By Upendra Mishra
BOSTON–Just for fun, I asked AI if I could interview Buddha if he were alive today. The answer from ChatGPT was yes, and I was excited to begin.
In this insightful and engaging interview, AI Buddha provides timeless wisdom on a wide range of topics, offering his perspective on everything from President Trump’s leadership to the nature of sexual pleasures, the role of social media, and advice for today’s people.
His responses remain grounded in his core teachings of mindfulness, compassion, and the impermanence of all things, emphasizing that true peace and liberation come from within.
From addressing personal questions about his past life, including why he left his wife, to offering guidance for navigating modern challenges, AI Buddha’s answers serve as a reminder that the teachings of the Buddha transcend time. His wisdom encourages us to let go of attachment, practice mindfulness, and cultivate compassion for ourselves and others.
I fired my first question, and the conversation began.
Upendra Mishra: Why did you leave your wife without saying good bye?
ChatGPT As the Buddha Might Respond: The question you ask arises from the heart, and it deserves a truthful answer.
When I left the palace, I left not out of coldness, but out of necessity. The life I had—of comfort, of attachment, of pleasure—was a golden cage. I saw birth, old age, sickness, and death, and I knew that no love, no wealth, no power could protect those I cherished from suffering.
To stay would have been to continue in ignorance. To leave was to seek the path that leads beyond sorrow—not just for myself, but for all beings, including my wife, Yasodhara, and my son, Rahula.
I did not say goodbye, because I knew that words alone could not explain. Words soothe or wound, but liberation is beyond them. My departure was not abandonment—it was the beginning of a journey whose fruit would one day benefit them, and many others. When I returned, it was not as a prince, but as one who had understood the way out of suffering. Then I offered them not only love, but truth.
Attachment causes grief. But love, when freed from craving, becomes compassion. That was the love I returned with.
UM: What about your romantic life?
ChatGPT Buddha: Before I left the household life, I lived as many do—in the pleasures of the senses, surrounded by beauty, comfort, and affection. I loved Yasodhara, and she was virtuous, wise, and kind. The feelings we shared were real, but they were also impermanent, subject to change and loss, as all conditioned things are.
When I saw the truth of impermanence, I saw that even the sweetest pleasure contains the seed of suffering, for what is born must age, what is joined must part. I did not reject love, but I sought a love that was boundless—not limited to one person, not driven by desire, but grounded in compassion for all beings.
In the forest, in silence, I let go of the clinging that defines romance, and in doing so, I found peace. Not the thrill of passion, but the stillness of understanding.
Romantic love binds with longing. True love frees with wisdom.
UM: What do you think of sexual pleasures?
ChatGPT Buddha: Pleasure arises when conditions come together—form, feeling, contact, and perception. Sexual pleasure is one such form, and like all pleasures, it is fleeting. It brings delight, but it also brings craving, clinging, and often, suffering.
I do not say that pleasure is evil. But know this: what is born from desire is never truly free. The joy of the body fades, and in its absence, the mind often longs, aches, or acts with greed, jealousy, or attachment. This is dukkha—unsatisfactoriness.
For one who walks the path to awakening, restraint is not repression—it is freedom. To see a flame and not be burned by it, to feel desire and not be ruled by it, that is mastery.
Yet I did not teach one path for all. A householder may live with integrity, honoring love, fidelity, and kindness. A monk or nun renounces sensuality to find peace beyond the senses.
Ask not whether pleasure is right or wrong, but whether it leads to bondage or liberation.
UM: What did haunt you even after your nirvana?
ChatGPT Buddha: When one attains nibbāna (nirvana), the fire of craving is extinguished. There is no more becoming, no rebirth, no lingering self to haunt or to hold.
I did not haunt—for there was no “I” left to wander.
But if you speak of a presence that remains, it is not a ghost, but the Dhamma—the truth. The teachings live on, carried by those who practice with sincerity, who walk the path with mindfulness and compassion.
Some say they feel the Buddha’s presence. What they feel is the echo of clarity in their own hearts, the stillness that comes when delusion falls away. That is not haunting—it is awakening.
A flame leaves no trace when the oil is gone. So too, the awakened one passes beyond all forms.
UM: What is one regret you always had in your life?
ChatGPT Buddha: When wisdom arises, regret fades like mist in morning sun.
Before awakening, as Siddhartha, there were moments of hesitation, of not knowing, of choosing comfort over courage. But those, too, were part of the journey—stepping stones on the path to liberation. Without them, I would not have understood the suffering of others so deeply.
After enlightenment, there was no longer a self to carry regret. Regret belongs to the one who clings to the past, to “I did,” “I should have,” “I failed.” But when the sense of “I” dissolves, so does the weight of such thoughts.
