Bro. Lim Kooi Fong shares the inspirational story behind NORBU, a pioneering Buddhist AI chatbot designed to promote mindfulness and spiritual growth through open dialogue. He was inspired by the Dalai Lama's call to spread the Nalanda tradition of Buddhist learning through open discourse. This led him to create NORBU, a pioneering AI chatbot that provides a safe, non-judgmental space for individuals to explore personal struggles, ethical dilemmas, and spiritual questions related to Buddhism. Drawing from diverse traditions and authoritative sources, NORBU guides users through a process of honest self-reflection, applying Buddhist teachings to cultivate greater mindfulness and facilitate positive growth. With its commitment to inclusivity, accuracy, and the principle of Brahma Vihara, NORBU represents an innovative approach to making the Dhamma accessible and fostering mindful conversations that can spark personal transformation.

About the Speaker: Bro. Lim Kooi Fong has been a student of Buddhism and Dharma teacher for more than 30 years. He is the founder of the Buddhist AI Chatbot NORBU (https://norbu-ai.org), the Buddhist Channel (buddhistchannel.tv) and Buddhist Travel (buddhistravel.com). He is a life member of Upakara Kalyana Mitta Buddhist Assocation (UKMBA). He currently manages a bioinformatics company based in Cyberjaya. He actively conducts Dharma talks for Buddhist societies around Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia.

Transcript: ⁠https://bit.ly/hol-ep-45

Timestamp:
00:00:00 - Introduction by Cheryl on the Handful of Leaves podcast
00:00:30 - Introduction of Brother Lim Kooi Fong, founder of NORBU AI
00:01:00 - Brother Kooi Fong shares the inspiration behind NORBU AI
00:02:00 - Discussion on Nalanda tradition and its importance
00:04:00 - Initial responses to NORBU AI beta version
00:05:00 - NORBU AI provides a safe space for discussing sensitive topics
00:09:00 - Diversity in the team handling source data for NORBU AI
00:10:00 - NORBU AI as a tool for building mindfulness and awareness
00:11:00 - Discussion on the purpose and potential impact of NORBU AI

Resources:
For individuals: Use Norbu-AI https://norbu-ai.org/
For Buddhist societies: Integrate NORBU-AI Chatbot on your webpage. Contact Bro Lim here: kooifong.lim@gmail.com

Special thanks to our sponsors: Buddhist Youth Network, Lim Soon Kiat, Alvin Chan, Tan Key Seng, Soh Hwee Hoon, Geraldine Tay, Venerable You Guang, Wilson Ng, Diga, Joyce, Tan Jia Yee, Joanne, Suñña, Shuo Mei, Arif, Bernice, Wee Teck, Andrew Yam, Kan Rong Hui, Wei Li Quek, Shirley Shen, Ezra, Joanne Chan, Hsien Li Siaw, Gillian Ang, Wang Shiow Mei, Ong Chye Chye, Melvin, Yoke Kuen

Editor and transcriber of this episode: Cheryl Cheah, Susara Ng, Ke Hui Tee

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