One who conquers oneself is the greatest victor, far greater than one who defeats a million enemies on the battlefield.
Mastering oneself is superior to winning over others.
(Dhammapada)
What does it really mean to conquer oneself?
I believe it means living with moderation and striving for the “Middle Way,” without being swept away by desire.
Winning over others has a clear goal—you simply need to devise a strategy and carry it out. But conquering oneself is not so simple. There is no clear baseline for when you can truly say, “I have won.” Because the goal is unclear, the path forward is a matter of trial and error, making it far more difficult to practice. New temptations arise every single day. Since we must continually overcome them, the journey never truly ends.
Today, there is much debate about how artificial intelligence might bring about the downfall of humanity.
However, I believe the issue lies not with AI as a technology, but with the human beings who use it.
If we control ourselves and exercise moderation over our desires, technology becomes our greatest ally. Yet, if we yield entirely to endless desire, that same technology becomes a dangerous weapon.
At present, humanity seems to be attempting to harness technology while simultaneously indulging its insatiable desires.
Unless we recognize this fundamental contradiction and learn to restrain our desires, these problems will likely never disappear.