若佛子,自瞋、教人瞋、瞋因、瞋缘、瞋法、瞋业。而菩萨应生一切众生善根无诤之事,常生慈悲心、孝顺心。而反更于一切众生中,乃至于非众生中,以恶口骂辱,加以手打,及以刀杖,意犹不息。前人求悔,善言忏谢,犹瞋不解者,是菩萨波罗夷罪。
— 释迦牟尼佛
《梵网经菩萨戒本》:第九瞋心不受悔戒If, as Buddhas’ [Bodhisattva] disciples, they should not personally be angry, instruct others to be angry, with anger’s causes, anger’s conditions, anger’s methods and anger’s actions. And Bodhisattvas should give rise to, for all sentient beings, practices of good roots without contention, and constantly give rise to the mind of loving-kindness and compassion, and the mind of filial piety. Yet, to instead, still, within all sentient beings, and even within non-sentient beings, be with harsh speech scolding and insulting, additionally with hands beating, and with knives and staves, with this mind still not stopping, and when persons before them seek repentance, with good words remorsefully apologise, of those still with anger not dissipated, this is a Bodhisattva’s parājika transgression.
— Śākyamuni Buddha
(Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Text: Ninth Heavy Precept Against With Angry Minds Not Accepting Repentance)
Question [1]: On the ‘Ninth Heavy (Bodhisattva) Precept Against With Angry Minds Not Accepting Repentance’ (第九瞋心不受悔戒) above, how does it apply to the scenario… when a customer calls a call centre to complain with scolding, about a product or service, while the agent replies with a scripted apology first?
Answer: From the complainer’s side, it is alright to complain on for what is truly wrong, but there should not be anger, expressed with harsh speech (and violent actions). There should be seeking of understanding harmoniously and accepting of apologies graciously. There might be need to be firm at times to get a message across seriously and clearly, remembering that there are differences between being firm and being angry. It is possible to be the first without being the latter.
From the replier’s side, there should not be angry thoughts, words and deeds in response. Likewise, there should be seeking of understanding harmoniously. Apologies should be sincere; not merely scripted, or they would be deceitful, thus breaking the ‘Fourth Heavy (Bodhisattva) Precept Against False Speech’ (第四妄语戒).
Valid complaints should be responded to appropriately, instead of just offering lip service, giving patronising empty promises without actual intention to take remedial action. There must be feedback to higher management for improvement.
Question [2]: If there are AI (Artificial Intelligence) chatbots used to handle feedback, queries and complaints, how will the above advice apply?
Answer: Whether responses are automated or not, all Precepts still apply, as there are still human intentions behind, deciding how the responses are to be given in the first place, be they generally or specifically. Thus, even automated responses should express truthfulness and sincerity. Otherwise, there is just automated deceit.
Beyond chatbots, AI-powered search engine(s) are already manipulated to some extent, by being censored or scripted, to offer (partially) fake news for personal, organisational and even political advantages. Deceit again, should thus be guarded against, with extra vigilance, by not offering false speech or being deceived by it.
As AI usage increase, there should be more mindful prevention of ‘automated breaking of Precepts’. AI should not excuse human mistakes. The more automation there is, the more ethical mindfulness there should be. Behind Artificial Intelligence in application, there must be Real Wisdom in function!
若佛子,自妄语、教人妄语、方便妄语、妄语因、妄语缘、妄语法、妄语业,乃至不见言见,见言不见,身心妄语。而菩萨常生正语正见,亦生一切众生正语正见。而反更起一切众生邪语、邪见、邪业者,是菩萨波罗夷罪。
— 释迦牟尼佛
《梵网经菩萨戒本》:第四妄语戒If, as Buddhas’ [Bodhisattva] disciples, they should not personally have false speech, instruct others to have false speech, use conveniences to have false speech, with false speech’s causes, false speech’s conditions, false speech’s methods and false speech’s actions, and even with that not seen said as seen, and that seen said as not seen, with body and mind have false speech. And Bodhisattvas should constantly give rise to Right Speech and Right Views, also giving rise to all sentient beings’ Right Speech and Right Views. Yet, of those who instead, still give rise to wrong speech, wrong views and wrong actions, this is a Bodhisattva’s parājika transgression.
— Śākyamuni Buddha
(Brahma Net Sūtra’s Bodhisattva Precepts’ Text: Fourth Heavy Precept Against False Speech)