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Thread: Virtual Reality (Ain't It Always?) Zen Project

  1. #1

    Virtual Reality (Ain't It Always?) Zen Project

    Hey Guys,

    I just saw the following, and it reminded me that this future of our Zendo is here. (Of course, we have to transcend those big glasses!) I would love to see, in the coming years, our Sangha on the forefront of developing this technology to make the group Zazen experience more available, and also to teach Buddhism and Zen Practice through the technology.

    How might virtual reality change the world? Stanford lab peers into future
    http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/stanfo...ange-the-world

    and



    It would be wonderful to have graphic and game designers associated with Treeleaf, over the coming years, work on the programs to make all that possible. Really.

    I am reminded of this essay by me from awhile back ...

    The world is virtual, this sangha is real

    With Gassho before a body scanner, sitters will enter the 3-D Holographic Zen Hall from wherever they are. Instantly, a high roofed room, Manjusri Bodhisattva at its center, fills the senses and the 10 directions encircling them. Lifelike images of a hundred others who have sat that day (some hours earlier in distant time zones) occupy projected Zafus all around, and the scent of incense perfumes the air. A young priest walks through the room straightening slippers (all made of photons), guiding newcomers to their places. Biosensors in the sitter’s clothing adjust posture with a touch lightly felt at the small of the back. A teacher in far Japan, as if a few feet away, offers a talk and responds immediately to questions. Rising from Zazen, all recite as one the Bodhisattva Vows, prostrating toward Manjusri now seen hovering midair as vast as a mountain. The identical scene appears in Holospaces in every sitter’s home or private place, including for one fellow sitting zero gravity on the long voyage to Mars.

    Though sounding like Isaac Asimov meets the Lotus Sutra, researchers at the holographics lab of one of Japan’s best science universities tell me it is just a matter of time now. The ‘HoloZendo’ is not a figment of the imagination, and may be available to carry in one’s pocket. If so, it will not be the first time that new technologies have impacted Buddhist practice.

    http://www.treeleaf.org/forums/showt...sangha-is-real
    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    Last edited by Jundo; 06-19-2015 at 05:10 AM.
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  2. #2
    Kyotai
    Guest
    With the emergence of Oculus Rift, a new technology being developed for gaming, I can see a time where this type of technology could be linked with G+. All one would need to do is purchase the "glasses" to go along with ones zafu.




    Kyotai
    Sat today

  3. #3
    I believe the glasses are wonderful, in a kinda "sit with what is" sorta way. But I look forward to the day when we sit in virtual rooms or spaces in our homes, surrounded by images on all sides, without need for the glasses.

    Even more, I have read of ordinary eyeglasses or contacts being developed which will project images directly on the retina, letting the eye itself be the device. The brain will receive the images from the eye just like anything we see, and the new world will thus be created within us.

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    ALL OF LIFE IS OUR TEMPLE

  4. #4
    Member Getchi's Avatar
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    ive been writing a little something as a gift, bt check out te "google cardboard" priject, team it with the "jump" filming rig and suddenky we have VR video and possibly live linked youtube/g+ feeds that can be accessed by anyone with even the most basic tech. im into this because of my cybpunk sensibilities, high-tech for us low-lives


    please excuse lack of links etc, im posting from a rescued chinese snapdragon tablet pc on a public wifi point through anon tor network. just for fun
    Nothing to do? Why not Sit?

  5. #5
    Mp
    Guest
    Quote Originally Posted by Jundo View Post
    I believe the glasses are wonderful, in a kinda "sit with what is" sorta way. But I look forward to the day when we sit in virtual rooms or spaces in our homes, surrounded by images on all sides, without need for the glasses.

    Even more, I have read of ordinary eyeglasses or contacts being developed which will project images directly on the retina, letting the eye itself be the device. The brain will receive the images from the eye just like anything we see, and the new world will thus be created within us.

    Gassho, J

    SatToday
    Reminds me off this classic =)



    Also there is a Canadian doctor who invented the Bionic Lens coupled with Google tech, you never know, the hollow deck might not be that far off. =)



    Gassho
    Shingen

    #sattoday

  6. #6
    Member Getchi's Avatar
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    Here is a small article I found interesting. Ill read it again while awaiting my holodeck (which would be awesome!).

    http://recode.net/2015/06/19/oculus-...irrelevant-qa/

    New technology and a total cost for VR set and PC at $1500, I think its only a (short) matter of time


    Gassho,
    Geoff, a student.

    SatToday.
    Nothing to do? Why not Sit?

