Teachings of Buddhadasa by Santidhammo Bhikkhu
| “Pure nature is simple, |
| humble, fresh, |
| peaceful, cool. |
| If you know this flavor, |
| you know the flavor |
| of Dhamma.” |
– Buddhadāsa –
Ajahn Buddhadāsa was one of the most important Buddhist teachers of the twentieth century. His life was dedicated to the regeneration of Buddhism in the modern world, particularly in his own homeland of Thailand. He presented traditional, orthodox Buddhist teachings, in a manner that was comprehensible and applicable to people living in the modern materialistic, high-tech world, full of conflict and radical change. He dug deep into the treasure mines of the Dhamma, to unearth Buddhist solutions of the social ills facing the individual and society in the world today.
We now live in an unprecedented new age of change, the modern world of technology, with its almost miraculous power and control over nature. This new age is also an age of unprecedented challenges and problems. The cultivation of our humanity has not kept pace with the development of our scientific/technological knowledge. We must cultivate an unprecedented new age of Dhamma practice, to develop wisdom, in order to control this newly acquired power over nature. We must learn to use or technological power with wisdom, understanding, love and compassion.
How can we use technology wisely, if we do not even know what the purpose of technology is for. Is technology designed to further the meaning and purpose of human life on earth? Do we even know what is the purpose, or meaning, of human life? No? Then how could we possibly know what the purpose of technology is? And so, we blindly proceeded, producing increasing and intensifying technological changes in the world, without purpose or meaning. Isn’t this apparent madness?
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(Introduction)
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