Lezers van het Boeddhistisch Dagblad zijn per definitie een deelnemer aan de ‘Cyberspace’. Niet bepaald een medium waar Boeddha rekening mee hield in zijn vele levensadviezen. Het prachtige boek ‘Cyberloka’ van Prajnaketu geeft ons concrete adviezen om boeddhistische zelfreflectie en ethiek, met name rondom spraak, toe te passen in dit tijdperk van altijd-aan, superstimulatie en social media.
Tekst
In deel 2 van dit tweeluik staat een boekbespreking/samenvatting, met het advies aan iedere boeddhist met serieuze online aktiviteit om dit boek te kopen of lenen. Omdat veel van mijn opmerkingen verwijzen naar een kleine maar belangrijke sectie van het boek plaats ik die maar in zijn geheel hier. Excuus dat ik het Engelstalig gelaten heb, maar door de mooie Pali Text Society-achtige ‘gedragen’ Engelse taal en de woordgrapjes en IT-woorden erin zou vertalen naar het Nederlands een pittige klus worden.
The Facebook Sutta
Thus have I heard. At one time the Blessed One was staying in the Kosalan country along with a Twitter following of 500 million. Upon emerging from meditation, the Blessed One dressed himself in his robes and wandered among the wifi hotspots for his daily newsfeed. On his way back, while checking the Bhikku Sangha Facebook group and reading an exchange from two monks from Kosambi, a post occurred to him, never posted before:
‘This is cyber-dukkha. This is the origin of cyber-dukkha. This is the cessation of cyber-dukkha. This is the path leading to the cessation of cyber-dukkha.
He continued:
‘What is cyber-dukkha? Alienation from the physical body is cyber-dukkha. Distraction is cyber-dukkha. Feeling Zoomed-out is cyber-dukkha. So is emotional contagion. So is ephemerality. So is literalism. So is speediness. So is meeting with criticism. So is being separated from affirmation. So are controversy, suspicion and disputation. In short, the five aggregates of media-clinging are cyber-dukkha.
‘What is the origin of cyber-dukkha? The craving that makes for online experience – accompanied by FOMO, relishing now here and now there – craving for stimulation, craving for affirmation, craving to forget.
‘What is the cessation of cyber-dukkha? The remainderless logging off, renunciation of accounts, relinquishment of devices, release and letting go of that very craving.
‘What is the path leading to the cessation of cyber-dukkha? Right understanding, right motivation, right restraint, right medium, right audience, right cognition, right critique, right recollection.
‘And what is right understanding? Here a noble disciple understands the “logic” of social media, their opportunities, and their limitations.
‘And what is right motivation? Here a noble disciple reflects: “Why am I going on social media anyway? What am I hoping to get from this?”
‘And what is right restraint? Here a noble disciple refrains from broadcasting their own negativity and protects themselves from the effects of others’ posts.
‘And what is right medium? Here a noble disciple chooses the appropriate medium in which to post or respond, according to the nature of the message and the strengths and weaknesses of that medium.
‘And what is right audience? Here a noble disciple reflects: “Who needs to see this?” and is considerate of their audience, both known and unknown, near and far, born and yet to be born.
‘And what is right cognition? Here a noble disciple is aware of the biases that undermine rational judgment and takes conscious steps to mitigate the effects of those biases.
‘And what is right critique? Here a noble disciple wishes others well and wants to support them in growing beyond their limitations. On this basis, they reflect “What is the best way to help them?” and give critical feedback only where and when it is appropriate.
‘And what is right recollection? Here a noble disciple does not engage in the various kinds of pointless comments, that is, comments about kings, thieves, and ministers of state; comments about armies, dangers and wars; comments about food, drink, garments and beds; comments about garlands and scents; comments about relations, vehicles, villages, towns, cities and countries; comments about women and men, and comments about heroes; street comments and comments by the well; comments about those departed in days gone by; rambling chitchat; comments about the world and about the sea; comments about becoming this or that. Rather, a noble disciple recollects the Dharma and comments about cyber-dukkha, its origin, its cessation and the path leading to its cessation.
Within minutes, the Blessed One’s post had received hundreds of thousands of views, tens of thousands of likes, loves and anjali emojis, and thousands of bhikkhus thereupon entered the Live Stream.
Het vervolg
Zoals boven al gemeld: leesbaarheid dwong om het verhaal in 2 delen te splitsen. Morgen in deze krant deel 2, de feitelijke boekbespreking met een stukje nadere samenvatting. Maar deze Facebook Sutta kan los daarvan al voldoende ‘food for thought’ geven om je omgaan met jouw online aanwezigheid bewuster en ethischer te maken.
