distributing material which is not in line with Lord Buddha’s teachings.” He took an interviewed with Radio Free Asia’s Myanmar Service. He also questioned why the court had allowed the defamation case to be opened. “Frankly speaking, [Wirathu] is inhumane, a criminal—he should be disrobed and punished by society as he has committed far worse than breaking Pārājika,” Swe Win said. “What right has he got to sue for defamation? He has nothing to be defamed.”14 In these days, there are many western backgroud news media supported to journalist, saying very sweet words such as “freedom of expression” and “human right”.

Problems and Solutions

The main problem between Myanmar Buddhist society and News Media is going into opposite interested direction. The first propose a factor is news media has pessimism onto Myanmar Buddhist society. Just they want to shield Muslim people as a minority and express freedom religious oppress. Second factor leads to conflict in Myanmar is interfering of Myanmar’s own affair saying human right. The third factor is describing bias news and edit what they want to get for their own benefits. It can assume that having pessimistic view, interfering into one’s own country, and describe wrong news. As a solution, it can briefly say that news media and journalist should abide and cultivate the code of ethics for their professional field. There are hundreds of codes of conduct, charters and statements made by media and professional groups outlining the principles, values and obligations of the craft of journalism. Most focus on five common themes: Truth and Accuracy: Journalists cannot always guarantee ‘truth’, but getting the facts right is the cardinal principle of journalism. Independence: Journalists must be independent voices; we should not act, formally or informally, on behalf of special interests whether political, corporate or cultural. We should declare to our editors – or the audience – any of our political affiliations, financial arrange- ments or other personal information that might constitute a conflict of interest. Fairness and Impartiality: Most stories have at least two sides. While there is no

14 http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/journalist-03082017173145.html JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 37 obligation to present every side in every piece, stories should be balanced and add context. Objectivity is not always possible, and may not always be desirable (in the face for example of brutality or inhumanity), but impartial reporting builds trust and confidence. Humanity: Journalists should do no harm. What we publish or broadcast may be hurtful, but we should be aware of the impact of our words and images on the lives of others. Accountability: A sure sign of professionalism and responsible journalism is the ability to hold ourselves accountable. When we commit errors we must correct them and our expressions of regret must be sincere not cynical. We listen to the concerns of our audience. We may not change what readers write or say but we will always provide remedies when we are unfair. According to the Buddha teaching, it can assume wise speech always has five characteristics. It is: Timely – Not driven by impulsivity; rests on a foundation that creates a good chance of it being truly heard True – Not overstated, taken out of context, or blown-up out of proportion Not harsh – It could be firm, pointed, or intense; it could confront mistreatment or injustice; anger could be acknowledged; but it is not prosecutorial, nasty, inflammatory, dismissive, disdainful, or snarky. Beneficial – Helps things get better, not worse (even if it takes a while). Well-intended – Comes from goodwill, not ill will; constructive; aimed to build up, not tear down.15 Such kinds of teaching by the Buddha are to apply for our daily as an avoidance to cultivate ethics. The researcher believe that if any one of journalist and news media abide and follow code of ethics in journalism, and remind in their mind above five means of the buddha’s teaching, there will not arise such kinds of misunderstanding and humiliation onto Myanmar Buddhist society. This might be a viable solution for those who identify as journalists and seek a union affiliation, but many do not, and in a global and multicultural publishing environment the challenge is to develop models that might be embraced more broadly than a particular

15 A. II. p. 246. 38 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

national union’s repackaging of a journalists’ code. However, codes of ethics have often failed to work effectively in guiding the ethics of the traditional journalists for whom they were designed, let alone the litany of new hybrids including citizen journalists, bloggers, and the avid users of other emerging news platforms.16

Conclusion

As a conclusion of this small paper, development of digital news media has a great affect to humiliate on Myanmar Buddhist society, instead of giving a graceful name. In order to solve this problem, journalist and news media should follow the code of ethics and the Buddha’s teachings as essential basic. Otherwise, it will bring more disgrace and many conflicts occur in Myanmar. The researcher would like to firmly state peaceful means of formulas to be an ethical journalist in accordance with the Buddha’s teaching. They can be assumed up thus correct timing, truthful and factual, affectionate, polite, beneficial, pleasant and soothing, significant, reasonable circumscribed, moral values, with good will, promoting unity, harmony and peace. Without having such kinds of attitude and moral ethics, a journalist should not report any public’s issues in news media. The result will bring many unbeneficial damages instead of peace and harmonious society.

16 Mark Pearson, Towards ‘mindful journalism’: Applying Buddhism’s Eightfold Path as an ethical framework for modern journalism, (Suffolk: Abramis academic arima publishing, 2014), p. 45. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 39

References

Primary Sources:

Aṅguttara Nikāya, vol. II. (ed.) R. Morris, Warger (revised). Oxford: PTS, 1995. Visuddhimagga. (ed.) David, Rhys C.A.F. London: PTS. 1975. K. Sri Dhammananda, Dr. What Buddhist Believe. Kuala Lumpur: Buddhist Missionary Society, 2002. Nārada Maha Thera, The Manual of Abhidhamma (Abhidhammattha Saṅgaha of Anuruddhācariya). Kuala Lumpur: The Buddhist Missionary Society, 1989. Melbourne, Media and Journalism: Theory to Practice. (London: Oxford University Press, 2008. Pearson, Mark. Towards ‘mindful journalism’: Applying Buddhism’s Eightfold Path as an ethical framework for modern journalism. Suffolk: Abramis academic arima publishing, 2014. Roberts, Adam & Ash, Timothy Garton (eds.), Civil Resistance and Power Politics: The Experience of Non-violent Action from Gandhi to the Present: Christina Fink, The Moment of The Monks: Burma, 2007, London: Oxford Unviersity Press, 2009. Shelton A. Gunaratne, Mark Pearson, and Sugath Senarth, (eds.), Mindful Journalism and News Ethics in the Digital Era: A Buddhist Apporach. New York and London: Routledge Press, 2015. Smith, H. Smith, and P. Novak. Buddhism: A concise introduction. New York: Harper San Francisco, 2003.

Online Sources: http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2015/05/29/4245049.htm http://www.dvb.no/news/distinguished-reporter-facing-defamation-charge-wirathu-facebook- post/74481 http://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/journalist-03082017173145.html http://www.mediawise.org.uk/international-16/ http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2146000,00.html http://america.aljazeera.com/opinions/2015/2/myanmars-buddhist-terrorism-problem.html Buddhism and the Ecology in the Digital Age

Anthony Le Duc

Abstract

The modern day ecological crisis characterized by increasing human estrangement from the natural environment has the potential to be exacerbated in the digital age, in which human beings become more preoccupied with cyberspace at the detriment of the physical and natural environment. Age old religious traditions, in particular Buddhism, are asked to address the ecological issues in this new social milieu in order to contribute to solving the crisis. Buddhism as a religion that historically has been able to adapt to technological changes and employ technology in the spreading of its teachings is in a good position to speak to this issue. However, in order to make an effective contribution, Buddhism should not only examine fundamental Buddhist teachings that promote healthy human-nature relationship, but also undergo the threefold process of retrieval, reevaluation and reconstruction in order to make itself relevant to the new social context.

Keywords: Buddhism, environmental crisis, digital age, digital era, technological nature JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 41

Introduction

As humanity enters the digital age, one of the most pressing issues facing the world is the ecological crisis that threatens not only to debilitate the natural environment but also possibly result in humanity’s own destruction. It is imperative to reflect on environmental issues in the digital age because in so many ways, the entities that are associated with the digital context—the Internet and cyberspace—are increasingly drawing people mentally and emotionally, if not physically, away from the space of the analog world. As digital technology becomes more conspicuous in human life, the digital environment has gained greater grounds on the natural environment and people are becoming more preoccupied with the former while neglecting the role and significance of the latter in their lives. In the face of this new social milieu and the accompanying environmental predicament, religious traditions, which naturally are interested in the fate of the human lot, are often expected to help make sense out of the present reality as well as devising ways that contribute to solving problems that it presents. Buddhism, despite being an age old tradition is still asked to make available its wisdom in order to shed light upon issues that affect the well-being of human beings and the natural world around them. This paper examines how Buddhism can address the ecological crisis in the digital age in order to make itself relevant in a new social milieu where human beings are becoming increasingly detached from the natural environment around them.

Implications for human-nature relationship in the digital era

The ushering in of the digital age some three decades ago with the introduction and eventual prolific use of the Internet and its numerous applications has led to the creation of a new entity called cyberspace. This notional environment or metaphorical space is increasingly becoming an important place where people exchange information and experience a sense of social interaction and interconnectivity. People’s lives, especially the younger generation, have become greatly attached to this non-physical environment as the place to go for engaging in online activities, building relationships, and finding news, information and entertainment. People in the Philippines, for example, are reported to spend over a quarter of their day online (6.3 hours). The people of Thailand on average spend 5.5 hours per day on the Internet either for work or leisure activities.1 In Thailand, the largest percentage of users

1 Go-Globe, http://www.go-globe.com/blog/digital-landscape-asia/, accessed 10 October 2017. 42 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

(64 percent) comprises of individuals born between 1977 and 1994. It has been estimated that this group spends time equaling 2.26 days every week online.2 While technological development is inevitable, it is important to reflect on the ramifications of a technology based society. A pertinent question in this process of reflection concerns the future of the environment in an age where people seem increasingly removed from nature while opting for more technologically based methods of managing their lives as well as keeping themselves entertained. The relationship between human and nature in many cultures, especially in the past, is characterized by intimacy, connectedness, and symbiosis, so much so that one can even claim that nature and human beings constitute a single entity or organism (Miller 1991). This kind of horizontal human-nature relationship of interdependency is often seen in nomadic societies where environmental sustainability is essential to such a way of life. The role of the natural environment has always been important in the cultural sensibility of the people of Asia. In Vietnam, for example, the word for country (đất nước) is a combination of the two words, “earth” and “water.” Another word combination that Vietnamese people often use to refer to their sovereign nation is “sông núi” which means “river” and “mountains.” This linguistic expression is indicative of Vietnam’s geography, which comprises of thousands of rivers and long mountain ranges, and make up three quarters of the country’s land area. Vietnam’s two river deltas, the Red River Delta in the north and Mekong River Delta in the south are seen as the rice baskets that feed the people. Water geographical features have always been important to the Southeast Asian way of life. In Thailand, the traditional saying that expressed one’s optimism for the abundance that nature brought to their life is: “There is rice in the field and fish in the waters.” Modernization or urbanization which is a technology driven process is seen to create dynamics that go against the natural affinity that human beings have towards the natural environment. George Monbiot (1995) calls this phenomenon the human “estrangement from the ecosystem” in which there is a “gradual loss of meaningful involvement” with nature with the benefits as well as dangers that it presents. While this process of estrangement may have started as early as the beginning of the agricultural revolution and escalated during the industrial revolution, it is manifesting itself dramatically in this digital age. In this era, relationships (whether human-human or human-nature) are less and less the result of direct

2 AIS, “Thailand ICT Business Landscape and Digital Trend 2016,” http://messepl.com/wp/ wp-content/uploads/2015/11/5.-Connect.W-2015-Global-Telco-Conference-AIS.pdf, accessed 11 October 2017. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 43

interaction and increasingly mediated by digital technology. In the past when infants cried, they were picked up by grandmas and aunts who would comfort them so that they would stop crying. Nowadays, when children cry, they are more likely to be given a smart phone to watch Youtube video clips so that the adults can go on doing their business. Many children of Burmese and Cambodian migrant workers in Thailand are only able see their parents a few times a year, even only once every few years, because the parents have to migrate to neighboring countries to make a living. Parent-child bond, instead, is mediated by digital social network applications such as Line and Facebook. Human-nature relationship, likewise, is affected in the digital age. In the past, children in Vietnam and Thailand used to make horse figures out of banana stalks and raced with one another in the field. Nowadays, children are more likely to get their adrenaline rush by racing cars on a tablet or a smart phone. Traditionally people ordered their daily activities of work and rest basically in accordance with the natural cycle of day. However, with digital technology presenting distractions such as on-demand entertainment programs, online games, and social networks that allow continuous interaction with people all over the world, many forget the natural body rhythms that have evolved over millions of years. One must admit that in certain cases technology has helped in promoting environmental sustainability and conservation. The development of the light bulb, for example, consumes 50 times less energy than the kerosene lamp used in many developing countries. The ability to send correspondences by email reduces the need for paper products. Nowadays, the International Anti-Poaching Foundation (IAPF) trains Green Army rangers to use surveil- lance technology such as thermal imaging cameras and drones to monitor animals and their habitats in order to prevent poachers from hunting endangered species. The Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC) uses sophisticated sensors to monitor the pH levels of the Pacific Ocean in order to help take preventative measures to preserve marine ecosystems.3 Digital technology has also helped us to see and experience nature in wonderful ways, allowing us to discover details that were unavailable to the average person before. Access to information, photographs and videos of natural places all over the earth are available with a few clicks of the mouse or touches on the smart phone or tablet. Despite all the positive things that technology, especially digital technology has brought to human life and the effort to promote environmental sustainability, the question

3 http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/5-ways-tech-will-save-environment/, accessed 10 November 2016. 44 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

remains whether these technological developments have reduced the feeling of estrangement and drawn us back into a more intimate relationship with the natural environment. In many ways, one can argue that technology has further hindered opportunities for encounter between human beings and the natural environment. Nowadays, people can easily take a tour of any part of the world—both natural and man-made—by searching for videos on Youtube and other Internet applications. One can even take virtual tours of the majestic redwood forests in California or the awe inspiring Son Doong Cave in Vietnam. Technology has enabled us to “experience” the most extraordinary events and places in the world with just a click of the mouse. Such digitally mediated encounters, for many, often serve as the prevalent mode of interaction between human and nature. After all, why spend money and time getting on a ship heading into the ocean for days on end without knowing if you’ll actually encounter a blue whale if you can see it up close and personal via Youtube? In fact, the virtual tours and the recording of natural places and events with sophisticated equipments are oftentimes much more picturesque and exciting than the experience of going to the actual place. Many have been let down after having seen photos or taken a virtual tour of a particular place only to be sorely disappointed upon making the actual visit there. For those who do get to the place, many seem more concerned with taking “selfies” and uploading the photos onto social networks than really taking the time to engage in anything meaningful with that particular place. The natural setting becomes nothing more than an interesting background to highlight one’s own image to be broadcasted to friends and followers. Therefore, the irony of the digital age for human relationship with nature is that while it seems to help bring us closer to nature intellectually and even physically, this closeness often does not translate into emotional connection and intimacy.

Buddhist intervention in the digital age

Religion and technology has always gone hand in hand, usually with religion making use of available technology in order to promote its teachings and spread its presence to new territories. The invention of the printing press, for example, did wonders for making the Christian Bible available to the faithful over the centuries. The digital age that the world now finds itself in is having profound impact on how religion presents itself and reaches out to humanity. By employing digital technology and mass media, religions are able to support their adherents in understanding and practicing their faith, but also introduce themselves to potential faith seekers in every corner of the world who can get online. In a globalized world, religions can also impact the society with teachings that address spiritual, social, and political dimensions of human life. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 45

In this manner, Buddhism has never lagged behind when it comes to putting available technology to good use. According to Daniel Veidlinger (2016), “Buddhism has long had an affinity for the latest technologies and has used every means at its disposal to transmit the Dharma far and wide.” Just as Buddhist monks and laypeople took to the Silk Road to spread their teachings, they are now doing the same on the information highway to communicate its teachings to people of all sorts of cultural and ethnic backgrounds. In the same manner that the printing press made the Bible accessible to all kinds of people, digital technology has now put the Pali Canon in multiple languages at the fingertip of anyone with Internet access. In the scholarly community, the Journal of Buddhist Ethics established in 1994 was the first online peer reviewed journal in Religious Studies. As a religion that has always kept up with technological developments, Buddhism is in as good of a position as any not only to understand, employ, but also critique digital technology and its ramifications for human-nature relationship in this new social environment. Despite Buddhism’s demonstrated affinity for technology, the tradition has always emphasized the essential role and place of the natural environment in human life, especially in the human endeavor of self-cultivation and self-transformation. In the Buddhist tradition, nature is intimately connected to the life and livelihood of humanity. In the canonical texts, processes and events taking place in nature were often employed to shed light on the reality of human life. For example, in the Samyutta Nikāya, the process of how a seed sown in the field is able to grow serves to reinforce the teaching that human life is also affected by various causes.

