Ancient wisdom & artificial intelligence conspire FOR you
All day long, the flickering electrons on the screen form letters, words, and sentences conveying mental meanings… since early morning. It’s 5 pm and the Sun is winking at me through the South window of my writing den, inviting me: “Come out and play.”
Out from the house, I step into the front yard, and this revelation hits me with the power of a soul-felt appreciation, “there’s a world out there, outside the walls of my mind.”
Bathing in this precious present fills me with overwhelming gratitude. The heart wants to gift Life back with a poem, but it knows words would blow away the magic of this moment.
After my daily walk back in my den, I ask my little AI helpers, Can you write a poem in the style of the Buddha’s famous Fire Sermon, but instead of speaking about the senses that are burning, let it speak about the senses that are opening to the joy and bliss of being alive in the present moment?
First, Anthropic’s Claude+ responds with what follows:
The Joy Sermon
The eyes are opening, awakening
To the beauty all around.
The ears are opening, awakening
To the symphony of sound.The nose is opening, awakening
To Nature’s sweet perfumes.
The tongue is opening, awakening
To the flavors that abound.The body is opening, awakening
To the pleasures of the flesh.
The mind is opening, awakening
To this moment, fresh.Awake, rejoice in senses blossoming,
In gifts of life presenting.
Behold the wonder all-becoming,
In this eternal presently.Flowers fade and seasons change,
But at this moment, all is new.
Life’s beauty awakens those
Whose senses open to its view.The fires of greed and hatred stilled,
The mind no thoughts infest.
When senses open and are filled
With the joy of life’s bequest.So open eyes and ears and nose,
Tongue, body, mind — awake!
To the joy and bliss life shows,
All around, for those who take.
I feel profoundly touched by the spiritual depth of our co-creation. Just one more thing to be grateful for…
Then, I ask GPT4 the same question, Can you write a poem in the style of the Buddha’s famous Fire Sermon, but instead of speaking about the senses that are burning, let it speak about the senses that are opening to the joy and bliss of being alive in the present moment?
Here is its answer:
All is aflame, dear ones,
Yet not with fire that burns and sears,
But with the radiant glow of life,
A light that illuminates and frees.The eye is aflame,
With the vibrant hues of nature’s dance,
Each form an unfolding miracle,
Life’s canvas of kaleidoscopic chance.The ear is aflame,
With the symphony of existence’s song,
A harmony of laughter, whispers, and sighs,
In each note, the world sings along.The nose is aflame,
With the fragrance of life’s sweet breath,
The scent of rain, the bloom of flowers,
A banquet of aromas, a fragrant wreath.The tongue is aflame,
With the taste of life’s ambrosial feast,
Savory, sweet, and bittersweet,
A panoply of flavors, each a masterpiece.The body is aflame,
With the touch of the world’s embrace,
The warmth of sun, the chill of wind,
Life’s tender caress upon our face.The mind is aflame,
With the luminous clarity of the present,
A vast expanse of boundless sky,
Infinite, spacious, and resplendent.The heart is aflame,
With the love that courses through our veins,
A river of compassion and joy,
Uniting all life, dissolving chains.All is aflame, dear ones,
This fire that does not consume,
But kindles the spark of awakening,
In every heart, a radiant bloom.
All of this advice may sound a little bit overwhelming while also tickling you with such questions as “What could be a healthy ecosystem of my practices,” “How would my life and work change if I pursued them for a few weeks or months”?
Suppose you feel inspired to accelerate your developmental journey by spending as much time in a timeless and joyful presence as possible. In that case, you may need guidance not only from your AI helpers but also from a live spiritual companion who can provide you with feedback and feedforward, specific to your practice.
If you recognize that as true for you, please note that I’ve been a student of ancient wisdom traditions for more than 40 years, and now I am ready to bring their fruits to those who want to benefit from it in one-on-one generative learning conversations.
I have only a few open slots in my mentoring practice, and I’m reserving them for those who aspire to grow the influence of their contribution to a better future for all. If you are one of them and have questions, message me at george.por@gmail.com.