Guidelines for Promoting Virtue and Transparency through Buddhist Psychology Processes in the Digital Age

Abstract

This academic article aims to integrate the Buddhist psychological principles of Hirī (moral shame) and Ottappa (moral dread), as presented in Buddhaghosa’s Aṭṭhasālinī, with Kohlberg’s (1984) six-stage theory of moral development and Rest’s (1986) Four Component Model in order to propose a framework for promoting morality and transparency in the digital age. The objectives of the article are: 1. to analyze Hirī and Ottappa as fundamental principles of Buddhist moral psychology, 2. to integrate these principles with Western moral theories, and 3. to propose practical applications for the digital context. The analysis reveals that the four foundations of Hirī—jāti-nissāya, vaya-nissāya, sūra-nissāya, and bāhusacca-nissāya—correspond to Rest’s components of Moral Motivation and Moral Character, which are often neglected in contemporary ethics education and training programs. Meanwhile, Ottappa corresponds to Moral Sensitivity and Moral Judgment in Rest’s model,

as well as to Kohlberg’s conventional level of moral development. The article proposes five approaches for promoting morality and transparency in the digital era: strengthening moral identity, developing digital moral sensitivity, establishing digital Ottappa structures, integrating digital ethics education, and cultivating moral courage within organizations. Sustainable morality in the digital age can be achieved when Hirī and Ottappa function together as complementary internal and external moral forces, supported by genuine political commitment and meaningful public participation.