As when a seed is sown in a field It grows depending on a pair of factors: It requires both the soil’s nutrients And a steady supply of moisture: Just so the aggregates and elements, And these six bases of sensory contact, Have come to be dependent on a cause; With the cause’s breakup they will cease. (S.I.9)

Another example from the same Nikāya asserts that the processes that lead to spiritual progress have parallels with what is observable in nature. 46 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Again and again, they sow the seed; Again and again, the sky-god sends down rain; Again and again, ploughmen plough the field; Again and again, grain comes to the realm. Again and again, the mendicants beg; Again and again, the donors give; When donors have given again and again, Again and again they go to heaven. (S.I.12)

These nature analogies affirm the understanding that human life processes are subjected to the mechanisms of cause and effects that are operative in human life as much as in other entities in the universe. David J. Kulupahana points out that contemplating the events that take place in nature is beneficial to individual spiritual cultivation because the natural settings draw attention away from distractions pertaining to sense pleasures as well as providing a natural experiential ground conducive to understanding the true nature of the world as impermanent and dependently arising (2009, 5). It is not surprising that the Buddha insisted that his monks search out for natural locations such as the forest, mountain, or a hillside cave in order to carry out their effort towards spiritual progress (M.I.181; I.346; I.441; III.4; III.116). In these rustic and wild locations fraught with danger and inconveniences, by contemplating on these aspects of nature, one is able to more deeply understand the reality of life as characterized by impermanence and suffering. When monks reside in the forest and must deal with nuisance from pests and insects that damage their abode and beddings, they are encouraged to contemplate on this reality as reflecting impermanence of all things and to persevere in their difficulties. At the same time, leading a forest life also leads to the danger that comes from wild animals. Monks are told to be aware of this situation, and by contemplating on the fear aroused from this danger, they can be led closer to the dhamma (Harris 1991, 106). The important role of nature in one’s spiritual quest and daily activities, many have pointed out, can be demonstrated in how the Buddha led his own life. The fact that the Buddha was said to be born, achieved enlightenment, and died under various types of trees, lived and taught in natural environments, and often taught his disciples using examples from nature is evidence that there is an intimate relationship between spiritual well-being and the natural environment. The Theravadin forest tradition in which monks build temples in the wilderness or other natural locations in order to live and teach testifies to the legacy of the important role of nature since the earliest days of the religion. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 47

For Buddhism, evidence of one’s progress in the effort of personal self-cultivation is in the virtues that he demonstrates in his relationship with others. To this extent, the state of the natural environment can function as a measure of the degree of human virtuousness. In his sermons, the Buddha drew connections between these two realities. For example, in the Cakkavattasihanada Sutta (D.III.58-77), the Buddha said that when people behaved degenerately, filling their actions with ignorance, anger, and hatred, what resulted were war, famine, epidemics and other calamities. However, when people changed their hearts and their way of living, nature was restored to balance, and humanity experienced prosperity and peace. The claim of the state of nature as manifestations reflecting human virtuousness can also be seen in other suttas of the Anguttara. In one sermon, the Buddha asserted that the regularity of the course of the sun, moon and stars, the stability of the seasonal rains, the bountifulness of the crop, and the health of human beings were the direct result of the behavior of kings and leaders (A.II.74). Similarly, in another sermon of the same Nikāya, the Buddha warned, “When people are excited by illicit lust, overcome by unrighteous greed, afflicted by wrong Dhamma…sufficient rain does not fall leading to famine and lack of grains; wild spirits are let loose harming human lives” (A.I.159-160). As environmental well-being is directly correlated to human virtuousness, exercising virtues towards nature is no less important than doing so towards fellow human beings. As a person trains himself in the Noble Eightfold Path and understands that the life of sentient beings is characterized by suffering, he is encouraged to practice loving kindness (mettā) and compassion (karunā) in his life. A person filled with loving kindness and compassion sincerely desires that all sentient beings be freed from any suffering in their lives. Loving kindness is to be directed towards other creatures regardless of their strength, size, or proximity. It is to be wished upon others whether they are seen or unseen (S.I.8). Monks were enjoined by the Buddha to exercise loving kindness even in the face of challenges and difficulties (M.I.123). He exhorted them to vigorously train themselves so that they could display these virtues not only to those immediately around them but also to the entire world. Indeed, a person who is truly imbued with loving kindness and compassion would extend these virtues to human beings as well as non-human entities. Otherwise, it would not be accurate to characterize that person as truly compassionate (James 2007, 457). Closely related to loving kindness and compassion is the virtue of gentleness. Gentleness can be seen as the positive derivative of non-violence (ahimsā), the first precept in Buddhism. In the Dhammapada one is reminded that all sentient beings, human or otherwise, avoid things that cause them pain (Dp.129-130). Therefore, any actions that 48 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

inflict pain upon others, whether through everyday interactions with those around us or through means of livelihood, ought to be avoided (A.V.177). Earning a living as pig and sheep butchers, hunters, thieves and murderers result in grave consequences to the individual that no water ablution can eliminate (The.242-3). Just as loving kindness and compassion has a universal ethical thrust, so does gentleness. One would expect that those who display gentleness towards people and animals would also extend this demeanor towards plants and even non-living things like a sand dune or a mountain cave. Another virtue that greatly affects the well-being of nature is generosity (cāga) in giving (dāna). Bhikkhu Bodhi points out that the spiritual quality of generosity is important because it directly counters the poisons of greed and hatred while “facilitating that pliancy of mind that allows for the eradication of delusion” (1995). True generosity is the underlying impetus for the practice of dāna parami, the perfection of giving that brings about wholesome kamma essential to the path of enlightenment (Jootla 1995). Indeed, giving is an admirable act and Buddhism focuses a great deal on giving. However, the kind of giving that Buddhism is interested in is not just any act of giving, but those acts of giving that are motivated by the genuine internal disposition of generosity. There is no question that without nature, human beings cannot survive. Without the oxygen produced by plants, human beings would not be able to breathe. The processes taking place in nature is also extremely conducive to the spiritual progress of human beings when they meditate and reflect on them. The service that nature offers to human beings is constant and unceasing. Human generosity through acts such as planting trees and preserving forests demonstrate a sense of gratitude towards and an awareness of reciprocity in dealing with the natural environment. As the Khuddaka Nikāya states: “A person who sits or sleeps in the shade of a tree should not cut off a tree branch. One who injures such a friend is evil.” Buddhist teachings demonstrate that in many ways the well-being and the flourishing of the natural environment is part and partial of the very success of the human effort towards spiritual advancement. In the digital age where human interaction with the natural environment is increasingly being facilitated through the digital environment or replaced by preoccupation with cyberspace, Buddhism needs to actively refer to its fundamental teachings and traditions in order to promote healthy and wholesome human-nature relationship. Those who are technologically inclined might argue that the digital environment with its ever changing content and shifting identities can represent just as good a means for reflection on impermanence as the forest environment. One might also argue that “technological nature” such as a virtual tour of a nature site or a plasma “window” with a view of nature is an adequate JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 49

replacement of the actual experience. The truthfulness of these assertions, however, has not been corroborated by any known studies. Rather studies have indicated that interaction with authentic nature can lead to improvement in one’s mental and physical health. Even minimal exposure to nature such as looking at it through a glass window has been shown to help hospitalized patients to heal faster, decrease the rate of illness of prisoners, and promote health in the workplace (Kahn et al. 2009, 37). While benefits of interaction with nature has been proven persuasively, studies that compare the benefit of technological nature with authentic nature have shown that the former brings fewer enjoyments and benefits, even if the presence of technological nature is better than having no nature at all. Facing the reality of global urbanization and modernization, it seems many people are willing to reconcile with the fact that experiencing actual nature is becoming increasingly rare, and are more willing to accept having technological nature rather than no nature at all. This attitude reflects a situation described by Daniel Pauly as the “shifting baseline syndrome” (1995). Pauly came up with this syndrome after examining how fisheries scientists determined their baseline upon which to evaluate changes. As it turned out, as successive generation of fisheries scientists embarked upon studying the composition of stock size and species in a particular place, they would often take what they observed at the beginning of their career as the baseline. Because the composition changes with each successive generation, the baseline continually shifts and accommodates for the loss of stock and species. The shifting baseline in relations to the composition of fish is also observable in other areas such as air quality, moral and ethical standards, or spiritual well-being. Accepting technological nature as a legitimate substitute for actual nature, or even reconciling with the fact that there might not be any nature at all in one’s living environment represents this shift in determining what are the standards for human physical, mental and spiritual flourishing. Likewise, one can propose that cyberspace is as good an environment as the natural forest to meditate on the nature of reality; but chances are we will suffer from the shifting baseline syndrome mentioned above. In this digital age, Buddhism is called to apply its age old teachings to the new social context in order to maintain standards for human spiritual well-being as well as ecological flourishing. Just as Buddhist ethics have been advanced on serious matters affecting human society such as genocide and suicide, Buddhist ethics can also be formulated to address bio- cide and ecocide. Buddhism can engage in this developmental endeavor through the threefold process proposed by Mary Evelyn Tucker and Jim Grim (2017), which comprises of retrieval, reevaluation and reconstruction. In retrieval, Buddhist experts peruse scriptural and com- 50 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) mentarial sources in order to uncover and highlight aspects of the tradition that are relevant to human-Earth relations as well as identify applicable ethical codes for practice. This step involves close examination of both historical and textual sources in order to discover relevant content that may have not been previously evident. Reevaluation involves the examination of traditional teachings, customs, and religious tendencies and models of ethics in order to discover their impact on the environment. Reevaluation requires raising important questions about whether traditional religious tendencies and preoccupations with other-worldly matters hinder the addressing of more urgent ecological issues. Finally, reconstruction involves the creative effort by Buddhist scholars and leaders to adapt the teachings to address the contemporary circumstances. According to Tucker and Grim, “This is the most challeng- ing aspect of the emerging field of religion and ecology and requires sensitivity to who is speaking about a tradition in the process of reevaluation and reconstruction.” For Buddhism itself, this deliberative process is no small challenge because in addressing ecological issues, the Buddhist scholars and leaders must maneuver between “bilingual languages, namely, their languages of transcendence, enlightenment, and salvation” and the “languages of im- manence, sacredness of Earth, and respect for nature.” While this developmental process can be painstakingly slow and requires tremendous sensitivity, it must be done if Buddhism is to make itself relevant in the digital age. As Bikkhu Bodhi asserted:

If any great religion is to acquire a new relevance it must negotiate some very delicate, very difficult balances. It must strike a happy balance between remaining faithful to the seminal insights of its Founder and ancient masters and acquiring the skill and flexibility to formulate these insights in ways that directly link up with the pressing existential demands of old-age. It is only too easy to veer towards one of these extremes at the expense of the other: either to adhere tenaciously to ancient formulas at the expense of present relevance, or to bend fundamental principles so freely that one drains them of their deep spiritual vitality. Above all, I think any religion today must bear in mind an important lesson impressed on us so painfully by past history: the task of religion is to liberate, not to enslave. Its purpose should be to enable its adherents to move towards the realization of the Ultimate Good and to bring the power of this realization to bear upon life in the world. (Bikkhu Bodhi 1994)

As a religious tradition that knows how to make sense out of and employ technological developments, Buddhism is also asked to challenge those tendencies in technological JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 51

developments that lead human beings away from spiritual progress and ultimate emancipa- tion. Buddhist teachings on nature must be emphasized and highlighted in the new social milieu in order to counter against further alienation of the natural environment from the daily experience of people. While cyberspace and virtual reality are legitimate entities of modern human society that must be accepted, it does not serve us well when our daily life is overly consumed by these notional spaces as to lead to further separation of human beings from the natural environment.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as technological development continues to be advanced, the digital landscape will take shape in more dramatic ways. The digital environment and the associated entity called cyberspace will in some ways distract or even draw people away from the natural environment, causing further human alienation from nature. Facing this prospect of alienation and estrangement, Buddhism can play a vital role in reminding its adherents of the importance of nature in one’s spiritual development. Buddhism, as a religion that understands and knows how to use technology in propagating its teachings, can advance ideas that promote healthy and wholesome human-nature relationship to counter against negative inclinations brought about by increasing preoccupation with the digital environment at the peril of the natural environment. By actively bringing environmental issues to the forefront and emphasizing the fundamental need for a healthy human-nature relationship, Buddhism can serve as a force to prevent apathy towards environmental degradation and a catalyst for promoting environmental well-being. Buddhism can do this by implementing the threefold process of retrieval, reevaluation and reconstruction. By seriously and methodically engaging the tradition from the environmental perspective, great wisdom can be drawn out and applied for the greater good of humanity as well as the ecology. 52 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

References

Bhikkhu Bodhi. (1994). A Buddhist response to contemporary dilemmas of human existence. Retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/response. html. . (1995). Introduction. In Biddkhu Bodhi (Ed.). Dāna: The Practice of Giving. Retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel367.html. . (trans.). The connected discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Saṃyutta Nikāya. Second edition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2005. . (trans.). The numerical discourses of the Buddha: A complete translation of the Anguttara Nikaya. Annotated edition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2012. Bhikkhu Nanamoli (Trans.). The middle discourses of the Buddha: A new translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1995. Harris, I. How environmentalist is Buddhism? Religion, 21, 101–114, 1991. James, S.P. Against holism: Rethinking Buddhist environmental ethics.. Kahn, P.H., Severson, R.I., and Ruckert, J.H. The human relation with nature and technological nature. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 18(1), 37-42, 2009. Jootla, S.E. (1995). The practice of giving. In Biddkhu Bodhi (Ed.). Dāna: The practice of giving. Retrieved from http://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/various/wheel367. html. Kalupahana, D.J. Buddhist approach to the environmental problem. In Padmasiri De Silva (Ed.). Buddhist Approach to Environmental Crisis. The International Buddhist Con- ference on the United Nations Day of Vesak Celebration, 4-6 May 2009, 1-10, 2009. Miller, A. Gaia Connections: An Introduction to Ecology, Ecoethics, and Economics. Lanham: Roman & Littlefi eld, 1991. Monbiot, G. (1995) The hunters and the hunted, The Guardian,3 March 1995. Retrieved from http://www.monbiot.com/archives/1999/03/03/thehunters-and-the-hunted. Oldenberg, H. and Pischel, R. (Trans). Therıgatha. London: PTS, 1966. Pauly, D. Anecdotes and the shifting baseline syndrome of fi sheries. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 430, 1995. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 53

Sangharakshita (trans.). Dhammapada: The way of truth. Windhorse Publications Ltd, 2013. Tucker, Mary Evelyn and Grim, Jim.. The movement of religion and ecology. In Jenkins, W., Tucker, M.E., and Grim, J. (Eds.). Routledge handbook of religion and ecology. New York, NY: Routledge. Kindle edition, 2017. Veidlinger, Daniel. Introduction. In Gregory Price Grieve & Daniel Veidlinger (Eds.). Buddhism, the internet, and digital media: The pixel in the lotus (Kindle edition). New York: Routledge, 2016. Walshe, Maurice (trans.). The long discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Digha Nikāya. Second edition. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 1995. Buddhism and Transcending towards New Identity Perceptions in 21st Century

Prof. PhDr. Milada Polišenská, CSc.

