Special Issue: Digital Dharma – Buddhism in a Changing World
Our world is changing, our societies are evolving, and our day-to-day lives are adapting and adjusting to an unfamiliar new virtual reality that is unfolding before us. This technological sea change, led by increasingly pervasive digital technologies and online media platforms, the powerful currency of raw data, and advances in decentralized data management and artificial intelligence, has drawn comparisons to the invention of the printing press and the industrial revolution.
BDG’s Special Issue: Digital Dharma – Buddhism in a Changing World seeks to examine some of the issues and challenges that will accompany this seismic societal shift. In particular, we shall look at the ways in which Buddhist practitioners and communities—virtual and physical—are responding to this evolving digital landscape, and we will endeavor to explore emerging confluences of spiritual practice, compassionate action, and digital technology, and how technological innovation might complement the timeless wisdom of the Buddhadharma.
The digital age will surely be a source of profound challenge, change, and opportunity. We hope that you will join us in our exploration of these new frontiers and how they may be leveraged as compassionate, caring, and socially engaged spiritual tools for the benefit of all beings.
Please check back in again, this page will be updated regularly.
Explore our special issue

Buddhistdoor View: The Human Costs of AI and the Challenge of Right Understanding
The Buddha warned against mistaking appearances for truth. In today’s AI age, that teaching may be more important than ever

Beginner’s Mind: Cultivating Collective Cetanā through AI De-biasing
A college student in the United States considers how AI de-biasing, reframed through Buddhist concepts of collective intention, might offer a path toward more equitable outcomes.

Dharma in the Age of AI
Anam Thubten Rinpoche reflects on the imminent revolution heralded by the advent of artificial intelligence—and its Dharmic implications

Death as a Hardware Upgrade: DNA, Alaya-vijnana, and the Cosmic Cloud
Ven. Tanmyeong explores a contemporary analogy for the storehouse consciousness—one of the most profound and subtle teachings in Yogacara philosophy.

Robo Shinshu: The Future of Buddhism and AI, with Rev. Hondaku
Rev. Hondaku, ordained minister in the Higashi Honganji, reveals his ambitious plans for Buddhist dissemination in the AI age

Between Fear and Faith: A Middle Way to Deal with AI
As we enter the age of AI, Adam Dietz reflects on a Buddhist emphasis on clarity so our new tools may serve our humanity

Relying on Map, Compass, and Treasure: Trust and Devotion in the Age of AI
Meditation, an expansive and accessible human technology, remains our truest guide through life, death, and the coming digital unknown

So, You Want to Be a Buddhist Author, Eh? Part Six: Bringing It All Back Home
What happens when the Dharma meets AI? In the final installment of his series on Buddhist publishing, John Negru explores the irreplaceable role of living teachers in transmitting wisdom beyond words

So, You Want to Be a Buddhist Author, Eh? Part Five: Artificial Intelligence
Even as AI helps with digitization and innovation, should Buddhist voices speak out about AI’s dangers: surveillance, inequality, and erosion of compassion

When You Can’t Switch Off: Enjoying the Digital Conundrum
Living in an increasingly digital world, mindfulness practitioner and teacher Ratnadevi guides us through some ways to stay grounded and use technology wisely

So, You Want to Be a Buddhist Author, Eh? Part Three: A Deeper Dive into Buddhism in Print
Buddhist publishing faces a perfect storm of forces that push against existing practices, but interest is still alive as Buddhists rethink how the Dharma is transmitted

The Buddhist Identity Crisis
Asa Hershoff offers a critical view of the challenges and opportunities for Buddhism in the 21st century

Navigating the Emotional Terrain of Social Media Through Vipasyana
Michael Martin explores how mindful engagement can help us approach our digital social lives with wisdom and compassion

So, You Want to Be a Buddhist Author, Eh? Part Two: The Changing Nature of Buddhist Practice
John Harvey Negru offers a second feature on the changing landscape of Buddhist leadership and publishing in North America

Buddhistdoor View: A Techno-Utopian Rush or a Middle Way with AI
AI should serve all beings, not just the privileged few—governments must act now to ensure ethics guide innovation

Rewired by Socially Engaged Buddhists
A tale of technicolor immersion in the world of boots-on-the-ground spirituality.

