Bodhisattva 4.0: A Primer for Engaged Buddhists

Bodhisattva 4.0 is a collection of simple conversation-starters about very difficult questions. It is not meant to provide answers, but rather to encourage mindful reflection and action. The ideas presented here come from a Buddhist perspective, but not in an exclusive way. Good ecology embraces biodiversity and adaptation. In that spirit, Buddhist ecology draws upon ideas that will benefit all of us, irrespective of their origins. We are poised on the inflection point of the fourth industrial revolution. Hence the title of this book, Bodhisattva 4.0. To some, it appears as the dawning of a brave new world. To others, it appears as the precipice above the inferno.

You have before you 108 meditations. They are organized into twelve subject areas, and each area comprises nine topics. Each topic is presented as a two-page spread that includes resources for further study. In total, the book contains more than 500 easily accessible online resources.

Sections and topics include:

TECHNOLOGY: Tools, Design, Designed, Society, Ecology, Prajna, Happiness, Responsibility, Degrowth

FUTURE: Emergence, Anthropecene, Tech Paradigm, Tech Mess, Tech Salvation, History, Ethics, Magic, Imagine

PRACTICE: Life Hack, Mr. Natural, Meditation, Faith, Vows, Secular, Prayer, Mind Only, Upaya

CULTURE: Child, Addicted, Buddhist Apps, Buddhist P2P, Buddha Stuff, Buddhist Geek, Social, Citizen, Bodhisattva

VIOLENCE: Kali Yuga, War, Guns, Race, Gender, War on Women, Watcher State, Titans, Whistleblower

WORK: Consumer, Maker, Money, Work 3.0, Progress, Performance, Corporation, Share, Give

PLAY: #Nowtrending, @Troll, Celebrity, Media, Mobile, Porn, Interactive, Information, Art

COMPUTERS: Reality, Network, AI, Cyborg, Singularity, Ubicomp, Code, Hive, Love

ACTION: Global, Engaged, Saffron Revolution, Scandal, Silk Road, Good Works, Petitions, Slogans, Blogs

FOOD: All Beings, Vicious Samsara, Farm, Meat, Veg, Food Insecurity, Eat, Drink, Package

HEALTH: Birth, Old Age, Sickness, Death, Biotech, Life Support, Abortion, Drugs, Mental Health

PLANET: Bodhimandala, Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Biosphere, Energy, Capacity, The Commons

This book is designed specifically for Buddhist teachers and community leaders who want to go beyond basic statements of caring for the planet, to understand the complex nature of emerging technologies and their implications, and to chart a course of sustainable development for the world of tomorrow.

As a Buddhist practitioner of some 40+ years, and as environmental activist and a technological design teacher for almost as long, I believe Buddhism has lots to offer in the conversations about Earth's future, but we also have to listen and learn from experts in the field. That's why each topic includes resources for further study and networking, as well as resources presenting some Buddhist context where relevant.

Hopefully, this book will inspire and facilitate your Engaged Buddhist practice and community outreach with new tools. We're all in this together.

John H. Negru (Karma Yönten Gyatso) is publisher at Sumeru, and a long-time technological design teacher. He is also the author of "Understanding the Chinese Temple," and "Understanding the Tibetan Buddhist Temple," as well as several other books and more than 100 magazine articles on technical subjects. An environmental activist since the 1970's, he is moderator for the global ecoBuddhist Facebook group, Plot to Save the Earth, as well as having facilitated many Buddhist community development projects over the past thirty years. During the 1980s, he was coordinator for the Toronto Buddhist Federation and Toronto Coordinator for the Buddhist Council of Canada. In 2011-12, he conducted the first national sociological survey of Canadian Buddhist organizations, in association with the University of Toronto Department of Religious Studies, the results of which were published in the 2013 edition of the "Journal of Global Buddhism." The Sumeru Press was founded by Mr. Negru in 2009, to publish Buddhist books from all lineages, with a particular emphasis on Engaged Buddhism. The company also hosts a directory of 600+ Canadian Buddhist organizations, and maintains an extensive Buddhist news blog with more than 1250 articles. Sumeru is the leading independent Buddhist book publisher in Canada.