Angulimala in Our Algorithmic World!!

Once upon a time, in the lush forests of ancient India, there lived a fearsome bandit named Angulimala. His name struck terror into the hearts of all who heard it. Angulimala was notorious for his cruelty and his proclivity for wearing a necklace made of the fingers of his victims.

One day, as Angulimala was relaxing on a rugged rock, relishing in his fearsome reputation, he spotted a serene monk approaching in the distance. Angulimala enjoyed scaring people, so he wanted to show the monk how powerful he was.

But to his surprise, the monk, who was none other than Gautama Buddha himself, continued to approach with a tranquil smile adorning his face.

Intrigued by the monk’s calmness in the face of danger, Angulimala descended from his rocky perch and stood before the Buddha, brandishing his fearsome mala of fingers. “Who are you?” he demanded, his voice tinged with a mixture of curiosity and menace. “Do you know who I am?”

Angulimala shouted out to the Buddha,

“”Stop, contemplative, Stop!”

Buddha replied, “I have stopped, Angulimala, “You stop.”

The Buddha:

“I have stopped, Angulimala, once & for all, having cast off violence toward all living beings. You, though, are unrestrained toward beings. That’s how I’ve stopped and you haven’t.”

Angulimala:

“At long last a greatly revered great seer for my sake has come to the great forest. Having heard your verse in line with the Dhamma, I will go about having abandoned evil. So saying, the bandit hurled his sword & weapons over a cliff into a chasm, a pit. Then the bandit paid homage to the feet of the One Well-gone, and right there requested the Going-forth. The Awakened One, the compassionate great seer, the teacher of the world, along with its devas, said to him then: “Come, bhikkhu.”

The Buddha’s gentle yet profound lesson serves as a catalyst for Angulimala’s spiritual awakening. Angulimala, having gone alone into seclusion, experienced the bliss of release. At that time he exclaimed:

Who once was heedless, but later is not, brightens the worldlike the moon set free from a cloud. A bandit used to be renowned as Angulimala. Swept along by a great flood, I went to the Buddha as refuge.

Beyond the Binary: Angulimala’s Journey in an Algorithmic World

Here we are exploring the narrative that challenge the boundaries of our algorithm-driven world. In a world governed by algorithms and decisions based on past data and actions, Angulimala’s path to redemption would face significant obstacles. In our algorithmic world, our past actions dictate our future opportunities, where algorithms determine our job prospects, financial standing, and even access to healthcare.

Angulimala, once a feared bandit, now seeks to leave behind his life of violence and embark on a path of transformation. But in a society where algorithms dictate who gets a second chance and who remains condemned by their past, can Angulimala break free from the chains of his history?

Algorithms determine who gets hired and who gets left behind, Angulimala’s criminal history would have been a barrier to his rehabilitation. Despite his genuine desire to turn his life around, hiring algorithms view his past actions as predictive indicators of future behavior, leading to his exclusion from job opportunities and perpetuating a cycle of marginalization and despair.

Shadows of the Past: Angulimala’s Battle Against Recidivism Scores

A recidivism scoring system, designed to predict the likelihood of reoffending based on past criminal behavior, would cast a shadow of doubt over Angulimala’s ability to lead a life free from crime. Despite his genuine desire for transformation, he would be labeled as high-risk and subjected to heightened surveillance and restrictions, making it even more challenging for him to reintegrate into society.

Moreover, in a healthcare system guided by algorithms that assess risk and prioritize care based on various factors, Angulimala may find himself denied essential medical services or faced with limited treatment options. His past actions could lead to stigmatization and discrimination within the healthcare system, exacerbating his physical and mental health challenges and impeding his journey towards healing and redemption.

Despite his genuine desire for transformation, Angulimala would find himself trapped in a web of suspicion and doubt. Every step he took would have been scrutinized, every action monitored. Denied opportunities for employment, housing, and even basic freedoms, he would be pushed to the margins, isolated and alone. The weight of his past crimes would be insurmountable, casting doubt upon his ability to lead a life free from crime.

Free Will in an Algorithmic World

In an algorithmic world, Angulimala’s path to redemption would be fraught with obstacles, as automated systems perpetuate bias and discrimination based on past actions. However, his story serves as a powerful reminder of the limitations of algorithms in capturing the complexity of human experience and the potential for compassion, forgiveness, and transformation to transcend the constraints of predictive analytics. It prompts us to critically examine the role of algorithms in shaping societal norms and institutions, and to advocate for policies and practices that prioritize equity, justice, and the inherent dignity of every individual, regardless of their past.

Thankyou for reading this article.

You may also check my book ‘AI Ethics with Buddhist Perspective’

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B1G9FYP8