Abstract

The author of this article considers herself to be philosophically a Buddhist, culturally a Christian and religiously unaffi liated.1 This self-perception has its minuses and pluses. A minus lays in the fact that despite many years of my interest and study of Buddhism, I still do not see myself to be an expert in Buddhism. A plus is, in my opinion, that my expertize of a diplomatic historian could allow me to bring some Buddhist ideas into a fi eld where we usually do not seek them or do not fi nd them, and to contribute to an enrichment of the social sciences area. This large academic sphere may benefi t from Buddhist philosophy and wisdom extraordinarily. My article Buddhism and Transcending towards New Identity Perceptions in 21st Century focuses on the two fi rst Dharma Seals– impermanence and non-self –, and on Fife Precepts of Buddhism. These selected basic principles of Buddhism will be compared and contrasted with some selected phenomena of present Western world.2 Their selection was infl uenced mainly, but not exclusively, by connected themes of identity, culture, historical memory and narrative of national histories and they will be introduced in the fi rst part of the article. These topics are currently experiencing a renewed interest and search for new approaches, as there is a considerable uncertainty of Western society about its own values and orientation.

1 Professor Frank Hoffman´s characteristics used in his speech at International seminar Buddhism in the Digital Era, organized by Graduate School and and International Buddhist Studies College, Ma- hachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University (MCU),Wang Noi, Ayutthaya, Thailand, 16 September 2017. 2 Thich Nhat Hanh. The Three Dharma Seals. In: Cultivating the Mind of Love - The Practice of Looking Deeply in the Mahayana Buddhist Tradition. Berkeley, California: Parallax Press, 1966. Quoted from http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/G - TNH/TNH/The Three Dharma Seals. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 55

The goal of this comparison is to find in Buddhism a source of inspiration and to view these mostly Western phenomena from a different perspective. In this article, I will not examine the third Dharma Seal, nibbāna, against the backdrop of the Digital era, but it should be said that three characteristics, impermanence, non- self and nibbāna, are contained in all phenomena, whatever it may be. Buddhism is not just theoretical but mostly practical. It could be a very useful contribution and stimulus also for a practical sphere in the realm of Western culture. I would like to emphasize, however, that in this article I am not suggesting to apply mechanically Buddhist teaching on the phenomena of our present globalizing world, as such an application would be superficial and would be either academic and Buddhist neither. My first deliberations on Buddhism vis-à-vis perception of identity have been presented at the international seminar on Buddhism in the Digital Era quoted above. This article elaborated further these ideas and took in the consideration comments and suggestions of commentators from this seminar. Definition of the Digital era has to come first to establish a necessary framework of this article. Our present era is characterized by a number of definitions, very frequently as something connected with „post-“: post-Industrialist, post-Modernist, post-Structuralist, also Network-society etc. For the 21st century however, the most frequently used term, and fully rightfully, is Digital society, Digital era. The digital technologies started to appear step by step among analogue systems as early as in 1950´s, then gradually from 1980´s a digital revolution gained a speed and in 1990´, s the digital revolution became a global phenomenon. Starting the dreaded Y2K of 2000, we speak on Digital era. Buddhism could not and can not stay away from this substantial global change and in recent few years, interconnection between Buddhism and digital environment became a topic of research, conferences3 and publications.4

3 See note 1. 4 Grieve, Gregory P. and Veidlinger, Daniel M. Buddhism, the Internet and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus. Routledge Studies in Religion and Digital Culture. Vol. 1. New York: Routledge, 2014, 2015. 56 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Pressures and tensions of chaotic character in Digital era In this subchapter, I am introducing selected issues of a strong social and cultural impact that are not new but that are gaining in this Digital era new, disquieting dimensions. The world finds itself nowadays at an intersection of many disturbing trends and processes. This applies to a large extent to Euroepan Union which experiences nowadays a crisis and tries, mostly not very successfully, to define its positions and find solutions of issues that were for a long time “dormant“ or „hibernated.“ The roots of this crisis are deep and multifaceted. Categories which until recently belonged to history courses at universities, such as nation, nationality, identity (national and cultural) and civilization, are nowadays hot topics, with many negative implications in media. Our knowledge based society is not well prepared to cover a gap between a concept of multiethnic, multicultural and multireligious society, idealized just few years ago, and many current problems caused by an unexpected immigration wave. Does the Western society know, where it wants to go and what it wants to achieve?Vagueness and lack of deeper insight result in catastrofic scenarios which fill in both traditional and digital media with all negative effects. Many people today are worried about the European Union future, about national sovereignty, national culture, national heritage, national identity. Digital media play very disturbing role in this context and facebook and internet are used by „quasi experts“ who make themselves popular by writing about the end of the European civilization. Various ahistorical, ungrounded and unwise statements revealing a chaotic state of mind are spread via internet and social media and acquire an aura of credibility and expert opinion.Yet, an avalanche of partial information does not mean a deeper awareness, more complex understanding of current events, and wisdom. Anxiety and uncertainty which dominate prevailing strata of European society nowadays bring an urgent feeling that „something“ new has to be found, done, that „something“ has to be changed. This is very obvious for example in Central European area. Ques- tions whether the existence of European Union has any sense started to appear particularly in the context of mass immigration to Europe. Some publicists and commentators express JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 57

a need of new narratives of national histories.5 At the same time, there is an emphasis on historical memory, which is now an increasigly popular research area, and on national identity. Would it be possible to interlink historical memory and new narrative? New narrative could be rather different from a traditional image that we have about ourselves and which is build on historical memory. A narrative is less related to academic historical research, it is closer to propaganda or another stereotyped simplification, and it is doubtful whether this is the way we should go. It would be wise to do a change, particularly if there are any delusions and attachments such as historical injustices, wrongs, misinterpretations, which are harming other nations. The reconsidered and rewritten narratives have difficult perspectives though because the deeply rooted stereotypes have often a strong charisma. The ageing of population also contributes to the preservation of vital force of many of these stereotypes Do we need a new narrative? Do we need any? Maybe yes, but not in the sense of rewriting history, but in using the wisdom of Buddhist teaching on impermanence. Buddha said in the Dhammapada: „Victory begets enmity; the defeated dwell in pain.“ Also „Hatred is never appeased by hatred in this world.“ 6An exemplary Buddhist approach has been that of Venerable Maha Ghosananda of Cambodia who urged to abstain of anger and hatred against Khmer Rouge for their genocial régime in Cambodia and to turn, instead, toward compassion and peacefullness. Another example could be an apology by Czech President Václav Havel for atrocities committed against Germans after the end of second World War. Václav Havel was until his death in 2011 in frequent contact with His Holiness Dalai Lama who influenced him deeply.7 Basic afflictions of craving, hatred and ignorance represent major causes of human suffering -individually, nationally and internationally. Even the historical memory of greatness as an important element of national identity, culture and national heritage is may be damaging the neighbor states if it had been build on expansion, conguer of their territories, oppresion of their people and disrespect of their culture.

5 In selected Czech cases, this is mainly Jan Macháček and Petr Zídek. In more general terms, these ideas have been expressed at preparatory meetings to the strategic document about sustainable development 2030 – 2050 (see belolow) as the author of this article witnessed. 6 Dp.15,201 and Dp.1,5. The Dhammapada:The Buddha‘s Path of Wisdom. Translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita. http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/scrndhamma.pdf 7 His Holiness Dalai Lama attended regularly annual international conferences in Prague Forum 2000 and had a long meetings with Václav Havel in inter-faith dialog. 58 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

The most fundamental, influential and widely damaging is ignorance (avidya), the inability to understand reality. „Because we are ignorant, we crave for things that destroy us, and we get angry at many things. We try to grasp the world of our projections, and we suffer.“8 If we look deeper into the causes of conflicts between individuals and between nations, craving is always present. Nation, national identity, national culture are historically conditioned which already implies their impermanence. Yet, the books on national histories and national cultures usually interpret the national histories going back to times prior the respective nations had existed. As a result, the nations and national identities have been traditionally considered as ever lasting and permanent entities. The national identities represent a significant source and scale of values. They are linked - with a considerable conservatism - to memory, stereotypes, images and emotions and to the ways how they are communicated. The Western culture considers a nation to be of a permanent duration even if nowadays at expert academic level there is a consensus that the nations are historically conditioned. European Union member states developed recently a fundamental strategic document about sustainable development 2030 - 20509 focusing, besides economy and environment, on various other issues including identity which has been culturally defined. In Czech case for example, the material understands this world as one whole and a sustainable development as a complex and dynamic system of components which are interconnected and which require an integrated approach towards them. This is a right and fundamental attitude. It is also important, that an emphasis is on education. However, the preparation of this strategic material revealed a number of disturbing deliberations caused particularly by an urgent feeling of standing at the edge of something. These thoughts remained however at discussion platform and did not appear in the final version of the material. This also demonstrates that European Union today is rather confused about its orientation, path and means. Process of drafting and of finalizing the document shows how much a more insightful, midful approach would be needed and how much the Western thinking would benefit from Buddhist philosophy.

8 Thich Nhat Hanh. The Three Dharma Seals. In: Cultivating the Mind of Love - The Practice of Looking Deeply in the Mahayana Buddhist Tradition. Berkeley, California: Parallax Press, 1966. Quoted from http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/Buddhism/G - TNH/TNH/The Three Dharma Seals. 9 https://www.vlada.cz/en/ppov/council-for-sustainable-developm JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 59

First Dharma Seal: Impermanence and Western perception of impermanence

In this subchapter, I introduce briefly basic principles of Buddhist teaching on impermanence and contrast this teaching with the traditional Western approach to this concept. Then, I focus on two manifestations of Western delusionary phenomena of „thick line“ and of „historical and natural right“, both causing suffering both in earlier times and now, in the Digital era. The Buddhist teaching on impermanence brings us to understanding of a continuous and unceasing flow of interactions and mutual influences between the phenomena. This never ending process has a universal character taking place at all levels, from cosmic to the quantum size, from aeons (kalpas) to picoseconds, a shortest time measurement used in physics today. Impermanence appears in two ways: momentary impermanence and periodic impermanence, which accumulates momentary and gradual impermanences and finaly reaches a stage of a substantial change which again is of impermanent nature.10 A noted Buddhist scholar Thich Nhat Hahn teaches to use impermanence as an instrument to penetrate deeply into reality and obtain liberating insight; that there is suffering because things are impermanent, but that thanks to the impermanence we can transform our suffering. Suffering is not caused by the impermanence. It is caused by the fact that we believe things are permanent or we struggle - often desperately, unwisely, manipuatively, violently, populistically, egoistically and in many other ways - to make them permanent. We can not say that the Western culture would be not aware of the impermanence of the phenomena. There are countless quotes of various personalities, philosophers, writers, politicians and many others, who expressed themselves about transience of everything. Even the Bible contains several statements related to transience and the Symbol of the Apostles, which stands at the beginning of the prayer of the rosary, contains the transience. In Western culture, however, the understanding of impermanence is different than in Buddhism. Symbol of the Apostles finishes by words: „I believe in ……….the resurrec- tion of the body, and the life everlasting.“ In difference of Buddhism, which understands the impermanence as a foundation of its teaching, in Western culture it is rather a denial of this impermanence motivated by fear of the impermanence. This fundamental attitude has

10 http://hsingyun.org/the-three-dharma-seals/ 60 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

a deep Christian, even Judeo-Christian foundation and is very deeply rooted even in our present secularized and digitalized Western society. We have to be aware of impermanence of everything. With impermanence, change is always possible and it is up to human beings to decide wisely about their actions. A delusion of a „ thick line under the past“ is closely connected with impermanence. It represents, in reality, a distinct, widespread effort to achieve a permanent status, i.e. an opposite of impermanence. It appeared frequently in history and is requent nowadays as well. It would be not possible to bring here examples of all its appearances. It is disguised by various political programs, proclamations, personal decisions and so on. Even if this effort has been having various manifestations, there is only one outcome – it never separated permanently the past from the present and present from the future. Even the success always proved to be illusory, despite it sometimes lasted for long period of time. „Making a thick line“ under the past, vision of separation of the „bad past“ or „bad present“ from the „glori- ous future“ caused many suffering and tragedies in history of nations and in personal life of many people.11 From the point of view of Buddhism, there is an impportant connecting point – futility, shortsightedness and lack of wisdom, often also hatred, violence and even wars. Goal of this is always to achieve something of permanent duration, something, which will last forever. This is impossible, though. There is another very frequent example of struggle to achieve the permanence. It is so called historical right 12 and its antithesis - natural (i.e. ethnic) right13. A rivalry between these two principles caused not only many academic disputes, but also political fights and even suffering of many people. Principle either of historical or natural right everything justifies and the only wise way to follow is an understanding of impermanence, wisdom and refraining of harming others.

11 The most drastic example of this was the Nazi Final Solution. Its goal had to be an achievement of a permanent order - elimination, through annihilation, of all Jewish population. Despite immesurable suffering of Jews in Holocaust the Final Solution was not achived. 12 Principle of historical law is claiming of a territory which sometimes in history was part of respective state but may be now, even for a very long time and based on international agreements, part of another state. The argument is: „that land was ours and has to be again, this is our historical right“. 13 Principle of natural (ethnic) law is claiming a territory of another state (neighbor state) where is a minority people of the same nationality who live in the state which is claiming that territory. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 61

In the Digital era, much stronger, more disturbing and devastating manifestations of this phenomenon take place. Despite an informative and documentary capacity of digital technology, the mass ethnic cleansings and atrocities during the civil war in Yugoslavia (1991-2001) took place. They were clearly visible on satellites but it was not possible to stop them. In Russo-Ukrainian conflict which has deep historical preconditions, the digital technology allowed to target and shoot down a Malaysia Airlines plane flying from Amster- dam to Kuala Lumpur and to kill hundreds of innocent people. Drones became technologies commonly used in military conflicts for intelligence and for destruction of strategic targets being navigated distance of hundreds and even thausands of kilometres. Development of military technologies has been always faster than the advancement of spiritual maturity of people, and military was always ready to use their newest technologies. The great spiritual leaders and teachers need to be followed by much larger community of supporters and students so that their voice is more audible and influencial globally. In conclusion of this subchapter it has to be said, that every person is a component of society, even if we could think that for example monks are exempt of this. It is very imporant to be alert and to try everywhere, where it is in our capacity, to spread wisdom of Buddhist teaching on impermanence. It is important, besides other reasons, as a protection against populist or manipulative decisions or actions disguised by „thick line“ , as particularly here a suffering of people is at stake. Impermanence as a First Dharma Seal is a basic principle. Nevertheless, human society and human beings need a certain stability. Stable family with good interpersonal relations based od trust, love and respect is extremely important. A state needs a political, economic and international stability. It is not possible to confuse impermanence with a chaos at individual, interpersonal, societal and international level.

