Engage Dharma Shaun Bartone

A complete transcript of this podcast is available here:
https://engagedharma.net/2023/02/25/ghost-in-the-shell-dharma-dilemma-2/
Last week, I released the first episode and discussion of my favourite cyber punk film, Ghost in the Shell. In the first episode, I outlined the questions and existential dilemmas posed by the film, especially regarding the identity of its protagonist, the cyborg Motoko Kusanagi.
In this second episode, I begin to address those issues and propose some possible answers. However, the arguments I present are not based on answering any of the questions pondred in episode 1. The main reason is that I don't think any of the questions posed in the first episode, which are those posed by the film, will ever have definitive answers. I believe that every one of those questions and possible answers will always be in dispute. I don't believe that science, philosophy, culture or religion can or will provide any definitive answers to these existential conundrums. There will always be a range of possible answers and ongoing disagreement and debate. Some of those questions will always be undecidable.
So my arguments for the answers I propose are not based on deciding whether cyborgs like Kusanagi are human, partly human, or merely machines; whether cyborgs have consciousness, or selves, or souls. Rather, I am concerned with how cyborgs are understood and treated as 'beings', from a Buddhist perspective, whether truly human, cyborg or otherwise.
Music featured in this episode is from my album, ‘Deep Dive’ https://shaunyata.bandcamp.com/album/deep-dive
Tracks, in order as they appear in the podcast:
Ghost 03:03
Deep Dive 04:43
Cyborg Awakening 04:20
On The Edge of Night  02:35

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Ghost in the Shell, a film by Mamoru Oshii.
I’ve been completely enthralled by the anime media franchise Ghost in the Shell. The cyber punk anime film, directed by Mamoru Oshii, was released in 1995, based on the earlier manga story by Japanese artist Masamune Shirow. In this episode, I discuss the profound existential questions posed by the film.
A complete transcript of this show is available at https://engagedharma.net/2023/02/22/ghost-in-the-shell-dharma-dilemma/
My apologies for speaking too slowly. I was struggling with audio latency, which happens when the voice that I hear through my headphones is a few milliseconds slower than the speech I am recording. It tends to slow down my speech. I corrected the latency as much as possible. If the recording is too slow for you, please speed up the replay of the podcast.
Sources:The Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell, Wisecrack editionThe Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell Explained, by Film Comics Explained The Philosophy of Ghost in the Shell, by Anime PhilosopherGhost in the Shell—Story Explanation and Analysis, by Max DeratGhost in the Shell—Film Analysis, Motoko’s Dilemma by Anime Everyday
Music featured in this episode is from my album, ‘Deep Dive’ https://shaunyata.bandcamp.com/album/deep-dive
Tracks, in order as they appear in the podcast:
Ghost 03:03
Deep Dive 04:43
Cyborg Awakening 04:20
Dance of the Nagas 05:06
Ghost 03:03


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“Artificial intelligence has developed to such an extent we thought it logical for the Buddha to transform into a robot,” said Buddhist Priest, Tensho Goto.
Transcript of this podcast can be found here:
https://engagedharma.net/2019/08/22/buddhist-futures-cyborg-buddhism-2/
and here:
https://engagedharma.net/2019/08/16/buddhist-futures-robot-kannon/
In this episode, Cyborg Buddhism Part 2, I explore artificial intelligence and robots as a form of collective intelligence. If you think I'm making this up—I didn't invent the idea. There is an actual Android Kannon, a Buddhist Robot, commissioned by Buddhist priests for a temple in Kyoto, Japan. The links above contain the videos showing how this robot works at the temple.
I create the music for every episode. You can hear more of my music at https://shaunyata.bandcamp.com
I'm creating cutting-edge dharma culture every day. Please support this podcast, blog , music and YouTube channel at Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=80736941

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For a written transcript of this show, please visit: https://engagedharma.net/2019/08/18/buddhist-futures-cyborg-buddhism/?preview_id=16035&preview_nonce=4e7362a653&preview=true&_thumbnail_id=2152
I want to create a science-fiction form of Buddhism. Call it Cyborg Buddhism. I'm not talking about Cyborg Buddhism in the sense of Transhumanist James Hughes, who is interested in technological enhancement of the human being to create a state of 'enlightenment.' I'm using Cyborg as Donna Haraway defined it in The Cyborg Manifesto.
We are already more-than-human beings: we are mineral-plant-animal-human-culture beings, so I want to practice a Cyborg Buddhism that works with mineral-plant-animal-human-culture as the site of practice. I want to mindfully experience the ordinary, the mundane, the immanent reality, and yet I also want to experience the fantastic, transcendent, mythical and science-fictional layers of reality. 
—Shaun
Read Donna Haraway's The Cyborg Manifesto in its entirety, free pdf: https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/english/currentstudents/undergraduate/modules/fictionnownarrativemediaandtheoryinthe21stcentury/manifestly_haraway_----_a_cyborg_manifesto_science_technology_and_socialist-feminism_in_the_....pdf
I create the music for every episode. You can hear more of my music at https://shaunyata.bandcamp.com
I'm creating cutting-edge dharma culture every day. Please support this podcast, blog, music and YouTube channel at Patreon: patreon.com/user?u=80736941

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode is an Introduction to Lines of Flight: Contemporary Buddhist Culture. The title is taken from a term invented by Deleuze and Guattari from their book A Thousand Plateaus: Capitalism and Schizophrenia. 


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Exploring Buddhism through culture. In this series, I'll be exploring Buddhism and the Beats, focusing in particular on the bespoke Buddhism of Jack Kerouac. 
If you would like to participate in this discussion, please comment on this podcast. You can also come on the show and join me live in the discussion by expressing your interest at this email:  sbartone22@gmail.com 

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