Abstract

Psychologist Kanako Kamiide, who had no connection with Buddhism, began studying Buddhist philosophy after meeting Masahiro Mori, a world authority on robotics and also an expert in Buddhist philosophy. She eventually reached the point where she introduced Buddhist philosophy in English at an international conference on robotics engineering.

This book condenses over 600 emails into approximately 200, exchanged between this "master and disciple" pair of researchers , arranging in chronological order. Through the master's timely and detailed guidance, and the disciple's sharp and sincere attitude, readers witness the way in which Buddhism, as a philosophy with universal significance, transcends academic boundaries and naturally propagates.

Author’s Information

Masahiro Mori: Born in 1927 in Mie Prefecture. He graduated from the Electrical Engineering Department of Nagoya University. He holds a doctorate in Engineering. He served as a professor at the University of Tokyo and Tokyo Institute of Technology, and currently serves as an honorary professor at Tokyo Institute of Technology, honorary chairman of the Japan Robot Society, and lecturer at the Central Academic Research Institute. He is the founder of the Robot Contest (Robocon) and the discoverer of the "Uncanny Valley" phenomenon. He has continued to study Buddhism and Zen for about fifty years and has written many Buddhist books. He received the Order of the Purple Ribbon and the Order of the Rising Sun, Third Class. He has also received the NHK Broadcasting Culture Award and the Robot Utilization Society Contribution Award. His major works include "Bento of Mechanical Parts - The Door to Creation by a Robot Doctor" (Ohmsha), "Living Now 'Ropparamitsu" (Education Criticism Society), "Introduction to Buddhism for Parents and Children - Technology to Enjoy Patience" (Gentosha Shinsho), and "Learning Regression - Buddhist Reflections of a Robot Doctor" and "New Theory of Buddhism" (both from Kosansha). He co-authored "Robot Engineering and Buddhism - The Limits and Possibilities of Science in the AI Era" (Kosansha).
Hiroko Kamide: Born in 1980 in Osaka Prefecture. She graduated from the Department of Human Sciences at Osaka University. She holds a Ph.D. in Human Sciences. After serving as a specially appointed assistant professor at Osaka University and an assistant professor at Tohoku University, she is currently a specially appointed associate professor at Nagoya University. She served as the secretary of the Safe Robotics Research Committee and the chairman of the Robot Philosophy Research Committee of the Japan Robot Society. After both committees ended, she established and chaired the Robot Philosophy Research Committee. She has received the Osaka University President's Encouragement Award, the Japan Applied Psychology Association Outstanding Conference Presentation Award, and the Japan Robot Society Research Encouragement Award.