Second Dharma Seal: Non Self

This subchapter presents in its introductory part the very basics of Buddhist teaching on non-self and contrasts it with the Western approach to self as independent entity. The core of this subchapter brings some examples of extreme attachment to physical body and interconnectivity of „dictate of eternal youth“ and ageing with a digital culture, and related stress and tentions. Teaching on non-self which is the second Dharma of Buddhism is interconnected with the teaching on impermanence. Non-self means that all things and phenomena are 62 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

without self-nature, do not have an “independent self”, that they have no independent existence on their own, while all phenomena are impermanent and their existence depends of other phenomena. The second Dharma seal is closely connected with human psyche. Human beings are phenomena as anything else, and therefore they are also subject to permanent change and do not have a self. Buddhist concept of impermanence and non - self could be, however, also a comfortable disguise of laziness, lack of discipline, lack of caring which do not correspond to Buddhist teaching and should be avoided. People have the tendency to consider the self as something real and durable, as something which is foundation of their personality. Particularly Western culture inclines to see self as a separate, independent entity. In Christianity, this independent permanent entity is a soul. Even secular Western thinking is very deeply influenced by this Christian backgroud and considers the self as something real and durable for the time of one´s life. Often it is said that someone, usually politicians, are persons of integrity, that someone´s opinions do not change and are firm, that someone is „as a rock“ etc. In reality we change all the time. However, even Ancient Romans recognized, that Tempora Mutantur and Nos Mutamus in Illis (Times change, and we change with them). 14 Buddhism teaches that attachment of many people to their bodies makes them to believe that there is some absolute essence inside of them that is the “real” self, but that it is a temporary form caused by a brief congregation of the physical and mental components of existence. Once those parts are separated, no real self will be found anywhere.15 However, some European mystics inclining to Buddhism, and yogis, such as very influential František Drtikol, Eduard Tomáš and Míla Tomášová, differentiated the mind from a soul which they saw as permanent entity subject to reincarnation. The teachings of these thinkers have been more linked to Christian belief in an eternal soul, than to Buddhist teaching about no substantial existence or absolute self present anywhere in the body. Their major merit however lays in the fact that these thinkers were great propagators of Eastern thinking, particularly of Buddhism, in Europe. In contrast to Buddhism, Western culture is very attached to the people´s physical bodies, despite the church in the past tried to redirect the Christians toward perception of

14 From Publius Ovidius Naso (Ovid). 15 http://hsingyun.org/the-three-dharma-seals/ JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 63

the body as a vessel of sin. These sometimes extreme Christian approaches belong to the history. The human body is nowadays, in Western predominantly liberal and non spiritual society, valued to such a high level, that a dictate of „eternal youth“ prevails. Digital media and printed magazines are full of pictures and stories of celebrities whose face and body deny their age. It is good to be fit, to exercize, to take care for one´s own health, to feel well. But there is a big business behind the “eternal youth“, such as plastic surgery and paparazzi spying who has undegone a plastic surgery and who has not (yet). The pictures of the celebrities are almost always digitally retouched by a photoshop which increases the delusion and strenghtens the virtual reality of our Digital era.16 The „dictate of the „eternal youth“ has much deeper impact on the Western society in Digital era than just pictures and tabloid stories. Young people are exposed to stress spread mainly by digital media and various internet pages that having a family and a successfull career is almost to „square the circle“. Examples of brilliant managers - women, who have career, children, travel constantly internationally, do extreme sports, look „eternaly young“ etc. are for most women a stressor as well. The men are exposed to similar pressures, too. Instead of encouraging and offering positive guidance toward quiet mind and inner peace the effect of digital culture is opposite. There are also noticeable changes in the approach to elderly people. In the Digital era, the average life expectancy increased substantially, population in developed countries is ageing while preserving the physical and psychical capabilities much longer than in the past. Nowadays, progressive universities have programs of studies and projects on ageing and the policies prohibiting age discrimination have been adopted in many countries. The digital media however develop a stressful atmosphere that there is very difficult or no chance for people who actually represent majority of population to find or keep a job or to be valued. The model example of a sage, of a wise scholar, of a teacher, who is grealy represented in Buddhism and used to be present also in Western culture, in our Digital era disapeared.

16 Sophisticated dimension offers Fukushima, Masato in his Corpus Mysticum Digitale (mystical body digital)? by presenting the idea of our digital body surviving the death of our natural body. This concept of two bodies in the era of digital technology is influenced by a medieval European concept of royal corpus mysticum. http://www.tandfonline.com/eprint/UCpUKXaMEThNKPPmVE57/full 64 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Buddhist Precepts

This subchapter contrasts Five Buddhist Precepts with Ten Commandement and then examines each of the Five Buddhist Precepts within the context of societal and cultural developments in the past and in present with particular emphasis on digital culture. Middle Path based on „Noble Eightfold Path“ is a fundamental principle for appro- priate conduct at the level of individual life, family life, communities and at national and international level. Even if it goes back to the beginning of Buddhism, it can very effectively help us to adapt and balance with the forces of globalization and digitalization. We should think and live in moderation and reasonableness. Way of life based on patience, perseverance, diligence, wisdom and prudence is indispensable in creating balance and sustainability of life, economy, society and environment.17 Five Buddhist Precepts are closely linked to the teaching on „Noble Eightfold Path. “ Lay Buddhists should observe „Five Precepts“. They use to be translated in slightly different ways but their meaning is the same: 1. to avoid taking the life of beings; 2. to avoid taking things not given; 3. to avoid sexual misconduct; 4. to refrain from false speech; 5. to abstain from alcoholic and other narcotics.18 These Buddhist precepts are sometimes compared with Judeo-Christian Ten Com- mandments. However, even if these principles are close each to other or even overlaping, there is a substantial difference – while the Old Testament speaks about a sin and punishment for a breach of any of the Ten Commandments, in Buddhism, the Five Precepts mean ethical and moral instruction or guidance.19 In principle, in Christian tradition, the Commandements are respected based on discipline and fear of punishment while in Buddhism, a skilled mind should avoid causing suffering or remorse.

17 Religions in the Kingdom of Thailand. Bangkok: Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture, 2000. 76. 18 There are three other precepts designed for special occasions. However, the Buddhist clergy has to observe much higher number of rules (200-300). http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/budethics. 19 There is no concept of sin in Buddhism. Buddhist concept of karma as one of the most fundamental amongst Buddhist doctrines relates in principle to action and its consequences. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 65

Despite fear and punishment, in Christian environment the Commandements have been not respected and observed in the past and in present. 20 Five Buddhist Precepts consist of instructions that are for our present world much better applicable. Buddhism as an athe- istic religion can offer through the precepts a perspective for a good quality of a private and public life of individuals and society as a whole. Buddhist precepts make a simple impression, but they are multilayered and the intepretation and teaching about these deeper layers and connections is very important. Under a simple formulation lays a holistic concept of interconnected meanings. Buddhist society however also was not and is not immune against not respecting the precepts what could be documented by many examples. Basically, we can just wish that these principles or precept which reflect a deep human wisdom would find more space and more attention in our present time. The observation of the precept on refraining from false speech (which means also gossiping and listening to gossip, lying, senseless chatter, spreading ungrounded news etc.) would be particularly important in the Digital era. We can not and should not isolate ourselves from information about the world around us. Instead of quality information, however, we are exposed to fragmented, superficial information and even gossips and tabloid type „news“. We are so used to it that we are even addicted to it. This kind of information suggests to be our reality, our world. It is not, it is a virtual reality, a delusion. The impact of this virtual reality is damaging and in recent years it became a subject of research at the intersection of spiritual sciences and media studies. 21 The digital media have an enormous role in this but major responsibility is lays upon us ourselves, as we should have more inner discipline to resist these „temptations“. A strong manifestation of not right speech and not right conduct is when personal issues of celebrities, politicians and people from showbusinees fill in the digital media. Some even offer themselves to paparazzi in order to gain more attention and popularity (as many think that bad popularity is better than any), some, on the other hand, are chased by paparazzi who are stealing their privacy, and some cases happened that the paparazzi chased someone even to death.

20 People could exculpate themselves by a confession, indulgencies, repentance and some other ways. Even if under some historical conditions the observance of Ten Commandements was strict, in general, the breach of Ten Commandements stretches accross history of Christian civilization like a red thread. 21 See for example Sunath, Senarath et al. Mindful Jounalism et New Ethics in the Digital Era. New York: Routledge, 2015. 66 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

It is necessary to distinguish, though, what is related to our Digital era and what is a common nature of people who do not care about their spiritual growth. In principle, this is not just a phenomenon of this present era. People were always attracted to watch violent, bloody spectacles – gladiator games in ancient Rome, public executions, etc. “Right conduct” creates a foundation to Buddhist precepts of abstaining from harmul actions including harming and even killing others, taking of what was not given and sexual misconduct. Particularly in observation of these precepts present society should go through a deep selfreflection. This should start first from everyone individually and then spread accross larger strata of society. Observation of these precepts and of precepts based on Right Live- lihood Path would be very beneficial for everyone and for the society as well. At the same time, unfortunatelly, we see that there is little perspective to achieve in this point substantial results in near future. Europe became a theatre of military operations in recent two decades, i.e. after the end of the Cold War. Interconnection between political, lobbyist and capitalist circles is widespread and corruption scandals from time to time erupt. In terms of sexual misconduct, the situation in Western society is very unsatisfacory and it is of a serious concern of sociologists, psychologists, medical and othe experts. Marriage in Christianity is a sacrament and even today, many marriages are concluded in church and then a divorce is considered an improper breakdown of a relationship and is even impossible without a papal consent. 22 In reality, people marry often without strong foundation of their relationhip and they divorce hastily. It is certainly very unhealthy when one half of marriages finishes by a divorce, very often within 3-5 years after the wedding. Who suffers are the children. It is very unfortunate that more than 50% of children in school classes to not have home both their own parrents. 23 At the same time, the number of people who live together, have children, but did not marry, is also high. Influential or rich men, businessman or politicians divorce their wives who for decades were their companions, helping hands and mothers of their children, and marry young attractive women, often secretaries or spokespersons. It is almost a rule that the men gain

22 Still the practice in Italy while in strict Catholic Poland a divorce without papal consent is possible. 23 Czech example, but other European countries have similar data. https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/0b00225862. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 67

more popularity this way and their reputation of strong leaders increases, while the divorced women are often victims of digital media paparazzi who ridicul their ageing. It would be naïve to think that these manifestations are just product of our times. The saying „cherchez la femme“ has an old history and is based on old social experiences. Yet, today we live in an emancipated society and women can be leaders without harming others. Important therefore is that Buddhism places a heavy emphasis on „self-reliance“.24 This can make it well accessible to Western people.

Conclusion

From Schopenhauer to John Paul II sometimes in the West we hear that Buddhism is a pesimistic or even nihilistic teaching. This is a reaction on its emphasis on impermanence and non - self. Particularly people educated in Western traditions of thought may have this impression. It is however just a superficial impression coming from lack of knowledge, lack of understanding or even ignorance. In reality, a better knowledge of Buddhism and better understanding of Buddhist teaching could bring a considerable benefit. There is a lot of stereotypes about Buddhism in the Western world. Buddhism did not became yet part of a larger cultural and religious heritage in Europe. It would be unrealistic to imagine that all Europeans would become Buddhist and we should not go that far. I am convinced that we should value our Christian foundation and take care for it. It would be highly desirable, though, if the characteristics from the introduction of my article on Buddhism – Buddhism philosophically, Christianity culturally and religious affilitation yes or not, by personal decision – would find in Europe much larger implementation. It is necessary to refrain from the attachment to the historical wrongs and stereotypes, to be alert, insightfull, to understand the processess in their permanent development and changes, to adapt to the situation, to abstain from „tick line“ thinking and solutions. At the same time it is important to achieve steadiness, to go to the inner and respect the values. The mobiles phones could be used to detonate a bomb on a distance, with the Face- book, large social unrests can be initiated very quickly. People start short term relationships

24 Religions in the Kingdom of Thailand, 99. 68 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

through mobiles and they sometimes terminate relationships of many years by sending a short sms. The cinemas are dominated by films on living or artificial monstres destroying the world, eventually the entire universe. If a hero chases someone through a city smashing everyone and destroying everything in his way, it is considered OK. Consequently, negativity and aggresivity spreads in the society. This article described rather negative aspects of digital technologies. However, there are not just negatives. Maybe we just do not have enough of distance from the arrival of Digital era, which dates only one and half decade back. It would be not right to judge the digital technologies only negatively because they have many important positives as well. One old Czech proverb says that a fire is a good servant but a bad master, and the same applies to digital technologies. Digital era does not mean only social media. Advanced digital technologies are used in medicine, astronomy, astronautics, cartography, oceanography, aviation, naval navigation, architecture, criminology, statistics and many other academic and practical disciplines, even in history. Internet does not mean only digital paparazzi, leaking information and hackers. Internet is a very important databaze of primary sources, such as academic editions of historical, religious and other texts, we can use on line catalogs of libraries of the entire world, we can use archival materials, we use the translator….. the usage is very large. In my own academic work as a historian, I do use an internet and various webpages and am teaching the students the methods of usage of internet in history. In respect of Buddhism, thanks to the internet, the access to Buddhism is much easier than ever before. Many primary and secondary sources are available on line and information about retreats, conferences, discus- sions and consultations are easily available. Nowadays, almost everyone is constantly watching his or her mobile phone. Not necesserely this has to be negative. Mobile phones can help to find people after earthquakes, people often can také picture of accidents etc. To some extent the mobile phone culture helps people to be grounded in their own world and to stay focused there. Internet and other digital technologies have to be used wisely to avoid negative impact on mind. Thanks to the digital opportunities we in the West can have more access to and possibly get more isnpiration from the Buddhist wisdom and this is a very good perspective. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 69

References

The Dhammapada:The Buddha‘s Path of Wisdom. Translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita. http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_fi le/scrndhamma.pdf Grieve, Gregory P. and Veidlinger, Daniel M. Buddhism, the Internet and Digital Media: The Pixel in the Lotus. Routledge Studies in Religion and Digital Culture. Vol. 1. New York: Routledge, 2014, 2015. Fukushima, Masato in his Corpus Mysticum Digitale (mystical body digital) http://www. tandfonline.com/eprint/UCpUKXaMEThNKPPmVE57/full Religions in the Kingdom of Thailand. Bangkok: Department of Religious Affairs, Ministry of Culture, 2000. Sunath, Senarath et al. Mindful Jounalism et New Ethics in the Digital Era. New York: Routledge, 2015. Thich Nhat Hanh. The Three Dharma Seals. In: Cultivating the Mind of Love - The Practice of Looking Deeply in the Mahayana Buddhist Tradition. Berkeley, California: Parallax Press, 1966. Quoted from http://www.abuddhistlibrary.com/ Buddhism/G - TNH/TNH/The Three Dharma Seals. https://www.vlada.cz/en/ppov/council-for-sustainable-developm http://hsingyun.org/the-three-dharma-seals/ http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/budethics. https://www.czso.cz/csu/czso/0b00225862. 70 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) Healing Smartphone Addiction from the Perspective of Buddhism

Zhang Jingting

Abstract

With the rapid development of the technology, smartphones have been become the indispensable mobile device which supply a lot of conveniences and entertainments for us in our daily lives. However, due to the overuse of smartphones people are increasingly indulged in the virtual world of smartphones and could not extricate themselves. What is more serious, many people especially young people even appeared symptoms of smartphone addiction, suffering from “nomophobia”. This paper mainly focuses on young people to analyzes the positive infl uences and negative effects of smartphones, and then analyzes the causes of smartphone addiction among young people, based on the analysis to puts forward the solution to smartphone addiction from the perspective of Buddhism. The reasons for smartphone addiction include inner causes of the addicts themselves and the impacts of the external environment. This paper is mainly focus on individual reasons, proposes combining the Buddhist practice of “threefold training(sikkhā)” with cognitive-behavior therapy(CBT) and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy(MBCT). Aims at helping general smartphone addicts to achieve self-treatment in their daily lives, thereby reducing their psychological attachment on smartphones. Finally, to give further suggests to help people make a natural and balanced life in digital era through practicing Buddha Dhamma.

