Level 1: Understanding External Technologies

External tools are designed to enhance our ability to interact with our surroundings. For example, a stick extends our reach, allowing us to access items beyond our natural grasp. A wheelbarrow enables the efficient transport of heavy loads, converting multiple trips into one. Glasses and telescopes improve our visual abilities, providing clarity and distance that surpass our innate capabilities. Each technological advancement opens up further possibilities for manipulating our environment, as seen in the evolution from cogs and gears to the printing press, which transformed knowledge dissemination and facilitated the creation of more advanced technologies.

Yet, technology transcends mere domination over our surroundings; at its core, it amplifies our human capacities.

Level 2: Technologies as Extensions of Human Interaction

Technologies serve to enhance our interface with reality rather than exert control over it. Glasses do not impose our will on the world; instead, they allow us to better navigate our visual experiences. As our understanding of technology evolves, we recognize that it encompasses more than just physical tools. Language is a prime example; it enables us to articulate and share experiences, emotions, and ideas, thereby fostering cultural progress and knowledge transfer across generations. My former professor, John Vervaeke, referred to language as a psychotechnology — a cognitive tool that enhances our interaction with the world, akin to the function of a hammer.

Mathematics provides another illustration. By utilizing numbers and symbols, we have created a universal language capable of describing everything from celestial orbits to the patterns found in nature. The frameworks we develop through mathematics allow us to make predictions that drive advancements in various fields, bringing outer technologies into our inner cognitive processes.

Level 3: The Transformation of Information

Our sensory experiences are filtered through the technologies we employ. We instinctively associate patterns of sensory data with well-defined concepts, interpreting reality through a linguistic lens. However, early humans experienced reality without such mediation. Some philosophers argue that certain primal filters shape our perceptions.

“Space and time are the frameworks within which the mind constructs its experience of reality.” — Immanuel Kant

According to Kant, space and time serve as fundamental technologies for organizing information. We perceive the external world spatially, while our inner experiences are understood temporally.

However, mystics from various traditions speak of a reality that transcends these dimensions. The Christian God exists beyond the causal and temporal realms, while Buddhism describes Nirvana as unconditioned and not bound by birth, death, or time.

This prompts essential questions about our fundamental nature. If technology enhances our interactions with reality, what are our intrinsic capabilities? What constitutes our essence, and can we differentiate between our true nature and the modifications imposed by technology?

Many believe that our essence is pure, unstained awareness. Chogyal Namkhai Norbu, a prominent Dzogchen teacher, uses the analogy of a mirror to describe this awareness: mirrors are clear and unaffected, reflecting countless images without altering their inherent nature. In the same way, our fundamental awareness remains unchanged despite the myriad experiences we encounter.

Level 4: Technologies as Modifications of Awareness

If consciousness is our core ability, then various tools can be seen as extensions of this awareness. Consider the act of dance: awareness is the stage, while the experiences and thoughts are the dancers. Drawing from the Samkhya philosophy, we can liken awareness to Purusha, the passive observer, and the active performer to Prakriti. Conversely, Advaita Vedanta presents a nondual perspective, suggesting that everything is a variation of the core existence, known as Brahman. Our deepest identity aligns with Brahman — the ever-present awareness characterized by existence, self-awareness, and bliss, encapsulated in the Sanskrit term satcitananda.

In this context, each moment of experience, every shift from primordial stillness, can be viewed as a form of technology. For instance, the Buddhist practice of mantra recitation involves repeated syllables that sharpen focus, transforming scattered thoughts into concentrated awareness. These mental tools modify our conscious experience, guiding us toward clarity.

Moreover, all habits can be seen as internalized tools. Anything we repeatedly engage in ultimately influences our consciousness. I emphasize "temporally significant" because even our thoughts can be considered technological. While many of our thoughts are chaotic, structuring them enables meaningful transformation in our experiences.

“I swear to you that to think too much is a disease, a real, actual disease.” — Fyodor Dostoyevsky

Dostoyevsky's words ring true. Holding onto a hammer without pause would ultimately lead to harm. If we treat our thoughts as tools, we can wield them wisely. For example, intentionally sending loving thoughts to others not only connects us to these feelings but also nurtures compassion, thereby altering our awareness for the better.

Isn't this simple?

The gradual path of Buddhist training offers various strategies to attain this mental mastery. If these concepts resonate with you, I invite you to explore my online introductory course on Buddhist meditation.

These perspectives help alleviate my concerns about rapid technological advancements, fostering a balance between spiritual truths and empirical realities. They compel me to revisit two profound questions:

What am I truly?

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What is genuinely worth repeating?