I learned of a Buddhist Doctrine from my Zen Master, Kobun Chino Roshi that is much the same as Plato's “Realm of Ideals”. The Sanskrit term (this is a very old concept) is Alaya Vijñana, roughly translated as 'Storehouse Consciousness'. My understanding is that the Alaya Vijñana is the vast interconnected pyschic energy of all sentient beings—I mean all of them, from earthworms to elephants—constantly emerging and changing, always present. Tapping into the Alaya Vijñana yields insights that our collective metal is forming; all that is necessary is the hard work to realize the concepts. Thus, Newton, Leibnitz, and Joe the Butcher all conceived of the calculus, but Joe was too busy to formulate it.
Of course, the material world is only part of collective reality, but as Nathan notes, the evidence of scientific discoveries shows an adumbrated existence.
Tedder, I feel like I know something about Western Civilization. I've done a lot of traveling and research. But when it comes to Eastern Civilization, I am a beginner (to say the least!). That's why I find your perspective so interesting.
The way these two traditions converge on parallel concepts is astounding! I would like to believe that, in near future, both will be considered different side of the same coin in some kind of theosophic merger.
This convergence is the essence of a kind of global consciousness, I believe. It is also why the rich elites work hard to destroy socialism only to find socialists rising in the next generation. So, Dharma/Truth cannot be destroyed, only side tracked. BTW, I find your history lessons fascinating and most worthwhile. I read every one!
I share this view as well, Tedder. It feels like a new form of consciousness is rapidly coalescing, one that transcends the superficial division between individual egos. I believe the rise of socialist economics is, at least in part, a reflection of that. Perhaps we will see the ego relegated to the status of a useful illusion in the very near future, rather than the "end-all, be-all" of our existence. Thank you for all of your wonderful comments!
Keeping in mind we are the thin surface of a biology that has been bubbling up for billions of years and a physics for eternity. Sometimes peering into those depths is a sight to behold.
Famed ethnobotanist Terence McKenna used to argue that the universe is some kind of "novelty-conserving engine."
So far as our scientists can figure, new forms arose from basic chemistry for the first several billion years of cosmic time. Hydrogen atoms became fused into helium atoms at the stellar cores of the universe's first stars. Then helium atoms fused into lithium in still larger stars. The entire periodic table arose in sequence from these engines of novelty. And the timescale was measured in the billions of years.
But once life got started, biological chemistry became the new source of novelty in the universe. Evolutionary timescales are measured in the millions of years.
And then life reached a certain threshold of complexity, and the locus of novelty generation became the human mind. New epigenetic phenomenon like language and culture emerged over the course of human history, which is measured in thousands of years.
It does seem to me that we've inherited the drive for novelty from the broader universe. And the rate at which we innovate is also accelerating. The differences between the rate of innovation in, say, the 11th century and the modern era of iphones (and now AI) vividly highlight this acceleration.
All this is just to explain why I love your brilliant analogy between economics and biology. Human destiny and innovation seems to be intertwined, as reflected by myth of Prometheus.
To understand that the human mind remains—for now—the center of novelty-creation in the universe is to return humankind back at the center of the cosmos, from whence Galileo displaced us.
Hugo; https://www.robonaissance.com is doing some interesting essays on the evolution of AI, its conceptual underpinnings and history. I would give you one of the free one month subscriptions I got to give away for subscribing, but it seems to require an email.
What my sense is the degree to which the basic concepts of information, knowledge and the various quirks are bubbling up through the field in ways that might help to break down some of our cultural misconceptions.
For example, Hugo developed one essay about how these models need that basic marker, grain of sand at the center of the pearl and I made my observation that money, as signal, is the locus of our world, aka, capitalism. Though medium is not store. So maybe a collective effort to really get under the hood and figure the beast out.
