As I sip my triple-shot-no-foam latte that was perfectly brewed on a high-tech espresso machine, I power up my laptop and connect via Wi-Fi to Google some research. I then mute my cell phone and check the PalmPilot for any upcoming meetings, and I ponder whether technology has become aide or impediment to spiritual growth.
From a Buddhist perspective, technology is neutral; it is merely a tool we use to interact with our world. It is our intellectual or visceral attachment to technology that creates the illusion of help or hindrance.
A gun is not inherently evil, although Buddhism teaches us not to participate in its manufacture or support its distribution, as its purpose and ultimate use is decidedly harmful. A cell phone is not inherently good, as the immediacy of a call may give a false sense of importance. If shooting a gun gives you a feeling of power or if a cell phone interruption of a pleasant conversation takes priority, you may wish to look to the root or cause of that attachment as the powerful pleasures of ego will eventually cause suffering.
A book is also technology as it imparts information, but it is not the experience. As the sage put it: the word “rain” will not get you wet. Engage in compassionate living and don’t let technology remove you from human interaction. Use technology as an aide, but rely instead on the highest and best technology ever created to evaluate the reality of existence: the human mind.
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