tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post5017672526617643755..comments2024-01-08T06:21:35.864-08:00Comments on Notes in Samsara: On Buddhist Geekery, Gravitas and AgeismMumon Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-19682982362641905172013-09-02T08:22:20.452-07:002013-09-02T08:22:20.452-07:00Al, my understanding is there is a way to create h...Al, my understanding is there is a way to create hooks to python via Xcode.<br /><br />Haven't tried it yet, because I'm not making apps. But I read that...Mumon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-84786406526377399972013-09-01T11:37:13.513-07:002013-09-01T11:37:13.513-07:00I just wish we could write them in python!
I'...I just wish we could write them in python!<br /><br />I'm a rather craptastic coder and learning Objective-C or Java (for iOS or Android) is not my idea of fun. :-)Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04561666880371974930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-24912015985437647582013-09-01T11:35:43.533-07:002013-09-01T11:35:43.533-07:00Al,
I totally agree with your last comment. We c...Al,<br /><br />I totally agree with your last comment. We could all use more diversity.<br /><br />And yeah, I apps can be written to support practice; including those for activities related to practice. But you gotta pay your dues, so to speak, as you indicate.<br /><br />When I was modifying my Mac to get a reliable Python development environment I was just bowled over by how easy they make for you to develop apps.Mumon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-18126138233281613832013-09-01T11:17:23.785-07:002013-09-01T11:17:23.785-07:00Though I have a problem in general with meditation...<i>Though I have a problem in general with meditation instruction for fixed price cash.</i><br /><br />You may have or have not seen my old rants about that. <br /><br />http://www.openbuddha.com/2011/01/11/the-buddhist-lifecoach-or-charging-fees-for-the-dharma/<br /><br />Generally speaking, I get wary when I see people with less experience than me (and I don't consider myself to be that terribly experienced) acting as teachers to others. <br /><br />Certainly, most of us who have been around could lead a little meditation circle. That's a bit different than hanging your shingle up.<br /><br />That said, I have been pleasantly surprised by some of the people at the Buddhist Geeks conference, like Martine Batchelor, for example. While I think diversity is a real problem, I don't think it is uniquely a problem with BG.<br /><br />As to apps, I think you can write apps to support practice. I have a wonderful meditation timer and I've noodled on other aspects before. They won't awaken you though. That's on you and others to do for yourself, at the end of the day. Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04561666880371974930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-38086588786838539852013-09-01T11:12:28.244-07:002013-09-01T11:12:28.244-07:00Here's a bit where I had something to say abou...Here's a bit where I had something to say about McLeod in the past:<br /><br />http://mumonno.blogspot.com/2012/01/natural-unnaturalness.html<br /><br />Just sayin'.Mumon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-40833534499256805062013-09-01T09:01:28.430-07:002013-09-01T09:01:28.430-07:00(cont.)
People just who meditate and drop names ...(cont.)<br /><br /><br />People just who meditate and drop names like Ray Kurzweil just aren't in that category, and it does a disservice to all to situate one's self as having expertise in either category when there's more authentic exponents out there. And Ray Kurzweil isn't a particularly useful exponent of technology prediction despite being given his prestigious fora for doing his schtick. Because widespread poverty, pollution, resource depletion and some of Marx's critiques on capitalism which were valid are absent from Kurzweil's "singularity."<br /><br />Two other points:<br />1. There was that Buddhify app. Apps *are* really easy to write. I can't believe how easy they are; as I've recently been re-tooling my Mac to one day suck in data from the web directly to do some natural language processing. Not to minimize what they did on that, but there's a reason there's of the order of a milllion apps out there. And it's worthwhile to question whether it supports practice. Because, question everything.<br /><br />2. In order to be a good predictor of technical trends, you have to be highly skeptical. Why? Because capital won't be allocated to an endeavor unless foreseeable risks have been identified and countermeasures are in place for handling them. I don't see that there.<br /><br />But I agree, I think they're sincere. Though I have a problem in general with meditation instruction for fixed price cash.Mumon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-40648366048807060352013-09-01T08:52:05.957-07:002013-09-01T08:52:05.957-07:00Al,
It may be that McLeod has something to say. I...Al,<br /><br />It may be that McLeod has something to say. I'm not sure though; but given the way I understand he has some sort of Buddhism as "service organization" and the information that Mr. McLeod is on an "extended sabbatical" I can't really say. <br /><br />I actually do / have seen more of Shinzen Young; and I think he's among the best the Buddhist Geeks have. <br /><br /><i>If it is marketing, what is it selling?</i><br /><br />I agree with you...I think Vincent Horn et al. <i>mean well</i>, and, as I said, I think there's positive benefit that comes out of his thing, in the same way that making $100 violins available widely means that 1% of those users will go on to be virtuosos.<br /><br />Not that I'm a virtuoso, VERY far from it, at least when it comes to Zen practice. But when it comes to technology, the market recognizes some degree of expertise on my part, and I suspect yours as well. I KNOW there's stuff you can do technically that would be silly for me to attempt in the same time frame you could do it.<br /><br />(cont.)<br />Mumon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-40196161954078052962013-08-31T23:30:45.920-07:002013-08-31T23:30:45.920-07:00While I have my criticisms of Buddhist Geeks, I al...While I have my criticisms of Buddhist Geeks, I also respect that Vince and others are genuine in what they do. If it is marketing, what is it selling?<br /><br />That said, the criticism of little of it applying to actual practice is true of 99% of what I see in the Buddhist blogosphere or books. A lot of wanking goes on with little real benefit.<br /><br />I attended the first two Buddhist Geeks conferences and I found it a good opportunity to meet people with whom I only had online contact previously. I enjoyed some of the talks and I especially enjoyed Shinzen Young and Ken McLeod's interactions. I respect both of these men quite a bit, even if what they practice isn't my Zen.Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04561666880371974930noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-72520022836643191772013-08-31T10:03:57.435-07:002013-08-31T10:03:57.435-07:00"I think one issue I have with their conferen..."I think one issue I have with their conference in particular is their attempt to structure it as a kind of Buddhist Geeky TED-like event." <br /><br />Yes, I agree. It's feels a little too "put together" or packaged somehow. I've seen a few interesting talks on TED, but tend to feel the same way about it. Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920234350446745482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-80048220497643917472013-08-31T09:37:53.350-07:002013-08-31T09:37:53.350-07:00Hi Nathan,
I'm glad, in fact that Buddhists o...Hi Nathan,<br /><br />I'm glad, in fact that Buddhists of any and all ages and cultural backgrounds metaphorically rub up against each other in cyberspace. <br /><br />And we all have differences in one way or another with each other of course, and that's really very important.<br /><br />I think one issue I have with their conference in particular is their attempt to structure it as a kind of Buddhist Geeky TED-like event. <br /><br />I'm not a big TED fan.<br /><br />And I agree with your expression above.<br />Mumon Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01116967568502451788noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7756920.post-58500067862868392042013-08-31T09:26:08.317-07:002013-08-31T09:26:08.317-07:00I used to listen to their podcasts back in the ear...I used to listen to their podcasts back in the early days, before they got "big" enough to do things like this conference. As a Gen Xer, I liked hearing younger folks talk about the dharma. Some of what they spoke of felt familiar and the like. But after awhile, I realized that it was rare that I actually heard something useful for practice. It was more like dharma candy, and not even very tasty candy at that. I don't know what they talk about at the conference, but it sounds like a big marketing event more than anything. Nathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920234350446745482noreply@blogger.com