Keywords: Smartphone addiction, Threefold training, CBT, MBCT JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 71

Introduction

With the development of technologies, more and more digital products go into people’s daily life, such as computer, digital camera, smartphone, iPad and so on. Those different high-tech products are changing our lives rapidly, humans have entered the digital era. But, technology as a double-edged sword which bring benefits to mankind also accompanied by challenges. For example, in the past, people spent their leisure time on many different activities, such as sporting, reading, parties and so on. But today, especially after smartphone came into being, most of people seems have no leisure activities any more, since their time are occupied by smartphones. There is no doubt that smartphone makes our lives more and more convenient in different fields, especially among young people. We needn’t make a long-distance call but by video-calls which is more quick and cheap; We shopping on the internet by APPs instead of looking for satisfactory products on the street; We can receive news by smartphone at the first time instead of waiting for tomorrow’s newspaper. Obviously, smartphone have been deeply affected on our social relationships and daily behavior and other aspects, it has become our tools that connect us and the outside world. Unfortunately, when we enjoy the fruits of scientific and technological progress, there also has a lot of negative effects. In this modern digital time, Smartphones have become one of the most essential digital products in our lives, but it also become one of the obstacles in our lives. For example, “Nomophobia”, it is a new psychology terminology after cellphone came into being. “Nomophobia” is the abbreviation for “no-mobile-phone phobia” which means “the fear of being out of mobile phone contact”1. In UK, 66%people are afraid of either losing or being separated from their phones while 41% of people own more than one phone. Female preponderance (70%) of concentration levels and is responsible for increased level of anxiety, has been seen in a study.2 When people suffering from nomophobia, there may be psychiatric comorbidity: anxiety, ringxiety, depression, insomnia, headache, dizziness etc. or physical sequelae: hearing loss, eye strain, digital thumb, cervical spondylosis (abnormal wear on the cartilage and bones of the neck) or other serious mental problems.3

1 International Journal of Research in Medical Sciences, Vol. 3, Issue 3, 2015, p.705. 2 ibid., p.706 3 Bhatia MS, Sharma Varun, Chhabra Vishal. Neuropsychiatric effects of mobile phones, Delhi Psychiatry Journal Nov.2008, p. 58. 72 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Therefore, it is hard to say that smartphone is enemy or friend of us, when we in the face of these positives influence and negative effects. But, as a Buddhist, what I can sure is, it is time for us to reflect that how to take advantage of Buddha Dhamma to help ourselves and other people have a balance life in this digital age. The positive influences and negative effects of smartphone to our lives will be analyzed in the paper, and then propose the specific solution for “nomophobia” from the perspective of Buddhism. The solution aim at treating both of body and mental problems through combining Buddhist Psychology and Modern Psychology to help people lighten smartphone addiction. Finally, basic on the example of smartphone to further suggest how to take advantage of Buddha Dhamma to achieve a balanced life in the digital age.

The Positive Influences and Negative Effects of Smartphone

1. Overview on Smartphone Smartphone is a category of mobile phone that provides the functions of a small computer.4 It is typically pocket-sized, have the ability to place and receive voice, video calls and create and receive text messages, have virtual assistants, a media player, video games, GPS navigation, digital camera, video camera and so on. Smartphones can access the internet through cellular frequencies or Wi-Fi and can run a variety of third-party software components. Smartphones became widespread in the late 2000s. In the third quarter of 2012, one billion smartphones were in use worldwide.5 According to the latest Smartphone Quar- terly Report of NPD, global smartphone shipments are forecast to reach 1.8 billion in 2017, accounting for 82 percent of total mobile phone handset shipments, up from 55 percent in the third quarter of 2013. The majority of smartphone growth will come from the Asia-Pacific region, especially China.6

4 http://www.phonescoop.com/glossary/term.php?gid=131. Retrieved August 20, 2017. 5 Don Reisinger. “Worldwide smartphone user base hits 1 billion”. CNET. October 17, 2012 6 “Worldwide Mobile Phone Shipment Forecast”. https://ipcarrier.blogspot.com/2013/11/smartphone-shipments-will-be-82-of-all.html. Retrieved August 20, 2017. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 73

2,500,000

2,000,000

1,500,000

1,000,000 Shipment (000s)

500,000

0 2011 2012 2013 (F) 2014 (F) 2015 (F) 2016 (F) 2017 (F)

Smartphone Basic and Feature phone

Source: NPD Display Search Smartphone Quarterly report

It could be analyzed that, smartphone increase quickly and widely in the whole world. Smartphone copied most functionality from the computer to the phone, makes our lives more and more convenient and fast, it has become the essential digital tool of human. Unfortunately, most of people are enjoying the joy of the smartphone now, but completely unaware of that they are in danger of smartphone addiction.

2. The Positive Influences of Smartphones There is no doubt that, scientific and technological progress has promoted the progress of people’s material life. As if overnight, our society has undergone tremendous changes, in the past, people walking in the street will look around, and now people will only stare at their mobile devices. Smartphone play a very important role in today’s digital age, people can not only send text messages anytime, anywhere, and can play video calls, surf on the Internet, online shopping, reading, watching movies, listening to music, GPS positioning and so on. Smartphones not only make our personal social network, working, studying, entertainment became more convenient and fast than before, but also could be applied in the military. Since the advent of smart phones, many national military awareness of its military value, and actively develop supporting combat application system, through 3G, 4G and other wireless communication systems, smart phones can quickly establish a military communications network, to achieve operational commands, intelligence transmission. In a word, smartphones have been brought unprecedented convenience and fast for our lives and society. 74 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

3. The Negative Effects of Smartphone Just as a double-edged sword, smartphones bring benefits to mankind also produce a lot of problems.

3.1 Personal Problems Many physiological diseases could be coursed by phone overuse, users often associate using a mobile phone with headaches, impaired memory and concentration, fatigue, 7 ， dizziness, sleeplessness and other related diseases . For example, cervical spondylosis after Long-time use of mobile phones, the body is not natural bending, the neck becomes more and more forward. The bones and muscles of upper body continuing to stretch forward, after a long time will be in a chronic congestive state, over time for easy compression of the vertebral artery and induce spinal disease, resulting in chronic strain. Smartphone overuse is also easy to cause a variety of eye problems, especially in young people. Because smartphones emit HEV light (also called blue light), staring at phone and tablet screens may actually harm our eyes permanently. HEV light is that portion of the visible light spectrum that comprises light with the shortest wavelengths, which carry the greatest potential to damage living tissue.8What is more serious, excessive use of phones also increases the risk of cancer, specifically brain cancer, and its correlation with phone use, is an ongoing investigation. There are many variables that affect the likelihood of hosting cancerous cells which include how long and how frequently people use their phones.9 On the other hand, smartphone overuse may result in psychological problems. For example: nomophobia, which means “the fear of being out of mobile phone contact”. The most important reason for nomophobia is smartphone addiction, it is defined as a behavior addiction, loss of control by excessive immersion and obsessions to smartphone use10,consequent

7 Al-Khlaiwi T, Meo SA. “Association of mobile phone radiation with fatigue, headache, dizziness tension and sleep disturbance in Saudi population”. NCBI (2004). https:// www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15195201. Retrieved August 21, 2017. 8 Simon Hill. “ Does Staring at Screens All Day Really Damage Your Eyes? We Asked an Expert”. Digital Trends, (2015). Retrieved August 21, 2017. 9 World Health Organization: “IARC Classifies radiofrequency electromagnetic fields as possibly carcinogenic to humans” , International Agency for Research on Cancer (2011). http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/ pdfs/ pr208E.pdf. Retrieved August 21, 2017. 10 Park YM. A study on adults’ smart phone addiction and mental health [PhD thesis]. Sangji University, 2011. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 75

daily disorder by nervousness and anxiety and inclination toward virtual world that feels more enjoyable with smartphone than with friends. According to Korean Internet &Security Agency in 201211, 77.4% of smartphone users answered “I frequently check smartphone without any special reason,” and more than half of them (53.9%) answered “I used smartphone right before or after sleep.” It was reported that the smartphone addiction rate has already exceeded the internet addiction rate12. When those people suffering from nomophobia, there may be psychological comorbidity: anxiety, ringxiety, depression, insomnia, headache, dizziness even depression.

3.2 Society Problems Smartphone affects the value orientation of adolescents. Smartphones help people to get all kinds of information, young people lacks of the ability to analyze and judge, therefore, they are easier to mislead by the wrong information, it is difficult to form the correct values. Sherry Turkle is a clinical psychologist and sociologist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, she pointed out that this new communication revolution is reducing the quality of relationships: it includes relationships between family and friends, as well as the relationship between colleagues and lovers.13 Yes, whether in the restaurant, park, subway or home, what we can see is the same scene that most of people bowed their heads and communicate with their mobile phone, completely forget the things around. I began to miss the time that people communicate with each other face to face. Except those effects, smartphone also increase the risk of information overload, privacy leaks, the risk of accidents and so on. Obviously, excessive use of smartphones may be resulted in physical and psychological illness to the user, on the other hand, the continuous progress of intelligent products also increased the risk of some social problems.

11 Intervention and resolution strategy for smart media addiction. Korean Internet and Security Agency, 2012. 12 American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5, (WashingtonDC: American Psychiatric Association,2013) 13 Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in Digital Age, (New York: Penguin Press,2015), p.16. 76 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

4. The Reasons of Smartphone Addition

4.1 Individual reasons (1) Interpersonal relationship needs. Young people have strong interpersonal needs, smartphone as a mobile communication tool, including calls, Facebook, Line, QQ, WeChat many other functions, to provide them with a variety of means of communication, fully meet the them of their interpersonal needs. On the other hand, young people are in the period which thirsts for the sense of belonging and acceptance. They hope to get emotional resonance from friends and want to establish a long and strong interpersonal relationships. Therefore, in order not to miss any social opportunities, to establish themselves as the center of the circle of friends, they always, regardless of the occasion of the attention of the phone, become a Phubbing. (2) Meets the psychological need. With the continuous improvement and optimization of smartphone, the powerful functions to meet the different levels of psychological needs of young people. First of all, young people are curious and like new things, constantly developing of smartphone software meet their needs, such as information, audio-visual, games, shopping, tourism and other aspects of leisure and entertainment needs. And, as the new generation of 21st century, today’s young men want to show their own personality, through the smartphone personalized decoration and ringtones and other aspects can meet the needs of their self-expression and vanities. For example, in the survey conducted by Stanford University in 2010, it was found that in 200 iPhone-using students, the Apple smartphone (a typical smartphone brand) can be rather addictive for both its recent adoptees and its long- time users, and many users relied on iPhone as a part of their lifestyle. All in all, 10% of the participants were fully addicted to their iPhone,34% ranked themselves almost addicted to it, and 6% said they were not addicted to it at all. Further, 75% admitted to sleeping next to their iPhone, and 69% reported that they were more likely to forget their wallet than their iPhone.14 (3) Influences of herd mentality. From the psychological point of view, the herd mentality is the psychological phenomenon that refers to the individual who under the influence of the outside world, and then make their own behavior, ideas, judgments and other aspects in line with most of people automatically. Young people have strong social needs, therefore,

14 Hope D (2010) iPhone addictive, Survey reveals Live Science. http://www.livescience.com/ 6175-iphone-addictive-survey-reveals.htmlRetrieved August22, 2017. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 77

in order not to be regard as the different one, many of them choose herd behavior to obtain a psychological balance. So, when most of people using smartphone and communicating each other by smartphone, those people who is afraid of marginalization in this atmosphere prefer to choose follow the herd. This behavior can increase in possibility of smartphone addiction. (4) Unconscious habitual behavior. With the increase times of mobile phone use in every day, people becomes more and more rely on mobile phones, after a period of time, they gradually develop the habit of looking at the phone regardless of whether there is a need to use the phone. What is more worse, people are not aware of that they have been developed an unconscious and aimlessly habit of using their smart phones, and then, this habit can be evolved into smartphone addiction. This unconscious behavior could not be aware during the time when people using smartphone, so it is difficult to be stop while it happening.

4.2 External causes (1) The characteristics of the smartphone itself. with the rapid development of technology, the speed of update, appearance, and functions of smartphones increased rapidly and diversely. In order to meet different needs of consumers to occupy market, soft developers try their best to develop diverse softs, and then users can choose any soft that they like, thus smartphones become more and more interesting and attractive. (2) The changes of interpersonal approach. In the past, the mainly interpersonal way is face to face, but after computer came in to being until today, people’s communication ways changed and increased. (3) Environments of family, school and society.

Buddhist Therapy of Smartphone Addiction

The above analysis shows that smartphones can bring both of benefits and disadvantages to humans, but not all people who use mobile phones will be adversely affected, the key is how people use smartphones. And for smartphone addicts, the most important reason is their inner hearts, but not the smartphone itself. The theory and practices of Buddhism could help people get rid of the attachment of forms(rūpa), and ultimately to reach inner peace. The treatment of psychological counseling is limited by time and space, but people can practice Buddha Dhamma without limitations of time and space. Therefore, the researcher proposed solution that combined the psychology 78 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

of Buddhism with the present psychological treatment to help smartphone addicts reduce the attachment of smartphones in their daily lives. The principle of this Buddhist therapy from Cognitive Behavior Therapy(CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) of psychotherapy. But the mainly process of therapy follows Buddhist Practices of “threefold training”. It is not the same as the strict psychological counseling treatment, but a general solution for the ordinary smartphone addicts who can self-treatment. It could be applied addicts who has realized his problem and is willing to try to solve it.

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psychosocial intervention15 that is the most widely used evidence-based practice for improving mental health16. Guided by empirical research, CBT focuses on the development of personal coping strategies that target solving current problems and changing unhelpful patterns in cognitions (e.g. thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes), behaviors, and emotional regulation.17It could be analyzed, CBT consider that human emotions come from the beliefs, attitudes, explanations, or philosophical views of the things which they are encountered, but not from the things themselves. Therefore, the most important solution of smartphone addiction is change the cognitions to smartphone of patients, but not force them use smartphone, because the reason is not the smartphone itself. Some teachings of Buddha could elaborate CBT, for example in the case of Kisa Gotami. Her story is one of the more famous ones in Buddhism. After losing her only child, Kisa Gotami became desperate and asked if anyone could help her son to recover from death. Her sorrow was so great that many thought she had already lost her mind. An old man told her to meet Buddha. Buddha told her that before she could bring the child back to life, she should find white mustard seeds from a family where no one had died. She desperately went from house to house, but to her disappointment, she could not find a house that had not suffered the death of a family member. Finally, the realization struck her that there is no house free from mortality. Afterwards she was followed Buddha. She was awakened and

15 Beck JS, Cognitive behavior therapy, (New York: The Guilford Press,2011), p. 19. 16 Field TA, Beeson ET, Jones LK, “The New ABCs: A Practitioner’s Guide to Neuroscience- Informed Cognitive-Behavior Therapy” , Journal of Mental Health Counseling, March2015, pp. 206– 220. 17 Benjamin CL, Puleo CM, Settipani CA, et al, “History of cognitive-behavioral therapy in youth”, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, Vol 2, 2011, pp.179–189. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 79

entered the first stage of Arhatship. Eventually, she became an Arhat.18 In this case we can analyze that Kisa Gotami’s son didn’t come to life but she realized the truth, and then she changed the cognitive of herself. In the same way, one of the purposes of “Buddhist Self Therapy Based on Threefold Training” in the paper is aiming at changing the cognitive on smartphone of addicts.

2. Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) originally is designed to help people who suffer repeated bouts of depression and chronic unhappiness. It combines the ideas of cognitive therapy with meditative practices and attitudes based on the cultivation of mindfulness. The heart of this work lies in becoming acquainted with the modes of mind that often characterize mood disorders while simultaneously learning to develop a new relationship to them. MBCT was developed by Zindel Segal, Mark Williams and John Teasdale, based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program.19 It is also effective in treating addiction, according to the experiment that mindfulness meditation of smokers over a two-week period totaling five hours of meditation decreased smoking by about 60% and reduced their cravings, even for those smokers in the experiment who had no prior inten- tions to quit. Neuroimaging of those who practice mindfulness meditation has been shown to increase activity in the prefrontal cortex, a sign of greater self-control.20

3. Buddhist Therapy Based on Threefold Training

3.1 Introduction Threefold Training is the basic practice of Buddhism, included three steps of Morality(sīla), Concentration(samādhi), Wisdom (paññā), by practicing these threefold training can reach the fruit of stream-winner, the fruit of once returner, the fruit of non-returner,

18 C. Rhys Davids and K. Norman: Poems of Early Buddhist Nuns, (Pali Text Society, 2007), pp. 88–90. 19 http://mbct.com/ 20 Merluzzi, A, Breaking Bad Habits, APS Observer, Vol. 1 (2014). 80 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

the fruit of arahantship”.21 The principle of this Buddhist therapy from Cognitive Behavior Therapy(CBT) and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) of psychotherapy; But the mainly process of therapy follows Buddhist Practices of “threefold training”. To help addicts free from smartphone addiction through modifying the related cognitive and behavior of them, connected with Buddhist theory and practice.

