Between No-Self and the Algorithm: Buddhist Mind-Nature as Ethical Architecture for AI and Human Self-Realization
Religions March 17, 2026 DOI: 10.3390/rel17030378 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Buddhism Meditation |
| Keywords | Doctrine Architecture Delusion Corporate governance Ethics of technology Epistemology Environmental ethics Practical wisdom Engineering ethics Conscience |
| Key points | Argues that Buddhist ethics, particularly the doctrines of no-self and the Five Precepts, can guide AI design toward supporting human awakening and reducing delusion, rather than treating AI as a moral subject. |
Abstract
This article explores how Buddhist theories of mind-nature can inform ethical design in artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on AI as a supportive condition for human awakening and self-realization. Drawing on the doctrine of no-self, it argues that AI should not be treated as an autonomous moral subject, but as a contingent mirror of human data, design, and intention. Although present AI does not possess prajñā, it can serve as a mindfulness aid by making patterns of thought, emotion, and desire more visible. Building on the Five Precepts and Ten Wholesome Deeds, the paper proposes design and oversight principles oriented toward non-harm, truthful communication, fairness, and the reduction of greed, hatred, and delusion in digital environments. It concludes that AI ethics is inseparable from the human moral agency, and that cultivating a “digital Pure Land” depends on the moral choices of decision-makers, engineers, policy-makers, and users, thereby linking technical governance to spiritual practice.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on buddhism, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mental balance and well-being: Building bridges between Buddhism and Western psychology. | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist Modernism and the Rhetoric of Meditative Experience | 1995 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Buddhist and Psychological Perspectives on Emotions and Well-Being | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Too Early to Tell: The Potential Impact and Challenges—Ethical and Otherwise—Inherent in the Mainstreaming of Dharma in an Increasingly Dystopian World | 2017 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| From self to nonself: The Nonself Theory | 2016 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 2
- The imaginary nature of human-AI relationships: a perspective integrating Buddhist psychology and the psychology of anthropomorphism Frontiers in Psychology August 24, 2026
- Can an Algorithm Be Sacred? Affect, Embodiment, and the Spiritual Status of Artificial Intelligence: A Spinozist, Cross-Traditional Inquiry Religions September 9, 2026