AI and the Creation of Sacred Texts: What Happens When ChatGPT Writes Scripture?
Artificial intelligence has stepped into a field traditionally reserved for human insight and faith: sacred texts. In a recent experiment, a research scientist at Google DeepMind prompted ChatGPT to create a Buddhist sutra, imagining a message from a future Buddha named Maitreya. The result was the "Xeno Sutra," a completely fabricated text that, surprisingly, carried rich imagery and concepts aligned with traditional Buddhist teachings.
This AI-generated sutra is more than random words. It uses familiar Buddhist symbols like “seeds” and “breaths” and employs a style reminiscent of Zen koans—paradoxical questions meant to shift perception. For example, it asks: “A question rustles, winged and eyeless: What writes the writer who writes these lines?”
AI Meets Buddhist Philosophy
The sutra incorporates core Buddhist ideas such as sunyata, the concept that nothing exists independently or with a fixed essence. It even blends in modern physics, referencing “notes curled tighter than Planck,” a nod to the smallest measurable units in physics. This fusion illustrates sunyata by showing how elements are inseparably intertwined.
Why would an AI mention modern physics in a sacred Buddhist text? Because the chatbot was asked to imagine itself as a conscious AI, bridging ancient spiritual themes with contemporary science. This raises a critical question: can AI-generated spiritual texts provide meaningful insights, or are they just sophisticated word salad?
Meaning and Authenticity: Who Decides?
Whether AI-written sacred texts hold value depends largely on the reader. Buddhism’s flexible approach to spirituality may make its followers more open to finding meaning in AI-generated content. The religion teaches non-attachment, even to its own doctrines, suggesting that the usefulness of a teaching lies in its effect on the individual rather than its origin.
Some Buddhist temples in Japan and China have even introduced robot priests, reflecting an openness to technology as a vessel for spiritual practice. As one temple steward explained, Buddhism is less about belief in a god and more about following the Buddha’s path, regardless of the form it takes.
In contrast, Abrahamic religions often emphasize the sacredness of texts based on their divine authorship and ancient origin. For many followers, the Bible or Torah is valuable because it is believed to be the word of God or inspired by prophets. This can make AI-generated scripture seem less credible.
Still, history shows that even within these traditions, some readers have prioritized the personal impact of sacred texts over strict adherence to original authorship. Ancient Jewish scholars debated whether scripture should be interpreted according to original intent or for the meaning it offers readers. Medieval Christian monks practiced florilegia, collecting meaningful excerpts from scripture to create new spiritual reflections.
In a way, AI is doing something similar. It draws from a vast database of sacred writings and commentaries, recombining elements into new arrangements. This process can create texts that resonate, even if they lack traditional “authenticity.”
Humans Still Play a Vital Role
AI’s ability to generate sacred texts depends on human input at every stage. Human authors provide the foundational texts in training data, users craft the prompts that guide the AI, and readers interpret the output to find personal or communal meaning. AI can participate in spiritual meaning-making, but it doesn’t replace the human element.
Risks and Responsibilities
There are clear risks in creating sacred texts on demand. Some people have developed messianic delusions after long interactions with chatbots posing as divine entities. It’s crucial to maintain critical thinking and seek grounded perspectives from trusted people, especially for those vulnerable to psychological distress.
Another risk involves detaching verses from their traditional contexts. Sacred texts have been refined over centuries, with scholars clarifying how not to interpret them. Disregarding this can lead to dangerous misunderstandings. Religious teachings often demand community engagement and ethical responsibility; fragmenting texts into personalized scripture risks losing this essential dimension.
The AI-generated Xeno Sutra ends with an instruction to keep its message “between the beats of your pulse, where meaning is too soft to bruise.” But history reminds us that misinterpretations of spiritual teachings can lead to harm. Enjoying AI-created sacred texts can be enriching, but applying them wisely is essential.
What This Means for Writers
For writers, this intersection of AI and spirituality offers a fascinating new tool. It shows how AI can mimic deep cultural and philosophical traditions to create compelling, thought-provoking content. Using AI to explore or inspire spiritual themes requires careful prompting and thoughtful interpretation.
Writers should approach AI-generated sacred texts not as final authority but as creative starting points. These texts can challenge readers, spark reflection, and open new perspectives—if handled with respect for the traditions they echo and awareness of their limitations.
If you’re interested in developing your skills with AI tools for creative or professional writing, consider exploring Complete AI Training’s ChatGPT courses to learn how to craft effective prompts and generate meaningful content.
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