| Many people these days believe that technology, and | | | | software were always altruistic, were they?) into a |
| in particular Information Technology, is the key to | | | | more spiritual world of compassion and generosity. |
| attaining a future world that is both ecologically and | | | | The world's richest man and his wife now run an |
| environmentally sustainable, as well as being socially | | | | organization ( that invests huge amounts of money into |
| stable. Are they right? Others believe that a balanced | | | | medical research so that human children of the future |
| spirituality, one that focuses on generosity, peace, and | | | | needn't die of disease. They are focusing in particular |
| compassion will have to be the main ingredient in a | | | | on helping poor children in developing nations. Strangely |
| recipe for true human evolution. What do you think? Is | | | | enough, Bill has been strongly criticized by colleagues |
| this a black and white issue? It seems that most | | | | who don't see these ventures as being profitable. |
| challenges that humanity comes across these days | | | | However, many others have been inspired by such |
| are solved by thinking laterally, often with multiple | | | | generosity and so have invested billions in the same |
| answers and solutions being utilized. This diverse | | | | schemes. |
| approach to solving problems may be the 'angle' that | | | | On the other hand, a friend of mine told me the other |
| we need to take in order to become the safe, healthy, | | | | day about how one of the most famous spiritual |
| happy world that we have always dreamt about. | | | | leaders in the world, Tibet's 14th Dalai Lama, has just |
| Could technology and spirituality one day combine to | | | | put a website on the Internet at Now people interested |
| form one mighty force? Some might even ask, "Is it | | | | in Buddhism all over the world can read about and |
| already happening now, right beneath our noses?" | | | | even communicate with this renowned peaceful |
| Working for an Internet company I am pretty much | | | | human being. On the Internet: and he's not the only one |
| surrounded by 'technical' people; analytical people, | | | | sharing wisdom on the web, let me tell you. Do you |
| problem solvers. When I first arrived in the office I was | | | | see the picture slowly materializing in your frontal lobe? |
| shocked by the complete lack of biological and | | | | There's something going on here. |
| aesthetic life here. No plants, no photos or paintings on | | | | Some people think that technology will 'save' us. |
| the wall. It was definitely not a place one would think of | | | | Others think we need to go back in time, back to tribal |
| when contemplating spirituality. Spiritual places are | | | | ways of living in order to create the social cohesion |
| forests, oceans, ancient temples, art galleries-definitely | | | | necessary for our species to grow together and |
| not I.T. offices. I wondered how my fellow species | | | | survive as one. The answer could be more simplistic |
| could survive in an environment so devoid of beauty, | | | | than we ever may have imagined. Building software is |
| nature, and creativity-ironically the one power we need | | | | great, but if the maker's sole intention is for personal |
| to develop new technologies. They all looked so | | | | gain and immense wealth, well, be careful if you're |
| content staring into their blue computer monitors, | | | | investing. I've read that if one builds a fence with anger |
| fingers ticking softly and speedily on their keyboards. It | | | | and suffering (yelling at the planks of wood when they |
| was actually frightening; a horror film where the soft, | | | | don't line up properly), relations with neighbors may |
| constant, monotonous ticking is the only sound filtering | | | | deteriorate. If one cooks a meal with love and |
| through the empty silence. | | | | enjoyment through the meal-making process, your |
| After studying and reading about many different | | | | family and friends will enjoy the flavors more, and |
| religions and cultures one gets a pretty good picture of | | | | show more gratitude for your efforts. |
| what a spiritual person looks like. Or do you? Are | | | | Sound like superstition? Attitude is everything. |
| people that transparent that you can tell what their | | | | Technology may be a major factor in our world's |
| intentions are just by observing their material/physical | | | | survival, but only if it walks hand-in-hand with an |
| self? Are all priests generous? Are all tech-heads | | | | attitude that is truly focused on the betterment of |
| oblivious to the larger pictures of the Earth and the | | | | humankind. What better thing to work for? We all |
| infinite Universe that we are part of? The answers are | | | | spend a lifetime chipping away at our goals and |
| starting to reveal themselves. | | | | dreams. Why not build your next program with the |
| Bill Gates is an excellent example of a tech-head who | | | | intention of evolving our species to the next level? Or, |
| has crossed over (unless his intentions by building | | | | is that what you've been doing from the start? |