  7. #7
    Joyo
    Guest
    How far technology has come, even just in my lifetime. I hope I live long enough to see how this new bit will change the world, and Treeleaf.

    The kids at school today were laughing at the "tvs that only had two channels, and you had to switch them with a big dial, and those big, ugly phones." Did I ever feel old, but they had no idea why. =)

    Gassho,
    Joyo
    sat today

  8. #8
    Hi guys!

    As you may know I love PC gaming and I have been reading a lot of VR as of late. It's a huge trend in gaming and corporations are investing millions into making it a reality. Of course the entertainment focus is outstanding, but I think the educational and communication uses would be far more important.

    I have been reading Ready Player One, a sci fi novel by Ernst Cline. It's about how the world adopted a VR online role playing game as Earth's operative system and how it would affect life. The novel has a lot of adventure and geek culture, but it also talks about the different uses of VR in gaming, business and education. In this world, kids attend to school inside the virtual world. They form up relationships, fall in love and then graduate inside the simulation.

    Since the human hasn't evolved to just plug in the simulation directly to the brain, people still depend on funky equipment to jack in.

    The novel has made me think a lot about our relationship to technology and how human interaction has changed. Right now thanks to Hangouts we can gather together without having to care about boundaries and physical places. We just get together and talk, sit and walk kinhin. This is amazing and I feel grateful.

    Maybe when we all adopt VR, we could meet up in our own zendo built in a moon of Jupiter. Who knows!

    About having a holodeck? Well, one can only wish.

    I would love to have a Dixon Hill adventure like Picard did

    Gassho,

    Kyonin
    #SatToday
    Hondō Kyōnin
    奔道 協忍

  9. #9
    Member Getchi's Avatar
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    Joyo - I feel the same, just recently my wife and I played "Technology that was everywhere in the 90's but would surprise you today?". Well, my top answer was the pager, and hers was overhead projectors (https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...72/OHP-sch.JPG ). Our children and there friend, however, could not recognise even one of the things we said. I even see kids wearing my old band shirts now lol (Iron Maiden, Niravana, Pearl Jam etc) so Im constantly reminded of how fast teh world turns over!.

    Kyonin - great book! the OASIS is a great representation of what we thought the online world would be in the 90's but updated with ideas from today, I loved it! Ever thought of jacking in here?; http://www.reddit.com/r/cyberpunk or http://www.reddit.com/r/futurology

    Im really looking forward to when this VR (im saving for an OCCULUS right now, im pretty into iRacing) is married to the new network Elon Musk is developing. Its going to be some very cheap and accesale technology available to villages in africa, towns in Peru or even isolated communities in my own country. Along with cheap solar power and water systems, there is no reason a child born in disadvantaged areas cant have a world-class education and good life. Not to mention the massive boost for preserving world cultures and language. Amazing.

    Myself, id be happy to experience the great sites and cultures of the world, and one day small towns like mine will have the ability to talk to people on the street of Madrid, Tokyo, London, the edge of the Sahara, anywhere! A pretty big future indeed!
    Nothing to do? Why not Sit?

  10. #10
    Maybe, in the meantime, we should 3d-print some Inmoov robots to add additional remote-presence to Jundo ;-).
    Sending out some robots during Jukai, controlled by him, might also add another dimension.



    Gassho,
    Ralf sattoday.

    義道 冴庭 / Gidō Kotei.
    Being a novice priest doesn't mean my writing about the Dharma is more substantial than yours. Actually, it might well be the other way round.

  11. #11
    Member Roland's Avatar
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    We won't be scared by those virtual reality tricks, it seems: mindfulness meditators less affected by virtual reality.

    Gassho

    Roland
    #SatToday

  12. #12
    Kyonin - Just finished Ready Player One a couple weeks ago. Terrific read! And definitely echos what is to come with regards to VR technology. I am curious as to what you and eveybody else thinks about the pros and cons of our ever increasing digital footprint. Novels like Ready Player One and Snow Crash seem to be set in a dystopia world where VR technology is used more than anything else as a means to escape the physical world. Is there that chance of losing oneself into the matrix?

    Holodeck would be sweet - still can't get past Worf as a not-so merry man ☺.

    Gassho,

    Josh
    Sat Today

  13. #13
    Another take on this is Issac Asimov's "the Naked Sun" published in 1957. From Wikipedia:
    The book focuses on the unusual traditions and culture of Solarian society: the planet has a rigidly controlled population of twenty thousand, and robots outnumber humans ten thousand to one, whereas people are strictly taught from birth to despise personal contact, and live on huge estates, either alone or with their spouse only. Communication is done via holographic telepresence (called viewing, as opposed to in-person seeing).
    Gassho,
    Sozan

    s@2day

  14. #14
    Quote Originally Posted by Joyo View Post
    How far technology has come, even just in my lifetime. I hope I live long enough to see how this new bit will change the world, and Treeleaf.

