AI enlightenment

Gold Wrapped in Rags is the autobiography of a Thai monk, Ajaan Jia Cundo. So far it’s been interesting, entertaining, and enlightening. Early in Ajaan Jia’s life he had little interest in Buddhism, but he wanted to join the monastery for a few months to offer merit to his parents before he married. During this time, though, he experienced a deep state of concentration and this led to such tranquility and happiness he told his fiance-in-waiting he would not be disrobing.

A lot work went into making the book. Near the end of his life some people volunteered to record him over a period of weeks, transcribe his words, and edit those words into the form of a book (written in Thai) which was then translated into English to create the book I’m reading. But even then, there was one more step to get it into the format I’m reading.

I’m listening to the audiobook which is recorded with an AI narrator. I don’t think I would have read it if it wasn’t an audiobook. It’s a great example of AI generating something of worth, in this case, helping to spread wisdom.

I also ended up adding 15 books of dhamma talks to NotebookLM–a few thousand pages of dhamma talks that were recorded, transcribed, collected in books, and uploaded to the internet. Now I’ve fed them into an AI notebook. It doesn’t replace having a good meditation teacher, but it’s surprisingly good at answering questions like, “Why is it important to have a good meditation teacher?”

Having a good meditation teacher can be invaluable for a number of reasons. The sources emphasize that a good teacher can help you avoid pitfalls, deepen your understanding of the practice, and ultimately progress further on the path.

• Provide Guidance and Feedback: A good teacher can offer personalized guidance, correct misunderstandings, and help you tailor your meditation technique to your specific needs. For example, in our earlier conversation about feeling drowsy during meditation, a teacher might offer techniques for cultivating energy, while also helping you to understand the underlying causes of drowsiness.
• Offer Encouragement and Support: The path of meditation can be challenging, and a good teacher can provide encouragement and support along the way. Just like Ajaan Mun encouraged Ajaan Suwat when he was struggling, a good teacher can help you see the value in your practice, even when you’re not seeing immediate results.
• Share Their Experience and Wisdom: A good teacher can draw upon their own experience and understanding of the teachings to offer valuable insights and perspectives that you might not discover on your own. This can help you avoid wasting time on unproductive techniques or getting caught up in unhelpful mental states.
• Help You Develop Discernment: A good teacher can help you develop the critical faculty of discernment. This involves learning to judge your own meditation and to evaluate your progress without becoming judgmental. A teacher can help you understand what constitutes genuine progress on the path and what are simply distractions or temporary states.
• Model the Qualities of a Good Meditator: Perhaps most importantly, a good teacher embodies the qualities of a good meditator. By observing their actions, way of being, and how they respond to situations, you learn what it means to live a life guided by the principles of mindfulness, compassion, and wisdom.

It’s important to remember that the ultimate goal of meditation is to become your own refuge. A good teacher ultimately points you back to your own inner resources, helping you develop the skills and confidence to navigate the path on your own.