Search Buddhist Channel

The Dalai Lama just launched a website to help you achieve inner peace

by Chris Weller, Tech Insider, May 18, 2016

The Pope isn't the only holy figure reaching the masses in cyberspace.

San Francisco, CA (USA) -- With the help of Paul Ekman, a psychologist who consulted on the 2015 Pixar film "Inside Out," and the data visualization firm Stamen Design, the Dalai Lama has launched a new website meant to give people a map for understanding their feelings.

It's called the "Atlas of Emotions."

"When we wanted to get to the New World, we needed a map," Ekman recalled the Dalai Lama telling him, according to the New York Times. So the psychologist was tasked with devising a similar guide for navigating our internal worlds — of fear, disgust, enjoyment, sadness, and anger.

Those five emotions are by no means exhaustive, but according to the survey of 248 scientists Ekman conducted, they covered the full spectrum in a way that was easiest to understand.

The survey also yielded insights into how those emotions work, such as where they come from and how people tend to deal with them. Those findings were then turned into the Atlas of Emotions, an interactive map that lets people click through the five emotional "continents" to learn more about them.

Once you dive into a specific continent, a sidebar appears giving you the choice to learn more about that emotion's states, actions, triggers, and mood.

Each state is divided along a continuum of intensity. Enjoyment, for example, ranges from sensory pleasure (like the texture of a juicy steak or the beauty of an art exhibit) all the way up to ecstasy, which Ekman's research defines here as "Rapturous delight. A state of very great happiness, nearly overwhelming."

Clicking through, users then learn about how they can express that state of emotion in their behavior. People experiencing ecstacy can maintain, savor, or indulge the experience. People experiencing compassion, meanwhile, can engage, exclaim, savor, or seek more.

One of the helpful features of the Atlas is that users get a list of sample triggers for that emotion. People derive different forms of enjoyment from spending time with family, eating chocolate cake, or volunteering in their community, among many others.

The experience ends with the final mood produced by the emotion, which, in enjoyment's case, is elation. And so the breakdown goes with the four other emotions.

The Dalai Lama reportedly paid Ekman at least $750,000 to compile the research behind the comprehensive, user-friendly guide. He thinks it's necessary for cultivating compassion.

The website maintains that having a deep emotional awareness is vital for living proactively, instead of in a reactionary state.

"The goal of the Atlas of Emotions," it reads, "is to help people become aware of the impulse to act before acting and then choose whether to engage, and if so how to engage."

We Need Your Help to Train the
Buddhist AI Chat Bot NORBU!
(Neural Operator for Responsible Buddhist Understanding)

Dear Friends in the Dharma,

We seek your generous support to help us train NORBU, the word's first Buddhist AI Chat Bot.

Here are some ways you can contribute to this noble cause:

One-time Donation or Loan: A single contribution, regardless of its size, will go a long way in helping us reach our goal and make the Buddhist LLM a beacon of wisdom for all.

How will your donation / loan be used? Download the NORBU White Paper for details.

For Malaysians and Singaporeans, please make your donation to the following account:

Account Name: Bodhi Vision
Account No:. 2122 00000 44661
Bank: RHB

The SWIFT/BIC code for RHB Bank Berhad is: RHBBMYKLXXX
Address: 11-15, Jalan SS 24/11, Taman Megah, 47301 Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 603-9206 8118

Note: Please indicate your purpose of payment (loan or donation) in the payment slip. Thank you.

Once payment is banked in, please send the payment slip via email to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv. Your donation/loan will be published and publicly acknowledged on the Buddhist Channel.

Spread the Word: Share this initiative with your friends, family and fellow Dharma enthusiasts. Join "Friends of Norbu" at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/norbuchatbot. Together, we can build a stronger community and create a positive impact on a global scale.

Volunteer: If you possess expertise in AI, natural language processing, Dharma knowledge in terms of Buddhist sutras in various languages or related fields, and wish to lend your skills, please contact us. Your knowledge and passion could be invaluable to our project's success.

Your support is part of a collective effort to preserve and disseminate the profound teachings of Buddhism. By contributing to the NORBU, you become a "virtual Bodhisattva" to make Buddhist wisdom more accessible to seekers worldwide.

Thank you for helping to make NORBU a wise and compassionate Buddhist Chatbot!

May you be blessed with inner peace and wisdom,

With deepest gratitude,

Kooi F. Lim
On behalf of The Buddhist Channel Team

Note: To date, we have received the following contributions for NORBU:
US$ 75 from Gary Gach (Loan)
US$ 50 from Chong Sim Keong
MYR 300 from Wilson Tee
MYR 500 from Lim Yan Pok
MYR 50 from Oon Yeoh
MYR 200 from Ooi Poh Tin
MYR 300 from Lai Swee Pin
MYR 100 from Ong Hooi Sian
MYR 1,000 from Fam Sin Nin
MYR 500 from Oh teik Bin
MYR 300 from Yeoh Ai Guat
MYR 300 from Yong Lily
MYR 50 from Bandar Utama Buddhist Society
MYR 1,000 from Chiam Swee Ann
MYR 1,000 from Lye Veei Chiew
MYR 1,000 from Por Yong Tong
MYR 80 from Lee Wai Yee
MYR 500 from Pek Chee Hen
MYR 300 from Hor Tuck Loon
MYR 1,000 from Wise Payments Malaysia Sdn Bhd
MYR 200 from Teo Yen Hua
MYR 500 from Ng Wee Keat
MYR 10,000 from Chang Quai Hung, Jackie (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from K. C. Lim & Agnes (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from Juin & Jooky Tan (Loan)
MYR 100 from Poh Boon Fong (on behalf of SXI Buddhist Students Society)
MYR 10,000 from Fam Shan-Shan (Loan)
MYR 10,000 from John Fam (Loan)
MYR 500 from Phang Cheng Kar
MYR 100 from Lee Suat Yee
MYR 500 from Teo Chwee Hoon (on behalf of Lai Siow Kee)
MYR 200 from Mak Yuen Chau

We express our deep gratitude for the support and generosity.

If you have any enquiries, please write to: editor@buddhistchannel.tv

TOP