I learned of a Buddhist Doctrine from my Zen Master, Kobun Chino Roshi that is much the same as Plato's “Realm of Ideals”. The Sanskrit term (this is a very old concept) is Alaya Vijñana, roughly translated as 'Storehouse Consciousness'. My understanding is that the Alaya Vijñana is the vast interconnected pyschic energy of all sentient beings—I mean all of them, from earthworms to elephants—constantly emerging and changing, always present. Tapping into the Alaya Vijñana yields insights that our collective metal is forming; all that is necessary is the hard work to realize the concepts. Thus, Newton, Leibnitz, and Joe the Butcher all conceived of the calculus, but Joe was too busy to formulate it.
Of course, the material world is only part of collective reality, but as Nathan notes, the evidence of scientific discoveries shows an adumbrated existence.
Tedder, I feel like I know something about Western Civilization. I've done a lot of traveling and research. But when it comes to Eastern Civilization, I am a beginner (to say the least!). That's why I find your perspective so interesting.
The way these two traditions converge on parallel concepts is astounding! I would like to believe that, in near future, both will be considered different side of the same coin in some kind of theosophic merger.
This convergence is the essence of a kind of global consciousness, I believe. It is also why the rich elites work hard to destroy socialism only to find socialists rising in the next generation. So, Dharma/Truth cannot be destroyed, only side tracked. BTW, I find your history lessons fascinating and most worthwhile. I read every one!
I share this view as well, Tedder. It feels like a new form of consciousness is rapidly coalescing, one that transcends the superficial division between individual egos. I believe the rise of socialist economics is, at least in part, a reflection of that. Perhaps we will see the ego relegated to the status of a useful illusion in the very near future, rather than the "end-all, be-all" of our existence. Thank you for all of your wonderful comments!
I would say Trump and Netanyahu are doing a very good job of showing the limits of ego as strategy.
Keeping in mind we are the thin surface of a biology that has been bubbling up for billions of years and a physics for eternity. Sometimes peering into those depths is a sight to behold.
Our formalisms barely scratch the surface.
Famed ethnobotanist Terence McKenna used to argue that the universe is some kind of "novelty-conserving engine."
So far as our scientists can figure, new forms arose from basic chemistry for the first several billion years of cosmic time. Hydrogen atoms became fused into helium atoms at the stellar cores of the universe's first stars. Then helium atoms fused into lithium in still larger stars. The entire periodic table arose in sequence from these engines of novelty. And the timescale was measured in the billions of years.
But once life got started, biological chemistry became the new source of novelty in the universe. Evolutionary timescales are measured in the millions of years.
And then life reached a certain threshold of complexity, and the locus of novelty generation became the human mind. New epigenetic phenomenon like language and culture emerged over the course of human history, which is measured in thousands of years.
It does seem to me that we've inherited the drive for novelty from the broader universe. And the rate at which we innovate is also accelerating. The differences between the rate of innovation in, say, the 11th century and the modern era of iphones (and now AI) vividly highlight this acceleration.
All this is just to explain why I love your brilliant analogy between economics and biology. Human destiny and innovation seems to be intertwined, as reflected by myth of Prometheus.
To understand that the human mind remains—for now—the center of novelty-creation in the universe is to return humankind back at the center of the cosmos, from whence Galileo displaced us.
It is going parabolic.
Hugo; https://www.robonaissance.com is doing some interesting essays on the evolution of AI, its conceptual underpinnings and history. I would give you one of the free one month subscriptions I got to give away for subscribing, but it seems to require an email.
What my sense is the degree to which the basic concepts of information, knowledge and the various quirks are bubbling up through the field in ways that might help to break down some of our cultural misconceptions.
For example, Hugo developed one essay about how these models need that basic marker, grain of sand at the center of the pearl and I made my observation that money, as signal, is the locus of our world, aka, capitalism. Though medium is not store. So maybe a collective effort to really get under the hood and figure the beast out.
Thank you for the recommendation, John! Which of Hugo's essays is the one you specifically mentioned here?
And yes, I am with you! I think we are LONG overdue to have some cultural misconceptions broken down haha
This was the one I was referring to;
https://www.robonaissance.com/p/your-organization-was-reward-hacking/comments
He digs very deep, but for those of us outside the world of AI, his essays are about as close to a tutorial there is.