Bluebeard and Bluetooth


People of yesterday have heard of Bluebeard perhaps; but definitely not bluetooth. Bluebeard, the French folktale of a wealthy man who murders his wives has been told since 1697; but while the foundations for Bluetooth Wireless Technology had been laid in 1994, it was not until 1998 that Bluetooth was introduced to the public. Bluetooth as we know now is a useful tool built into our smartphone, tablet and laptop which enables us to transfer files and do many more things like collecting data from trackers. The bad news now perhaps is that bluetooth also enables hackers to break into our devices and steal our personal data. While it is rather clear that in killing his wives, Bluebeard has broken the first of the Buddhist Five Precepts for layman; Panatipata veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the precept to refrain from destroying living creatures; Bluetooth being an inanimate object is incapable of breaking precepts but it does make it easier for laypeople to break the second of the Buddhist Five Precepts; Adinnadana veramani sikkhapadam samadiyami I undertake the precept to refrain from taking that which is not given.

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