    The kids at school today were laughing at the "tvs that only had two channels, and you had to switch them with a big dial, and those big, ugly phones." Did I ever feel old, but they had no idea why. =)

    Gassho,
    Joyo
    sat today
    Yesterday I watched 4 digital artists struggle to get the new printer to work. Not the 3D printer, they managed that in record time, but the 'old fashioned paper printer'. They gave up after 3 hours.

    As you may know I love PC gaming and I have been reading a lot of VR as of late. It's a huge trend in gaming and corporations are investing millions into making it a reality. Of course the entertainment focus is outstanding, but I think the educational and communication uses would be far more important.
    The 3D and VR tech is amazing for things like medicine / paramedics / nursing etc. and training where the costs of actually performing the task(s) are ridiculously high.

    Communication, however, ....

    Attachment 3383



    Sat Today

  15. #15
    Member Roland's Avatar
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    Brussels and Antwerp, Belgium
    Enlightenment in 20 minutes. But then again, as an Oculus Rift-user, I think serious meditating and hangouts could be organized.

    Gassho

    Roland

    #SatToday

  16. #16
    Hello,

    Thank you for the link

    When the plug's pulled . . . .


    Gassho
    Myosha
    sat today
    "Recognize suffering, remove suffering." - Shakyamuni Buddha when asked, "Uhm . . .what?"

  17. #17
    The comments after the article are amusing... one of them says "Top tip: you can't attack the Buddha boss when his hand is up. Wait until it drops then zap him with the cartesian cannon. Aim for the head."

    Gassho,
    Jakuden
    SatToday

  18. #18
    Treeleaf Priest / Engineer Sekishi's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jakuden View Post
    The comments after the article are amusing... one of them says "Top tip: you can't attack the Buddha boss when his hand is up. Wait until it drops then zap him with the cartesian cannon. Aim for the head."
    This reminds me of ZenMOO. If I may be permitted to stroll down Nerd Memory Lane...

    When I was in college back in the 90's, lots of people played multi-user text games called MUDs, or MUSHes, or MOOs. Most were either role playing adventure worlds or social environments. Imagine:

    You are in a room. There is a doorway to the south. You see here:
    Sekishi, a box, a candle, a frightening dragon

    Sekishi says, "Hello there new player. Let me know if you need any help. Also, be careful of the Dragon..."

    > light candle

    I'm sorry, but you don't have any matches to light the candle.

    > go south

    The Dragon does not seem to appreciate your constant running around and squishes you flat. Game over. [Disconnected.]
    Etc. Anyhow, there was actually a sort of anti-MOO called ZenMOO. If after connecting, if you looked around, said things, or otherwise engaged with the "world", you'd get a gruff reminder to sit down and shut up. If you did not heed the reminder you'd get kicked off. However, if you were quiet and waited, eventually it would say something cryptic. If you did not respond, it would kick you off ("Too bad, you seem to have fallen asleep... [Disconnected.]"). If you did respond, your response was remembered, and would eventually be manipulated and fed back to another user (e.g. via some sort of "mad libs" algorithm presumably).

    I guess it was a sort of do nothing and you kill sentient beings, say something and you fall into hell type situation.

    Unfortunately, I believe it was eventually shut down for indecency. Make of that what you will.

    Gassho,
    Sekishi

    #sattoday
    Sekishi | 石志 | He/him | Better with a grain of salt, but best ignored entirely.

  19. #19
    Fellow nerd here, and INFJ, but that is irrelevant, sort of ......

    Your game sounds like the game TaskMaster (TaskMaker? idk, been many years) that I used to play. Similar responses, and while I never played it against others, I ran into some strange characters, and often got killed by a shovel, golem, or lack of a weapon that was somehow not available in a previous level. "You cannot fight back. You are dead. Game over." Usually when I was unable to save the game or retrace my steps. Five hours later.

    People wonder why I don't game anymore, lol!

    Jundo's description of a 3D zendo sounds heavenly though, and just reaffirms my desire to learn app coding after my university program in medical coding and health information technology is finished next year. I spend my life on computers and research anyway, may as well learn more coding!

    Gassho
    Kim
    Sat today
    My life is my temple and my practice.

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