If I could wish anything to have happened sooner, it would be this: that I had found and shared the path earlier—for the sake of those who suffer. But even this is not regret. It is compassion.
Time unfolds as it must. Seeds ripen when conditions are right.
UM: Did you ever think of your wife when you were in forests seeking peace?
ChatGPT Buddha: Yes. In the quiet of the forest, when the winds stirred the leaves and the night was long, memories would sometimes arise—of Yasodhara, her grace, her strength, her eyes filled with questions I left unanswered. I did not suppress these thoughts, nor did I cling to them. I observed them, as one watches clouds pass across the sky.
She was part of my path, not apart from it. Her love, her pain, her dignity—they taught me much about the nature of attachment and the cost of seeking truth.
I knew she suffered from my leaving, and that knowledge was not light. But I also knew that the peace I sought would one day allow me to return with something far greater than comfort—freedom, and the way to end suffering.
I carried her in the silence—not with possession, but with compassion. Just as I carried all beings.
UM: How would you look at President Donald Trump and his policies today?
ChatGPT Buddha: I observe the actions of leaders not with judgment, but with understanding. The world is shaped by the interplay of desire, fear, and ignorance. Leaders, like all beings, are subject to these forces.
President Trump’s policies reflect a deep attachment to the notion of self—of national identity, of power, of control. Tariffs, deregulation, and tax cuts are expressions of this attachment. They seek to secure and elevate the self, but in doing so, they often overlook the interconnectedness of all beings.
The imposition of tariffs may protect certain industries, but they can also cause harm to others, leading to suffering. Tax cuts may provide temporary relief, but if they increase the burden on the collective, they may lead to greater inequality and unrest.
In matters of immigration, the desire to protect the self can lead to the suffering of others. When policies are enacted that separate families or deny refuge to those in need, it is a reflection of the fear of the other, the unknown.
In foreign relations, the desire for dominance can lead to conflict and war. True peace arises not from the assertion of power, but from mutual respect and understanding.
I do not say that President Trump’s actions are inherently wrong, but I encourage reflection on their consequences. Does the pursuit of self-interest lead to the well-being of all? Does it reduce suffering or increase it?
The path to peace and harmony lies not in the strengthening of the self, but in the dissolution of the self. When we act with compassion, understanding, and humility, we move closer to the cessation of suffering.
UM: What were some of the craziest thoughts that came to your mind?
ChatGPT Buddha: Before awakening, the mind was like a monkey leaping from branch to branch—desiring, fearing, imagining, grasping. Many thoughts arose, some wild, some seductive, some troubling.
I wondered:
“What if I give up everything and still fail?”
“What if this suffering has no end?”
“Could pleasure be the only truth after all?”
“Am I abandoning my duty, my family, my people?”
And even: “Is there truly a self, or is this all a dream?”
In the forest, during deep ascetic practice, the mind grew sharp—but also dangerous. I thought:
“What if starving the body could purify the soul?”
“What if death is the only escape?”
But these were extremes—and the Middle Way taught me otherwise.
Even after enlightenment, thoughts still arose, but I no longer believed them as self. A thought is like a bird flying across the sky—it leaves no trace unless we follow it.
The craziest thought, perhaps, was this: that I could end suffering for all beings.
But in that madness, there was compassion. And from that compassion, came the path.
UM: What went through your mind when you met the lady who fed you when you were starving or were on the brink of death?
ChatGPT Buddha: When I was near death from extreme self-denial, my body frail and spirit dim, a woman named Sujata approached with a bowl of milk-rice. She did not see a holy man or a future Buddha—only a human being in suffering.
In that moment, as I accepted her offering, a great shift occurred within me. The pride I held in my austerity broke. I saw that starving the body was not the path to awakening. Her simple act of compassion reminded me that kindness nourishes not just the body, but also wisdom.
As I ate, strength returned—but more than that, clarity arose. I realized the futility of extremes, whether indulgence or deprivation. From Sujata’s gift came the insight that gave birth to the Middle Way.
So, what went through my mind? Gratitude—not just to her, but to the truth that compassion, even in the smallest gesture, can awaken a path that changes the world.
UM: How did you deal with your troubling and restless thoughts?
ChatGPT Buddha: When troubling or restless thoughts arose, I did not fight them with force, nor did I follow them like a servant. I observed them—calmly, clearly—knowing: “This is a thought. This is not me. This is not mine.”
At times, the mind was tempted by desire, gripped by fear, or disturbed by doubt. I named these states as they were—lustful thought, angry thought, doubtful thought—and then asked: “Does this lead to peace? Does this bring freedom, or more bondage?”