Wisdom (pa¤¤à) Cognitive

Get Rid of Smartphone Concentration addiction (samàdhi)

Behavior

Morality (sãla)

In threefold training, morality(sīla) is the basic step, we can develop good virtues and wholesome behavior by practicing morality. The second is concentration(samādhi), it is training and cultivating of the heart, it helps us to master our minds, make it tranquil and fit to different work. The third is wisdom(paññā), it helps us to give rise to full understanding of and insight into true nature of things, and then eliminate all ignorance in our minds to get rid of all things that we attached before. For those smartphone addicts, they can modify their behavior and cognitive by practicing “threefold training of smartphone”.

21 Sifen lü 四分律 (Vinaya in four parts), T22, no. 1428, p. 996. The Buddha asked: “Bhikkus, how your practice and what are your practice”. “As the lord said, threefold training: Morality(sīla), Concentration(samādhi), Wisdom (paññā), by practicing these threefold training, to reach the fruit of stream-winner, the fruit of once-returner, the fruit of non-returner, the fruit of arahantship” Sifen lü represents the living Vinaya tradition in China, having long served as the textual basis in bhiksu and bhiksuni ordinations. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 81

3.2 Behavior Modification

3.2.1 Precepts of Smartphone To addicts who want free from attachment of their smartphones, as the basic step of threefold training, they should make relevant phone use rules according to their actual situation. For example, one like playing games, he may try to control times for games or just delete Game Apps directly. Different people may have different situations, here are some suggests to them, such as no use of cellphone before sleeping, limited Internet Package, controlling the time of cellphone use, sporting, learning other things and so on.

3.2.2 Mindfulness and Meditation Training Mindfulness and meditation training is followed concentration of threefold training and closely related to wisdom. The Buddha once said that when the mind is concentrated, it is in a position to see all things as they really are. When the mind is concentrated and fit for work, it will know all things in their true nature.22 But it is not necessary to be the same strict as Buddhist concentration, because ordinary people may have no enough ability to reach concentration(samādhi) at the beginning. Therefore, they just need to practice what they can do, but at least they should learn how to pay attention on the thing they do. This step is aim at improving attentions and the ability of self-control, to calm the mind and then perceive the truth (impermanent, non-self, suffering) through their selves’ experience and then reduce the psychological attachment of smartphone. There are different methods for mindfulness and meditation trainings, they can choose one that they like. From the perspective of Buddhist Psychology on mindfulness therapy, the book of Full Catastrophe Living written by Jon Kabat-Zinn is recommended.

3.3 Cognitive Modification This step is corresponded with wisdom(paññā), it aimed at modifying the cognitive of smartphone by right view (sammā diṭṭhi) and right thought (sammā sankappa). For example, we can analyze smartphone and user by characteristics of dhamma, included impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-self (anatta). Who is user? There are five elements made of “self”, they are form(rūpa), sensation(vedanā), perception(saññā), mental formation(saṅkhāra), consciousness (viññāṇa) named five aggregates (khandha). Ordinary

22 Buddhadasa Bhikku, Handbook of Humankind, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, 2005, p.60. 82 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

people always believe that there is a real “me”, when they using cellphone, they thought “it is mine” who is using and feeling the cellphone or “it is my cellphone”. They believe it is me who can get happiness from cellphone, but is it true that I’m going to get those pleasures? If we think it deeply and we will have different answers: both of “me” and happiness are impermanent. We can’t say form is me or sensation is me, because five aggregates is change- able and impermanent, it’s dependent on origination, we are changing in every second, how can we catch a real me, and how can we feel the real happiness of smartphone? Since there is no eternal self, how can the happiness I get be true? On the other hand, when addicts are playing games on the cellphone, they may feel satisfied in the virtual world of their smartphones, but what happens once they leave their smartphones? As a consequence, they will be anxiety, nervous, have no sense of security even more worse, and then this makes new suffering to them. For example, when a student plays games with smartphone, he is addicted to the imaginary world of his smartphone and wastes a lot of time, and it difficult for him to concentrate on study like before. They felt regretful at the moment, but could not completely rid themselves of the temptation of the smartphone, which caused a series of painful chain reactions, and then they returned to cellphone for escaping from reality. These are the reflection of impermanent (anicca), suffering (dukkha) and non-self (anatta), there is no real eternal me, there is no real happiness to get, the essence of addiction is suffering. It is easier for addicts to get rid of psychological attachment of their smartphones, if they understood the nature of the thing. The right view and the right thought of the noble eightfold path is the embodiment of wisdom, it helps they insight the nature of things, and then they can get back from all thing they attached before. Except right view and right thought, there are other teachings of Buddha could be applied to modify the cognitive, such as four noble truth, characteristics of dharma, dependent origination, cause and effect and so on. Which one to choose according to different situations of addicts. Buddhist Therapy Based on Threefold Training can not only modify the cognitive and behavior of addicts, but also help them to make a natural and balanced life in digital era.

Conclusion

Smart phone is only one of the products in digital era, it has no natural of good or bad. The most important are people themselves, if they could control smartphone and take advantages of it, smartphone is our friend, we can make a natural and balanced life in digital era. Otherwise, human will be controlled by those digital products. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 83

References

Buddhadasa Bhikku, Handbook of Humankind, Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University,2005. Bhatia MS, Sharma Varun, Chhabra Vishal. Neuropsychiatric Effects of Mobile Phones. Delhi Psychiatry Journal. 2008. Don Reisinger. “Worldwide Smartphone User Base Hits 1 Billion”. CNET. 2012. Park YM. A study on Adults’ Smartphone Addiction and Mental Health [PhD thesis]. Sangji University, 2011. American Psychiatric Association, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5. Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association,2013. Beck JS, Cognitive Behavior Therapy. New York: The Guilford Press, 2011. Field TA, Beeson ET, Jones LK, “The New ABCs: A Practitioner’s Guide to Neuroscience- Informed Cognitive-Behavior Therapy” , Journal of Mental Health Counsel- ing, March2015. Benjamin CL, Puleo CM, Settipani CA, et al., “History of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy in Youth”, Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Clinics of North America, 2011. Rhys Davids, C and K. Norman: Poems of Early Buddhist Nuns, Pali Text Society, 2007. Merluzzi, A, Breaking Bad Habits, APS Observer, 2014. Sifen lü 四分律 (Vinaya in Four Parts), T22, no. 1428. Sherry Turkle, Reclaiming Conversation: The Power of Talk in Digital Age. New York: Penguin Press,2015. Simon Hill. “Does Staring at Screens All Day Really Damage Your Eyes? We Asked an Expert”. Digital Trends,2015. Al-Khlaiwi T, Meo SA. “Association of Mobile Phone Radiation with Fatigue, Headache, Dizziness Tension and Sleep Disturbance in Saudi Population”. NCBI (2004). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15195201.Retrieved Aug.1, 2017. World Health Organization: “IARC Classifi es Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields as Possibly Carcinogenic to Humans” , International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2011. http://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2011/pdfs/pr208E.pdf.Retrieved August1, 2017. http://mbct.com/ Buddhist Psychology: A Study based on Mental Cultivation to Establish Harmonious Society in the Digital Era

Miss. Tran Thi Nghia (Bhikkhun�: Thich Nu Lien Hoa)

Introduction

As we live in the period of technological modernization of the human being, this is approaching a digital era. We are also facing up to problems of advantage and disadvan- tage. The urgent need for digital era is how digital technology is affecting better human life. According to view of Buddhism taught that the return of the human reality separated from metaphysical ideals could keep us away from exacerbations of ideas and the dehumanizing automatisms of technology. The human being is not only a mechanic, operational construction; on the contrary, he has a consciousness that mind is the focus of all activities from awareness to express of words and actions. So, he can opts for actions himself, which may prove, in the end, to be genuine or not, thanks to the success or due to the failure in the concrete reality. The aim of this paper is to underline that the development the insight of highlight factors of humanity such as fraternity, non-violence, loving-kindness, compassion and wisdom so on, combine the cultivation of inner peace with active social compassion in mutually supportive and enriching practice. The digital era must be perceived as a product of human ingenuity and its applicative potentialities and should not be seen as the domination of technology, but only as a stage of the developments in the technologies that must assist our life. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 85

Brief Introduction about the Characteristics of the Digital Era

The period characterized by the existence and development of digital technology. The “Digital Era” refers to a time in which there is widespread, ready and easy access to, sharing of, and use of information (knowledge) in electronically accessible, i.e., digitized, form, in economic activities.1 Today, impact in technology in human life is immeasurable. People use technology every day, in different ways and people also do that to harming up the society we live in. “But what we are used to call modern technology, technically it is not as new as we think. For instance, if we have a great Smartphone today we can figure out that it is just an advancement of an ordinary mobile phone that we had years ago. Or look at a train today - we used to use steam powered trains and now we have electronic trains - just to get faster to some place. The technology evolves, but it finds old ways and old technologies to evolve.”2 Now let’s look at these advantages and disadvantages: Advantages; Improved communication - advanced communication technology tools, Easy access to information - at anytime and anywhere, Social Networking is great improvement for individuals and businesses, Convenience in education such as online, Convenience of traveling are very important in our lives and in the business world, Efficiency and productivity to helping businesses increasing production, saving time and money in the industry, etc. In addition to such advantages, there are also significant disadvantages such as; Job loss - machine replacing humans, World destruction weapons - increasing endless wars, increased loneliness - social isolation, Competency - increased dependency on modern tools that reduces our creativity and intelligence. Therefore, the use of our daily technology should be reconsidered their harming. This paper is confined to the major method of Buddhist Psychology. The importance of Buddhist Psychology in the society and practice of Buddhism is highlighted. The problems of the paper describe and analyze Buddhist Psychological key including: basic drives that motivate behavior, perceive the right problem, personal development, and behavior change. The relationship between theory and practice in Buddhist Psychology is commented on, with special reference to techniques of mental cultivation and other behavior change strategies. Finally, comments are made on the possible interaction between Buddhism and the Digital Era in the most effective technology use possible.

1 (Lawrence J. Lau, 2003), p. 5. 2 http://www.ubiwhere.com/en/news/2015/05/25/technology-advantages-and-disadvantages/#. WdYMXsIX7IU. 86 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Meaning of Buddhist Psychology

The word “psychology” derives from Greek roots meaning study of the psyche, or soul about 15th century or early 16th century.3 This term closely connected to the scientific study of the human psyche. And the term “Buddhist Psychology” was coined by Caroline Rhys Davids. For the first time she mentioned this term in her book entitled “A Buddhist Manual Psychological Ethics, From the Pali of the Dhamma-Sangani.”4 The term “Buddhist psychology” is commonly used to characterize elements of Buddhist thinking and practice that touch upon the observation, description, and analysis of phenomena deemed psychologically.5 Buddhist psychology states that because of evil conditions of mind, one commits evil deed and defiles one’s mind; and as a result, one becomes victim of his own deeds and loss health. Therefore, Buddhism emphasizes the importance of developing one’s own mind. In Buddhism, mental development is of greatest importance because without it, it is impossible to gain complete health.6 Buddhist Psychology is regarded as a science of mind as it deals with mind. The study of what the mind is and the study of how the mind functions (epistemology) are understood to be crucial aspects of the spiritual path. And all the teachings of the Buddha was recorded the Buddhist canon, is meant to help human beings relieve suffering and achieve happiness, and that only happens through control the mind. The fundamental teachings of the Buddha holds that external things are manifested of the mind. Therefore, pure mind must be trained and cleansed of evil propensities. “To purify one’s mind” is said to be the sum-total of the Buddha’s teachings: “To avoid all evil to cultivate good, and to cleanse one’s mind. This is the teaching of the Buddhas.”7 According to Buddhism, physical is linked to mental states. Thus the real threats to our well-being are evil psychological elements such as attachment, anger, and ignorance. They are the three fundamental deluded minds that lead to all other afflictions, both mental and physical. Only with thorough understanding about the mind and its functions, human can hope to transcend the disturbing thoughts and emotions that plague for himself, family

3 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychology, 25 October, 2017. 4 (Caroline A. F. Rhys Davids, 1900). 5 (Teo, T. (Ed.), 2014), p. 185. 6 (Ashin Sumanacara, 2014), p. 125. 7 Dhammapada verses, 183. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 87

and society. The ultimate goal of studying the mind is complete freedom from suffering, we can also study the mind for controlling it like person who is boatman. Investigating the mind by analyzing our thoughts, emotions, and control by mental cultivation of Cognition, right decide about social balance, harmony, development in the society. This is unique way lead to harmony and development society both spiritual and material life.

General Ideas about mental cultivation

One of basic teachings of Buddha about man, Five Aggregates (pancupadanakkhandha) are compound elements of man namely, the aggregate of material form (rūpa) which is known as body or physical and the last four factors which are known as mind, mental or non-physical factors in man. “The Buddha denies the existence of any permanent entity whether we describe it as mind or consciousness. What we refer to as mind is really a psycho-physical complex (nāma-rūpa). Nāma is used to refer to the four non-material groups (khandhas): these are vedana (feeling), saññā (sense-impressions, images, ideas, and concepts), saṇkhāra (conative activity, dispositions) and viññāṇa (consciousness). The term rūpa refers to the four great dements: extension, cohesion, heat, and the material shape derived from them. The mental and physical constituents form one complex, and there is a mutual dependency of the mind on the body and of the body on the mind.”8 When we speak about mental cultivation then we really are speaking about not just dealing with psychological problems but dealing with the more fundamental spiritual problems of defilements, delusions, illusions, and ignorance, states of ignorance. These are the things that we need to deal with. Because if we deal with these mental defilements, delusions, and if we are successful in our effort to purify the mind of these pollutants, for want of a better word, then we will receive spiritual illumination and we will then become more enlightened, not just more sane, less crazy, and get on with our friends and other fellow human beings better. But it’s more. The transformation is more fundamental, that’s what I am trying to say.9 The main purpose of the Buddhism, as the Buddha commences his spiritual training, is to study and analyses his own mind, to observe its inner nature and how it works; and how good and bad ethical states arise therefrom. That is why in Buddhism so much emphasis is laid on the psychological aspect of ethics. The motive of Buddhism is not just a scientific

8 (Padmasiri de Silva, 2000), p. 16. 9 (Ven. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, 2003). 88 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

evidence having bearing on living, but the ultimate desire to cultivate the good mind, avoiding all evil psychological states.10 What we have to renounce is the ignorance, which is behind all our deluded states of mind. Trained and cleansed of evil mind are teachings of innermost core that are central teaching system of Buddhism.

