Thursday, September 17, 2009

Daily Quote, Thursday September 17, 2009.

Good afternoom everyone,

Sorry for the late post.

Here is today's quote:

Computer and the future of man.

Scientists are now inventing the “ultimate intelligent machine”, a computer which will beat man in every way. If the machine can outstrip man, then what is man? What are you? What is the future of man? If the machine can take over all the operations that thought does now, and do it far swifter, if it can learn much more quickly, if it can compete and, in fact, do everything that man can—except of course look at the beautiful evening star alone in the sky, and see and feel the extraordinary quietness, steadiness, immensity and beauty of it—then what is going to happen to the mind, to the brain of man?

Our brains have lived so far by struggling to survive through knowledge, and when the machine takes all that over, what is going to happen? There are only two possibilities: either man will commit himself totally to entertainment—football, sports, every form of demonstration, going to the temple, and playing with all that stuff—or he will turn inward.

A Timeless Spring, p 164

Here is my reflection.

It does seem a little odd, reading this quote so long after it was written and when computers are no longer a new invention but part of the fabric of our lives. But it does give us a chance to see if Krishnamurti's 'prediction' has come true.

I think that mankind is dividing into two parts: the part that is committed to entertainment, including the entertianment of making money and the entertianment of yoga and becoming enlightened, playing with money and ideals as different sides of the same desire for sensation and stimulation; and then the much smaller part of mankind that is truly turning inwards and exploring the whole question of desire and motive in themselves and their own daily experience.

The former are becoming insensitive to life and not very serious; they are only serious about what interests them, which is not to be serious. To be serious is to be inwardly quiet and alone so that the beauty of life can be seen. It cannot be seen if it is seen through an interest, however idealistic that interest might appear.

The superficial has always triumphed over the deep, power over honesty, entertainment over self-knowledge. Are we in free-fall? Consider your own life deeply; can you see around and in you the demand for entertainment? The sense of don't bother me, just give me this or that, I don't want to think anymore? What might be done now to change all that - an action which doesn't refer back to some self-interest?

Best wishes

Robert