"Buddhists believe that the self is not a real entity, and suffering arises from attachment to the self. There is a strange symbolic teaching in Zen Buddhism that says, "If you see the Buddha, kill him." This means that when the mind constructs a concept of a transcendent being, even the holiest one, it hinders the ability to see the truth."
"The series "Pluribus" opens with a premise that serves as a stark thought experiment: A decoded extraterrestrial signal, revealed to be a DNA sequence, is synthesized into a virus-like agent. Upon its accidental release, it infects all of humanity. Those affected emerge from a brief seizure seemingly unharmed, but stripped of their individual identities, tastes, and desires. They merge into a single collective consciousness where memories, thoughts, and skills are shared universally; one person can simultaneously be a pilot, a surgeon, and an engineer."
Eastern mystical traditions prioritize renunciation of the self and union with the world as paths to happiness. Zen teaching "If you see the Buddha, kill him" cautions that conceptual constructs hinder seeing truth. Vipassana practice recommends unbiased observation of sensations and thoughts to reveal their incidental nature. Taoism attributes many problems to ego interference. Psychedelics can temporarily dissolve the self and have ritual uses. The "Pluribus" scenario describes a synthesized DNA signal creating a virus that erases individuality and produces a shared consciousness. True happiness is described as requiring individuality, difference, purpose, and room for possible error, while AI can standardize thinking and threaten human individuality.
Read at Psychology Today
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