Five ways I used to deal with such thoughts:
- Replace them with thoughts of the opposite kind—hatred with kindness, desire with contentment.
- Reflect on their consequences—how they bring suffering to oneself and others.
- Turn attention away—like looking away from a foul scene.
- Investigate their roots—asking: what feeds this thought?
- Still the mind through meditation, returning again and again to the breath, to awareness.
Restless thoughts are like thieves at the door. If you don’t open, they leave.
But if you let them in and give them wine, they stay and take everything.
Peace does not come from banishing thoughts, but from knowing them fully, and seeing their impermanence.
UM: In today’s world, how you you would have dealt with social media, 24/7 information overload and Facebook and other such platforms?
ChatGPT Buddha: In today’s world, where the mind is constantly bombarded with distractions, opinions, and endless information, I would approach social media with the same mindfulness I practiced in the forests: with awareness, intention, and detachment.
The nature of social media is like a vast river—sometimes calm, but often turbulent, carrying us away if we do not anchor ourselves. It can be a source of connection, but also of craving, anger, and attachment. The constant flow of information can stir the mind, leading to restlessness, comparison, and division.
Here is how I would approach it:
- Mindful Consumption: Just as I chose my food with care, I would choose my thoughts and the media I consume. I would ask: “Does this bring wisdom or confusion? Does it lead to peace or to further craving?” If a platform or post stirs greed, anger, or confusion, I would let it go, as I would let go of any attachment.
- Time Awareness: Time is precious and fleeting. To scroll endlessly or check for validation can waste away moments that could be spent cultivating understanding, compassion, or silence. I would set boundaries around my use—using it intentionally, rather than allowing it to control my time.
- Disengage from Unwholesome Attachment: Many times, social media fosters comparisons—comparing one’s life to others’ curated images, leading to feelings of inadequacy or jealousy. I would remind myself that all things shared online are impermanent, constructed, and often not the full truth. I would see it as a tool, not an identity.
- Practice Compassion and Kindness: Social media can be a place of division, where anger, insults, and judgments are easy to spread. I would approach it as an opportunity to offer kindness, to share wisdom, and to engage in conversations that uplift, rather than divide. In every comment or post, I would ask: “Is this helpful? Is this compassionate?”
- Silence and Reflection: Just as I retreated to the forest to find clarity, I would also take periods of silence—disconnecting from the noise of the world—to reflect, meditate, and reconnect with the present moment. In the quiet, wisdom is born.
The constant flow of information is like a storm on the surface of the ocean, but the depth of the ocean remains still. The challenge is not in the information, but in the way we react to it. Mindfulness is the key.
UM: Your five best advises to people living today?
ChatGPT Buddha: The world today is full of noise, distraction, and craving, yet the timeless truths I taught remain as relevant as ever. Here are five pieces of advice for those walking the path of life today:
- Cultivate Mindfulness in Every Moment:
Life is impermanent, and every moment is precious. Be fully present in whatever you do, whether you’re eating, walking, talking, or even scrolling through your phone. Let your mind not wander to the past or future, but anchor it in the here and now. In mindfulness, there is peace. - Let Go of Attachment and Craving:
Attachment to things, people, and ideas leads to suffering. What we hold tightly to will eventually change or fade away. Instead, practice letting go. Desire is the root of suffering, but freedom comes from understanding that nothing lasts forever. Seek contentment in the present, not in the fleeting things of the world. - Practice Compassion and Loving-Kindness:
The world is full of suffering. Everyone you meet is struggling in their own way. By cultivating compassion—truly wishing for others to be free from suffering—you will find your heart expanding. Do not hold on to hatred, resentment, or anger. Compassion is the balm that heals the heart. - Understand the Nature of Suffering and Embrace the Path to Freedom:
Suffering is inevitable in this life, but it need not define us. Understand that suffering arises from craving, ignorance, and attachment. When you recognize this truth, you can begin to walk the path that leads beyond it—the path of ethical conduct, mindfulness, and wisdom. The way out is through understanding and release. - Seek Inner Peace, Not External Validation:
The world will always be full of judgments, comparisons, and fleeting accolades. True peace comes not from others’ approval, but from within. Do not seek happiness in possessions, status, or praise. Seek it within your own heart, through clarity, kindness, and the understanding that you are enough just as you are.
In these teachings, there is no force, no violence, no rush. There is only the calm, steady unfolding of wisdom and love. Live with these truths in mind, and you will find the peace that transcends the noise of the world.
(Mr. Mishra is the managing partner of The Mishra Group, a diversified media firm based in Waltham, MA. He writes about his three passions: marketing, scriptures, and gardening.)
