Core Vision: Interconnected Communities
Bram proposes decentralized groups using open-source tech to rebuild trust and address global crises.
Buddhist Alignment:
- Embodies dependent origination (pratītyasamutpāda): All beings/interactions are interconnected.
- Mirrors the Sangha (spiritual community) as a model for collective awakening.
- Echoes the Bodhisattva ideal: Liberating oneself by liberating others (Mahayana tradition).
Philosophy: “Golden Processes” as Mindful Stewardship
Bram’s three processes map to Buddhist practice:
- Lead (Negligible): Distractions to release (like akusala – unwholesome mental states).
- Metal (Linear): Skillful action (karma) with clear intention (cetanā), e.g., work, caregiving.
- Golden (Circular): Sacred cycles of interdependence:
- Nurturing family/community (loving-kindness/mettā),
- Protecting nature (non-harm/ahimsa),
- Sustaining wisdom traditions (Dharma transmission).
Key Insight: Bram’s call to protect “golden processes” aligns with the Five Precepts – especially avoiding harm to life, relationships, and ecosystems.
Groups as “Sangha 2.0”: Engaged Dharma in Action
Bram’s tech-enabled groups can amplify Buddhist values:
- Local resilience: Create mindfulness collectives for disaster relief, eco-stewardship, or hospice care.
- Transparency: Use open-source tools to embody Right Speech/Right Action (avoiding deception).
- Decentralization: Dismantle hierarchies – reflecting Buddhism’s critique of power/clinging (upādāna).
Buddhist Model: Like the vihāra (ancient monastic hubs), these groups become spaces for:
“Training the mind, sharing resources, and relieving suffering.”
Ethical Warnings Through Dharma
- Reject Violence: Bram’s “violence is weakness” mirrors ahimsa (non-violence) and the Buddha’s refusal to endorse war.
- Avoid “Caves” of Delusion: Bram’s cave allegory parallels Māyā/illusion. Buddhists are urged to:
- See reality with vipassanā (insight),
- Reject conspiracy theories (micchā-diṭṭhi/wrong view),
- Cultivate sati (mindfulness) against digital distraction.
- Combat Greed/Pride: Bram’s listed vices align with the Three Poisons (greed, aversion, delusion) – roots of dukkha (suffering).
Tensions and Skillful Means (Upāya)
- Technology vs. Simplicity:
- Opportunity: Use open-source tools for Dharma outreach (e.g., meditation apps, disaster coordination).
- Caution: Avoid digital attachment (taṇhā) – tech as upāya (skillful means), not an end.
- Group Autonomy vs. Ethical Guardrails:
- Groups must uphold sīla (ethics) – e.g., no exploitation, truthful communication.
- “Processes” and Anicca:
- Bram’s processes reflect impermanence – all phenomena arise/pass. Clinging to “golden” outcomes causes suffering.
Call to Action for Buddhists
- Build Compassionate Groups: Start eco-sanghas or open-source collectives for social justice.
- Guard Interdependence: Protect “golden processes” (nature, community) as expressions of non-separation (Thich Nhat Hanh).
- Practice Digital Mindfulness: Use tech to spread Dharma, not distraction.
- Embrace Bram’s “Play” Principle: Approach change with beginner’s mind – joyful, experimental, unattached to results.
“Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared.”
— Gautama Buddha
Final Reflection
Bram’s project is a modern upāya – a skillful path to reduce suffering by:
- Freeing groups (like liberating beings from samsara),
- Replacing greed with generosity (dāna),
- Grounding action in interconnectedness.
As the Lotus Sūtra teaches:
“Use the Dharma according to the capacity of your audience.” Bram’s tools can help Buddhists embody this in an fractured world.
Explore the project: yetanotherprojecttosavetheworld.org
Act: Start small. Share skills. Protect the sacred. Let go of outcomes.
Note: Bram’s mental health journey (p.42–43) resonates with Buddhism’s focus on transforming suffering into wisdom. His call to “trust the process” mirrors faith in karma and the path (magga).