An Analysis through Activities Process of Man

According to the Five Aggregates (khandhas (Pāḷi), Buddhism analyses the whole of man into five aggregates, (pancupadanakkhandha) namely, the aggregate of material form (rūpa), the aggregate of feelings and sensations (Vedanā), the aggregate of perception (Saññā), the aggregate of disposition (sankhara) and consciousness (viññana). This Five Aggregates is divided into two parts: Body and mind of man; the aggregate of material form (rūpa) which is known as body and the aggregate of feelings and sensations (vedana), the aggregate of perception (Saññā), the aggregate of disposition (sankhara) and consciousness (viññana) the last four factors are non-physical factors in man, they are generally implied by the word “mind”. Another analysis, personality is also analyzed in a more dynamic way as have three divisions of man. These are body, speech and mind. Meanwhile, all our actions are performed by control of mind. The main way in which the mind produces effect in the body is through states of mind leading to speech. The basic actions consist of two types to be good and bad. The good actions produce from good thought of mind, and bad action produce from bad thought of mind. The mind precedes all action. In Buddhist psychology, mind has an important position in man. “Experiences are preceded by mind, Led by mind, and produced by mind. If one speaks or acts with an impure mind, Suffering follows even as the cart-wheel follows the hoof of the ox” And: “Experiences are preceded by mind, Led by mind, and produced by mind. If one speaks or acts with a pure mind, Happiness follows like a shadow that never departs.”11

Practice to mental Cultivation

In Buddhism we have many different kinds of practices, but you find that they all emphasis just the meditation really, fundamentally speaking. In terms of meditation: one

10 (O.H. De. A), pp. 2-3. 11 Dhammapada verses; Verse 1 & 2. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 89

technique of meditation is designed for us to be able to get some kind of handle on how to deal with our conflicting emotions, this is called meditation of tranquility; and then there is a type of meditation which is designed to help us, to aid us in our effort to overcome discur- sive thoughts, the proliferation of thoughts that we spoke about, which is dealt with by this practice called meditation of insight.12 The life-current, the stream of existence which we call the self; and it is only with self-delusion that unsatisfactoriness or suffering can exist. By the destruction of that which holds together the delusion of the self, the root cause of suffering is also destroyed. The ultimate aim of Buddhist practice is to annihilate the self. This is where a great deal of misunderstanding arises, and naturally so; but once it is realized that to annihilate the self is to annihilate a delusion, this misunderstanding disappears.13 When the delusion is removed, the reality appears; so that to destroy delusion is to reveal the reality. The reality cannot be discovered while the delusion of self continues to obscure it. Hence, in the Buddhist texts is often explained as the final elimination from one’s own mind, of greed, hatred and delusion was replacing the three evil roots by three good ones, that is, to replace greed by non-greed, hate and ill-will by kindness and goodwill, ignorance by wisdom. This, of course, also implies the perfection of the opposite positive qualities of selflessness, loving-kindness, and wisdom. The attainment of the ultimate aim of all Buddhist practices, and is the same as complete liberation from dissatisfaction or suffering. What motivates human action? What drives people in their behaviors? According to Buddhist analysis, the all action of man is governed by mind. The ordinary person’s behavior, according to Buddhism, is governed and driven by psychological aspects like desire, hatred, delusion, etc. and psychological aspects of mind which is associated with the mind. The Buddhist way of life is an intense process of cleansing one’s speech, action and thought. It is self-development and self-purification resulting in self-realization. The emphasis is on practical results and not on mere philosophical speculation, logical abstraction or even mere cogitation.14 The goal of metal cultivation to evil psychological changes for towards the achievement of ultimate goal is practicing the meditation base on the path of the Noble Eightfold

12 (Ven. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche, 2003). 13 https://www.bps.lk/olib/bl/bcccccl042_Bullen_Buddhism--A-Method-of-Mind-Training.html 14 (Padmal, Vol. 9 No. 3 Fall. 1990), pp. 236-254. 90 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Path, involves steps which can be described as right psychological aspects such as Right Understanding (Samma ditthi), Right Thought (Samma sankappa), Right Speech (Samma vaca), Right Action (Samma kammanta), Right Livelihood (Samma ajiva), Right Effort (Samma vayama), Right Mindfulness (Samma sati), Right Concentration (Samma samadhi) and the level of achieving this goal was dependent on each individual’s efforts. The actual task of achieving the goal was up to each individual’s efforts. And method of meditation is considered a central method in Buddhist texts. Buddhist Psychology are described using in the digital it look like manual to guiding for harmonious society. “These include: fear reduction by graded exposure and reciprocal inhibition; using rewards for promoting desirable behavior; modelling for inducing behavioral change; the use of stimulus control to eliminate undesirable behavior; the use of aversion to eliminate undesirable behavior; training in social skills; self-monitoring; control of intru- sive thoughts by distraction, switching/stopping, incompatible thoughts, and by prolonged exposure to them; intense, covert, focusing on the unpleasant aspects of a stimulus or the unpleasant consequences of a response, to reduce attachment to the former and eliminate the latter; graded approach to the development of positive feelings towards others: use of external cues in behavior control; use of response cost to aid elimination of undesirable behavior; use of family members for carrying out behavior change programs; and cognitive-behavioral methods.”15

Application of mental cultivation in the Digital Era.

In the four noble truths, the Buddha compares the stages of freeing the mental factors to recovery from illnesses. If we don’t first recognize that we are sick, we won’t seek help. And if we don’t know the origin of our sickness, we cannot choose the most effective therapy to cure. The Buddhism is considering the four noble truths like the framework to formulate this insight: we can apply them equally well to the nature of the mind. To transform the mind, we must see that it can be transformed, an understanding that can arise only out of true knowledge of its nature. And there are applications like below in the society.

15 Ibid. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 91

Education for self – responsibilities

To established harmonious society, the individual is the key factor. Man is the most important matters for social change. The individual change well then harmony, peace, happiness be established. Because, per individual is as cell of society. Therefore, for the bet- terment of world each individual has to improve. Consequently the social reformation will be established by acquiring the peace of individual-mind. So we can say the peace of each mind is the source of world harmony. Harmonious society is the basic teaching of Buddhism. As the means of practice, peace cultivated in a person’s mind is a source of an act of peace and a moral deed. Only a peaceful mind can originate a peaceful act. The Buddha’s teaching encourages a person to keep our mind in peace and demand peace from others. Therefore, universal responsibility is the key to human survival and development. It is believed to be the best foundation for the world peace. It helps us to recognize that the most secure foundation for a new world order is not simply broader political and economic alliances, but each individual’s genuine effect of action. Education of Buddhist Psychology toward to the mental power - the mental power to create machines. The power to create happiness. The people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, a world of reason - a world where science and progress will lead to all men’s happiness.

Development for moral action

The evil actions, which are to be avoided, relate to the three doors or means of action, and these are action of body, action of speech and action of mind. Meanwhile, all actions are performed by control of mind. The evil actions of mind produce evil results - suffering, moral actions of mind produce moral results - happiness. The benefits of understanding the action of mind are that understanding discourages one from performing evil actions, which have suffering as their fruit. Once we understand that in our own life every action will have a similar and equal reaction, once we understand that we will experience the effect of that action, moral or evil, we will refrain from evil behavior, not wanting to experience the effects of these evil actions. Similarly, understanding that moral actions have happiness as their fruit, we will cultivate these moral actions. Reflecting on the law of karma, of action and reaction in the moral sphere encourages us to renounce evil actions and cultivate moral actions. 92 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Balance between spiritual life and material life

Balance between spiritual life and material life is characteristics of an ideal society. Morality is cultivated in the mind that keeps the world in balance and equilibrium. Those who think, speak and act morally always keep themselves to this normative balance leading to harmony and happiness with others. On the other hand those who act against this equilibrium create disturbances. Thus moral cultivation is indispensable for the harmony in the society. A course of life conditioned by these moral factors is bound to bring satisfaction, happiness, progress and peace in life. When mental factors be cultivated it is a great force for harmony in the world. The Buddha’s policy of peace, self-sacrifice, kindness and charity find also in India and another countries. Buddhist Psychology teaches us to free ourselves from that kind of grasping – not in an emotional, rejecting way but rather by taking the middle way, between the two extremes. If you put your mind wisely into this balanced space, you will find their happiness and joy. We need to pay equal attentions to both material and spiritual development. These two aspects need to be concerned. Because, our spiritual happiness and inner contentment without them, life will difficult. No matter how abundant the materials are. The external material aspects are also important since we can’t only live solely on spirit. We need material resources as a support for simply surviving and being in the world. But rather emphasizes a balance between material and spiritual cultures. Because, that will bring benefits to our lives. We should maintain a reasonable balance between our inner and outer realities. It is great importance. We are concerned about all the related knowledge of inner heart and its significance we also have to care about the benefit and shortcomings a materials focus has brought to human and society.

Harmonious Nourishment in Mind

Mind is main key for every action of men. Therefore, mind nourishment is as root nourishment. Mind that introduces the individual to the most important scientific problems of man, how to understand mind and behavior in life, lead to a better the life. The origin of all phenomena comes from mind, does not have a phenomenon that exists outside mind. So, if you understand the concern with mind. Then all phenomena are available in the mind. For example large tree whose branches are full, leaf, flower, fruit.... but all them from a root, if the root of tree is cut tree, leaves be would die. Likewise, if we do not know the origin of the mind that apply wrong ways and methods to practice, like a person cooks sand that hope JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 93

become the rice. So, for directing the learners recognize the source of the mind to practice is important, most essential, and indispensable. If you do not understand the mind lead to wrong thought like cooking sand that hope become the rice is impossible. And the twelfth-century Vietnamese Zen master Thuong Chieu (“Always Shining”) said, “When we understand how our mind works, the practice becomes easy.”16 The lesson from this doctrine points out practical values of Buddhism which should be kept and acted on in one’s daily life. Nourishment of harmonious thoughts are produced harmonious actions from harmonious thoughts of mind, the basic and chief aims and objectives of Buddhist Psychology.

Organization for the harmonious society

The method of mental cultivation is the key factor to inter-faith harmony and to reducing terrorism have joined hands towards community building, inspiring people of different castes and classes to work together. The Buddha’s policy of peace, self-sacrifice, kindness and charity applied also successful through ages such as Asoka in India, Trần Nhân Tông in Vietnam, and Tang Dynasty in China...... Tolerance is the special characteristic of universal love. Asoka was greatly influenced by Buddha’s teaching and he succeeded to establish harmonious society in conquest by Righteousness and ultimately win peace and tranquility for India that time. The basic aims and objectives of mental cultivation of Buddhism, are to soften and fill the hearts of people with compassion. These method provide strong and sound foundation for controlled and disciplined human life. When one will follow that then one will think for others. In another sense, neither for one’s own nor for other’s sake one should do any evil. So the Buddha’s moral teaching, these precepts help to stop civil unrest struggle for power among political parties, racial prejudices, narrow selfish motives, different religious sects, economic status, fame and war between nations. Finally it can be said that if we practice to cultivate positive psychological aspects, then we can be able to establish a tension free peaceful society. But we should remember one thing that we have to practice all these Buddhist ethics honestly and completely.

16 (Thich, 2002), p. 4. 94 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

Conclusion

In the digital era, most people are influenced by the boon of scientific technology, and believe that the way of human life is to develop and utilize it. Having discovered the laws of the natural world, modern science and technology have misused them, and freely manipulated the world of nature in order to obtain material wealth. As a consequence of putting spirituality aside, man has become a threat to the existence of other beings. All serious problems in society are created because of man’s ignorance and illegitimate desires; people inflict pain on others to gain their own happiness or satisfaction. But true happiness comes only from a sense of inner peace which must be achieved through the cultivation of altruism, love and compassion and through the elimination of anger, selfishness and greed. According to Buddhism, peace is not merely the absence of war, weariness, conflict, disturbance, and suffering but also a positive feeling of contentment, pleasure and happiness, the development of a good heart, love, compassion, joy, equanimity and so on. And These Buddhist doctrines have a great role to play in reminding us of our humanity. Mental cultivation is bound to bring satisfaction, happiness, progress and peace in life, being the vital force in the lives these nations were enabled to live peacefully, with mutual goodwill toward, friendship with and appreciative understanding of each other verily a great traditional contribution to the well-being of human family. changing bad psychologies status certainly help safe living in this world which is otherwise riddle with instability and uncertainties in the sphere of peace. When mental factors be cultivated it is a great force for harmony in the world. Understanding the meaning of Buddhist Psychology can help man to create a harmonious life not only in the human world, but it can also give an effective solution in re-establishing a harmonious life between man and his environment. If the mental cultivation can be applied in the modern world, it can make people aware of the true meaning and lead to the attainment of happiness. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 95

References

Dhammapada verses; Translated from the Pāli by Sangharakshita, Originally published by Wind horse Publications, 1996. Ashin Sumanacar. A Psychological Analysis of Physical and Mental Pain in Buddhism. JIABU, Vol. 7 No. 2, 124-136, 2014. Caroline A. F. Rhys Davids. A Buddhist Manual of Psychological Ethics. London: Oriental Translation Fund, 1900. Ch. Venkata Siva, S. Buddhism A Practical Psycology. Delhi-110007: Eastern Book Link- ers, 2014. David J, K. (1992). The Principles of Buddhist Psychology. Delhi, India: Sri Satguru, 1987. Lawrence J. Lau. Economic Growth in the Digital Era. Welcoming the Challenge of the Digital Era (p. 5). Taipei: Stanford, U.S.A., 2003. O.H. De. A, W. (n.d.). The Buddhist Concept of Mind. Retrieved Sep Friday 6, 2013, from Buddhist Publication Society: http://www.bps.lk/index.php Padmal, S. Buddhist psychology: A review of theory and practice. Current Psychology, Pp. 236-254, Vol. 9 No. 3 Fall. 1990. Padmasiri de Silva. An Introduction to Buddhist Psychology. Maryland: Rowman & Littleﬁ eld, 2000. Piyadassi, T. The Psychological Aspect of Buddhism. Colombo Y, M. B. A. Kandy, Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, 1972. Teo, T. (Ed.). Encyclopedia of CriticalPsychology. In P. Chakkaratha, Buddhist Psychology (pp. 185 - 188). New York: Springer, 2014. Thich, N. H. Understanding Our Mind. California: Parallax Press , 2002. Ven. Traleg Kyabgon Rinpoche. Mental Cultivation in Buddhist Spirituality. Kagyu Thigsum Chokyi Ghatsal, Launceston, 2003. The Role of Buddhism in the Digital Era: How to Improve the Lack of Spiritual Progress and to Maintain Human Etiquette in Myanmar

Ven.Neminda

Abstract

In the modern day, as the technology is quickly advancing human connectivity around the world. This is evident from everyday devises such as the cell phone, computer and micro phone. Even now I use a computer to write this article. Most of the people in the world have to use technology in their lives. Although this increases the social aspect humanity, we have to a lack of spiritual substance. This process is material without spiritual process. People are using technological material in their economic, educational and political. Can we explore these factors without losing spiritual progress and human etiquette to maintain our honestly, harmony, compassion and loving-kindness in the human society? The Buddha’s teaching described material and spiritual progress and which one is the most important in our lives. Therefore, in order to solve the losing spiritual progress, we have to practice compassion, harmony and to share the knowledge by using technological materials. Technology cannot make people lack spiritual substance but users can make fake information easily from technology. So, we need to share information with right view and thought when using social networks. This article purposes Buddhist teaching as a way to solve the lack of spiritual progress and to maintain human etiquette in the human society.

Keywords: Buddhism, Digital Era, Spiritual progress, human etiquette. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 97

Introduction

Recently, with the increased information technology in the digital era, there are many ways that the technology is transforming developing nations around the world in the areas such as healthcare, environment, economy and education etc1. In the same way, in Myanmar, it has been helping to develop some sectors. For example, many private banks and public bank are digitalized. Many people are busy with online shopping. Millions of the citizens are checking news and events, and engaging their businesses via social media such as, face book every day and night. However, there are, without doubt, also some drawbacks occurred at the same time due to the lace of spiritual progress and human etiquette. For decades, Myanmar people have been suffering from international pressures, slow progressing in the politic and economic development, and encountering with series of political unrest and civil war, especially in the remote place and the border regions. Therefore, consequently, the living standards, the education system, the social affair and so on of the majority of the people are seriously affected. Particularly, the people who live in rural area endure most. They don’t have proper thinking to access the knowledge and intelligence, i.e. they are not thinking rightly from their lives and lack of spiritual or ethical progress support etc. As a result, their spiritual and ethical progresses are highly injured. Subsequently and additionally, the advanced technology, especially social media, has been widely used all over the country in recent years, and, without attention, they have been conducting and suffering from various abuses, especially verbal and emotional abuses which lead to psychological stress and physical aggression predominantly between the younger generation. Fortunately, Buddhism is main religion in Myanmar. By effectively implementing the technology, i.e. the application software, combined with the Buddha’s Teachings, the problems can be solved in few years.

Problems encountered in Myanmar in the digital era

As it has been mentioned above in the digital era, the problems that Myanmar people facing most are verbal and emotional abuses. And there are many behaviors that qualify as emotional or verbal abuse:

1 Five Ways technology is transforming developing nations, http://epics.ieee.org/582-2/ ( Engineer- ing Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program in IEEE = The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 98 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

 Calling you names and putting you down,  Yelling and screaming at you,  Intentionally embarrassing you in public,  Preventing you from seeing or talking with friends and family,  Telling you what to do and wear,  Using online communities or cell phones to control, intimidate or humiliate you,  Blaming your actions for their abusive or unhealthy behavior,  Stalking you,  Threatening to commit suicide to keep you from breaking up with them,  Threatening to harm you, your pet or people you care about,  Making you feel guilty or immature when you don’t consent to sexual activity,  Threatening to expose your secrets such as your sexual orientation or immigration status,  Starting rumors about you, and  Threatening to have your children taken away2.