The Shambhala Touching the Earth Collective: Crowd Source EcoDharma in Bloom
Modern technology helps Shambhala bring communities and individuals together to discuss ecoDharma without the large carbon footprint

Buddhistdoor View: Are We Mainstreaming Buddhist Meditation, Again?
Tech start-up Jhourney hopes to mainstream jhana meditation in ways that mindfulness was years ago, but many Buddhists urge caution

Rangjung Yeshe Institute and the Future of Buddhist Studies: Insights from Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Dr. Thomas Doctor
Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche and Dr. Thomas Doctor share their perspectives on the role of Buddhist studies in a rapidly changing world

Sentience and Buddha-Mind: How Do We Recognize Them?
Before we assign sentience or personhood to AI, we must understand better what these terms mean in the context of Buddhist philosophy

How Buddhist Principles Can Help Shape a More Ethical AI
This feature is part of a series from presenters at the Woodenfish Foundation’s recent conference on “Buddhism, Consciousness, and AI” held on 21–23 June in

Seeding Peace in the Cloud
As the virtual domain continues to billow in all directions, engaged Buddhists must translate their practices into the language of our time

Building Bodhisattvas: Toward a Model of Powerful, Reliable, and Caring Intelligence
As AI becomes more of a reality, the bodhisattva ideal could be applied to ensure that AI aligns with the needs of humans and other sentient beings

Consciousness, Attention, and Intelligent Technology: A Karmic Turning Point?
Buddhism teaches us that the mind is foremost, so understanding what Artificial Intelligence will do to our minds will be essential to navigating this new technology skillfully

Ego Attachment and the Myth of “Knowing Yourself:” Understanding Non-self in the Age of Social Media
Kassidy Evans examines how social media has amplified the false sense of self in young people—and the Buddhist antidote

A Wet Blanket Mantra for Modernity: In Conversation with Gregory Pettys
In a world of light-speed “progress” and enflamed ecology, Gregory Pettys invites us to reconnect with our bodies and joyfully abandon all hope of fruition

Spatial Samsara: The Apple in the Garden
Exploring what Apple’s Vision Pro means for the future of illusion through the lens of dependent origination and retro sci-fi

Praise for a Hopepunk Psalm
Review of an earthy book for those weary of our wired world without a soul but determined to nurture candles of hope nonetheless

Vienna in the Silicon Pure Land, Part 4: Making Dharmic Finance Cool
Integrating her decade of experiences in the West, Vienna Svabhava pursues the goal of a global cooling economy grounded in the first Buddhist precept to refrain from taking life

Atoms of a Thought: Emotional Intelligence in the AI Era
Tiffani Gyatso ponder the implications of digital technology and AI and our deeper relationship with the natural world

Vienna in the Silicon Pure Land, Part 3: Reimagining Buddhist Economics
Embodying the Dharma name of Svabhava, Vienna seeks to reignite the spirituality of zero through alternative economics

Vienna in the Silicon Pure Land, Part 2: Navigating the Wild Wired West
Tracing Vienna Rae’s explorations from coast to shining coast on the techno-dharmic path

Vienna in the Silicon Pure Land, Part 1: Feeling into the Dharma of Emerging Technology
Cornered by riot police at both ends of an underpass in central Kuala Lumpur, Vienna Rae smelled tear gas begin to fill the enclosed space.

The Relevance of Buddhism in the 21st Century
Anam Thubten Rinpoche offers a meditation on the Buddhadharma in the contemporary world
Zen in the Mettaverse: How a 400-Year-Old Buddhist Temple is Evolving in Response to Modern Japanese Suffering
Manifesting connection and compassion in a digital world

Death by 1,000 Clicks and Swipes: Exploring the Toll that Technology Overuse Takes
Drawing our awareness to the often hidden power of technology to rob us of our physical and psychological well-being

ChatGPT + Socially Engaged Buddhism, Part II
Digital Bodhisattva columnist and engaged Buddhist Dexter Bohn explores cultivating discernment in the age of AI

In a World of Human Ignorance, Can Artificial Intelligence Help?
As the latest technology craze sweeps over the world, let us not forget the grounding Buddhist practices that will guide us through and beyond our experiences with AI

The Potential of Personhood: David Hanson on How AI and Human Beings Can Help Each Other
The CEO of Hanson Robotics discusses the future of robotics and AI, and how it is transforming the way Buddhists define sentience

ChatGPT + Socially Engaged Buddhism, Part I
A meditation on the importance of discernment and mindful awareness in our new and evolving relationships with AI