In Myanmar, considerable numbers of behavior mentioned above are usually encountered between the users of the social media. And the ministry report states that there were roughly 36 million internet users last year (2016), and that number has jumped to over 46 million this year. Authorities estimate that about 89% of the population is now online3. Therefore one can imagine, with dramatically increasing of internet user within short period for the people including some suffering from the spiritual immature and morally defect, how many problems will the country have and have to be solved. Therefore, it is, absolutely, an agent to find out the solutions that supporting the progress of their spiritual and ethical aspects.

2 Emotional/Verbal Abuse, https://www.marist.edu/counseling/heart1/emotionalabuse.html 3 45M People in Myanmar now use the internet, up 10M from last year, https://coconuts.co/yangon/ news/ministry-of-communications-report-10-million-increase-in- internet-users-within-last-year/ JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 99

Solutions of the problems based on Buddha’s Teachings

By setting and implementing the National Laws and Regulations regarding to the media and social media users, the prescribed problems can possibly be solved. But, solutions based on Buddha’s Teaching, especially the Noble Eightfold Paths, the Five Precepts and the Four Sublime Dhamma, will be focused in this paper. Why Buddhism? Because the base of Buddhism is morality and wisdom is its apex. Morality is the preliminary stage on the path of purity, and is a mean to an end, but not an end in itself. To lead to an end wisdom and knowledge must be associated4. As mentioned in previous first section, because of several conditions certain amount of Myanmar people, through the social media, are conducting and suffering from various sorts of verbal abuse stated in the second section. Thus, what are the causes and solutions of all these problems play an important role for Myanmar community and society. Generally speaking, the problems arise when the abuser and the abuse, the victim, are in the condition or situation when they are spiritually immature or immoral. Because the abuser will commonly make the abuse feel bad about his or her feelings, belief, thoughts and expressions by means of writing comments in the social media. Similarly, the abuse is very much concerned about the comments that the abuser made and responds seriously. Gradually, these behaviors become common and the worst thing is that it turns out to be addicted. In addition, these clinging minds are the Hindrances (nivarana)5. In other words they are Akusala Cetasikas (unwholesome mental factors) which are associated with the Five Aggregates so called being or human. And they assume all these as their own will or theirs and as self: their selves and continuously committing false Kama for the whole life because of their ignorance subjected to wrong views or perceptions. Subsequently they cannot stop their desire and attachment until the end of their lives without mindfulness6

4 Ven. Narada Thera, Buddhism In a Nutshell, Colombo: Sukhi Hotu Sdn Bhd, 1996, p.16. 5 Dhs.1152. Sk. *nivāraṇa, nis + varaṇa of vṛ; (vṛṇoti), see nibbuta & cp. nivāraṇa nīvaraṇa neuter eating … Nīvaraṇa neuter, occasionally masculine an obstacle, hindrance, only as tt. applied to obstacles in … eating wild rice. nīvaraṇa neuter obstacle or hindrance (to the progress of mind). 6 Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Mindfulness of Breathing, Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 2015, p.38. 100 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

and such desire and attachment that are never died out even though they died are called craving7. Furthermore, it is said that, “More craving becomes more attachment, more attachment become agree8, more agree become desire, more desire become abuse and more abuse become crime and etc,.

The Noble Eights Fold Path

Then, evidently, the wrong views must be eliminated in order to escape from all desires, roots of all crimes and abuses, and to gain the Right View (sammā-ditthi)9 which is the first and most important one of the Noble Eightfold Paths, the path leading to the ceasing of all suffering (Dukkha) i.e. the Third of the Four Noble Truth: The Noble Truth of Nirvana. One of the examples of how important the Right Views in order to see things clearly and make the right decisions can be seen from the Kālāma Sutta in which signified that:

1) Do not accept anything on (mere) hearsay- (i.e. thinking that thus have we heard it from a long time). 2) Do not accept anything by mere tradition- (i.e. thinking that it has thus been handed down through many generations). 3) Do not accept anything on account of mere rumors- (i.e. by believing what others say without any investigation.) 4) Do not accept anything just because it accords with your scriptures. 5) Do not accept anything by mere supposition. 6) Do not accept anything by mere inference. 7) Do not accept anything by merely considering the reasons. 8) Do not accept anything merely because it agrees with your pre-conceived notions. 9) Do not accept anything merely because it seems acceptable- (i.e. thinking that as the speaker seems to be a good person his word should be accepted.) 10) Do not accept anything thinking that the ascetic is respected by us (therefore, it is right to accept his word)10.

7 A II, 211. 8 A II, 35. 9 M I, 46. 10 A I, 188. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 101

Therefore, if one comprehends the Kālāma Sutta well, one will realize what to be accepted and rejected by figuring out things that are moral or immoral, blameless or blame- worthy, praised by the wise or not, and bring the well-being and happiness or not. Once they are able to do so, then the verbal abuse between the societies will be eradicated. At the same time, if one masters the first Right Views, then the rest of the seven Paths including the Right Speech will simply be followed.

Moreover, the Buddha addressed the teaching of Duddubha Jataka11. In this story, the Buddha delivered regarding the virtue and merit because Bhikkhus were naked and lying on thorns. Others sat around a blazing fire under the burning sun. So, the Buddha told to them to maintain merit and virtues with mindfulness.

The Five Precepts (Pañcasila)

In addition, Buddhist ethics is inter-related with personal, social, and moral ethics so that it can be applied to improve the social and spiritual development and the relationships of the society. Among them is the Five Precepts (pañcasila)12 which is based upon two important principles, namely Lajja13 (modesty) and Bhaya14 (fear of offending society). As far as the language as a communication tool is concerned, Trust Worthiness is based on the use of language and fundamental aspect of trust worthiness is prevailing of truthfulness in the society. Taken social harmony and reconciliation into consideration, Buddha addressed Musāvadā Veramani (Abstaining from telling lie) at the fourth of the Five Precepts. All the five precepts are equally important, but there are two interpretations regarding to the place of priority, i.e. which one is the greatest sinful acts. The Buddha said, it is the fourth one, Musāvada, indicated in the Ambhalatthika Rahulovāda Sutta15. The morality became

11 KN, ja 322. 12 AN. VIII. The Five Precepts are: (i) panatipata veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami. (Refrain from killing), (ii) adinnadana veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami. (Refrain from stealing), (iii) Kamesumicchacara veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami. (Refrain from sexual misconduct), (iv) musavada veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami. (Refrain from lying), (v) surameraya majjapamadatthana veramanisikkhapadam samadiyami. (Refrain from drugs and alcohol) . 13 A, IX, 18. 14 A I, 178. 15 M I, 414. 102 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

absolutely bankrupted individual’s life, if it is absent. In the Dhammapada16, the Buddha said that “Musāvadassa jatuno natthi papam akariya” which means that a person, who says lie, can carry out any types of wrong doing”. There is nothing that the person does not dare to do if he tells lie. Therefore, the forth precept become playing an important in our lives and society to avoid verbal abuse. Therefore, it is a must to follow that moral principle in the society. Furthermore, by keeping the Five Precepts well is simply similarly to abiding the law of the nation as both have the senses of protecting people from injury, annoyance, corruption and exploitation, i.e, protecting life and well-being of the society. Therefore, it is suggested that not only the Buddhist but also all the mankind should keep the precepts.

Four Sublime Dhamma (Brahmavihāra Dhamma)

In additional to the five precepts and the social relations referred to follow, the Buddha has stressed the need to cultivate four positive qualities or Brahmavihāra17 in order to bring about cohesion and mutual respect in society. They are; loving-kindness, compassion, sympathy, and equanimity. Loving-kindness mettā is the quality of earnest hope for bringing about well-being or happiness for every one; karunā means desire to remove from others what is painful for them and what is not conducive to their well-beings; muditā is the willingness to be happy about others happiness and well-being and upekkhā is an attitude which stems from an emotionally balanced mind. It is strange that every vice possesses its opposite sterling virtue. One powerful destructive vice in man is anger (Dosa). The sweet virtue that subdues this evil force and sublimes man is loving kindness (Mettā). Cruelty (Hiṃsā) is another vice that is responsible for many horrors and atrocities prevalent in the world. Compassion (Karuṇā) is its antidote. Jealousy (Issā) is another vice that poisons one’s system and leads to unhealthy rivalries and dangerous competitions. The most effective remedy for this poi- sonous drug is appreciative joy (Muditā). There are two other universal characteristics that upset the mental equipoise of man. They are attachment to the pleasurable and aversion to the non-pleasurable. These two opposite forces can be eliminated by developing

16 A II, 29. 17 M, 83. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 103

equanimity (Upekkhā)18. Therefore, by mindfully practicing Brahmavihāra in daily life, especially when dealing with social media, one can definitely avoid the conducting and the suffering of verbal abuse in the society. Finally, if Myanmar community is able to learn and apply according to the Bud- dha’s Teachings mentioned above through the technology, then not only most of Myanmar people will recover from losing spiritual progress and human etiquette which result the verbal abuse, but also the advanced technology will no longer be the cons but becomes the pros for the whole society.

Conclusion

To sum up, virtue training is the core of spiritual progress of the society and the world. When people are concerned with the Noble Eightfold Path, observe the Five Pre- cepts, and they have shame and fear in constructing any unwholesome. Furthermore, with the practice of the Four Sublime state of Loving-Kindness, Compassion, Sympathy and Equanimity, conflict and violence will not happen. People become more compromising on many issues. Then, social development and spiritual progress will move into a positive change. This means that improving the society has to begin form the mind by training in morality. The government needs to make the project widespread in the country by putting into policy moral training courses in every school, campus and university. Moreover, it is now the right time for the responsible to take the lead in encouraging people on the moral for the spiritual progress and human etiquette of Myanmar people.

18 The Buddha and His Teachings, https://www.wisdomlib.org/buddhism/book/the-buddha-and- his-teachings/d/doc118540.html. 104 JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017)

References

Buddhist Legends: Dhammapada Commentary, tr. Burlingame, Eugene Watson. Part i. London Pali Text Society, 1979. Davids, T.W. and C.A.F Rhys (trs.). Dialogues of the Buddha Translated from the Pali of the Digha Nikaya. Part II, London: Oxford University Press,1910. Hare, E.M (tr.). The Book of the Gradual Saying (Anguttara-Nikaya), vol. IV. The book of the Sevens, Eights and Nines. London: PTS, 1978. Rhys Davids, T.W. (tr.) The Book of the Kindred Sayings (Sanyutta-nikaya), Part II, London: Pali Text Society. 1982. Walshe, Maurice, (tr.) The long Discourses of the Buddha: A translation of Digha Nikaya, Boston: Wisdom Publication, 1995. Dennis Candy. Peace in the Buddha’s Discourses: A Compilation and Discussion, Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 2008. Bhikkhu Narada Thera, Buddhism In a Nutshell, Kandy: Sukhi Hotu Sdn Bhd, 1996. Bhikkhu Nanamoli, Mindfulness of Breathing, Kandy: Buddhist Publication Society, 2015, p.38. Bhikkhu Narada Thera, The Buddha and His Teachings, Kandy: Buddhist Publications Society, 1988. Buddhism and Society, Asian Theological Conference Documents 1979, Kandy: Sinha Publication, March, 1981. Gnanarama, An Approach to Buddhist Social Philosophy. Singapore: Buddhist and Pali College of Singapore, 2012.

Journals

Most Ven. Dr. Thich Nhat Tu and Ven, Dr.Thich Duc Thien , Buddhism for sustainable development and social change, United Nations Day of Vesak 2014 in Vietnam. International Buddhist Studies College (IBSC) Mahchulalongkornjavidayalaya University, Journal of International Association of Buddhist Universities, JIABU, Vol 9, No I., 2016. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 105

Website

5 Ways technology is transforming developing nations, http://epics.ieee.org/582-2/ ( Engi- neering Projects in Community Service (EPICS) program in IEEE = The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Emotional/Verbal Abuse, https://www.marist.edu/counseling/heart1/emotionalabuse.html 45M People in Myanmar now use the internet, up 10M from last year, https://coconuts.co/ yangon/news/ministry-of-communications-report-10-million-increase-in-internet- users-within-last-year/ Verbal beatings hurt as much as sexual abuse, https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2007/04/ verbal-beatings-hurt-as-much-as-sexual-abuse/ Understanding Verbal Abuse, https://www.morningsiderecovery.com/blog/understanding- verbal-abuse/ Buddhist Teaching and Practice Paths, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/pathmaps.htm Book Review

Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other

Zhang Jingting

Sherry Turkle was likened to the Freud in technology, now she is the psychology professor of MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology). Her research fi elds included of psychology technology, sociality, AI (artifi cial intelligence) and ego. Alone Together used the methods B y of “fi eld research” and “clinical diagnosis” to research the Sherry Turkle relationship between human and information technology. New York: Basic Books, 2012. In this book, the changes of lifestyle of human beings was ISBN- 978-0-465-01021-9 presented through a lot of real cases. The book included 297 pages, $17.99 fourteen chapters divided into two parts. In the fi rst part, The Robotic Moment: In Solitude, New Intimacies, included seven chapters, telling a series of stories between human and robot. In order to research the interaction between humankind and robots, Sherry Turkle has visited two of nursing homes and investigated more than 200 people deeply. This part represented the process that how does artificial biology promote relationships, from the ELIZA Project (an early natural language processing computer program that could imitate psychology counselor to talk with clients) in the 1970s to today’s social simulation robots. For example, “Domo” and “Mertz”, developed by the MIT in the early 2000s. JIABU | Vol.10 No.2 (July – December 2017) 107

During this period many other electronics biological and robots came into being. They are E-pet eggs of Tamagotchi, robots of Furby, AIBO, My Real Baby, Kismet, Cog and Doctor Paro a robot that provides companionship for the elderly. We can see that the technology of robot developed more and more quickly, AI era is not far from us. This part was telling many real stories that happened between robots and children and elders who were from different economic and social backgrounds. Human has gradually built up the equivalent of human emotion with the robot, and they have given real feelings and emotions in the process of getting along with the robots, meanwhile robots have made up for their emotional needs to a certain extent. On the other hand, the robot could instead of people themselves to do some personal works, such as taking care of child and elder, doing house works. But The subtle relationship between people and robots makes the boundary between reality and virtual increasingly blurred. The second part, Networked: In Intimacy, New Solitudes. In order to research the network interaction of young man, Sherry Turkle has worked with seven high schools and collected the original investigate resources of 450 students. She analyzed the benefits and disadvantages to people. from Email, BBS in 1980s to today’s wireless communication device, The Social network and massively multiplayer online games. The results shown that information technology has weakened interpersonal relationships when it bringing us convenient communications. Some people even lost the ability of communication face to face, they would like to live in the virtual would. Turkle said that people communicate each other by Message, Email, Social APP, playing computer games, it seems their connection is more relax and intimate but the truth is they are more lonely and anxious. She thought that if we want enjoy the convenience of information technology without constraint of technology, we should learn how to stay alone and spend more time on talking and discussion with our relatives and friends. Sherry Turkle devoted herself in this research more than fifteen years, and her research continues, her works is not just several books but the deeply enlightenment to moderns in the digital ear. Alone Together should be read by all of modern who depended on digital technology excessively Technology is tempting because it could make up for the weak side of humanity, we often feel lonely but afraid of being bound by intimacy. Digital social relationships and robots have created an illusion for us: we accompany each other but no need to pay out friendship. In the online world we connect with each other, and we can be invisible to each other. It’s time to find the way for a natural and balanced life in digital era.