Ray Kissyou
Thought Engineering Institute
Abstract
Contemporary spiritual systems demonstrate widespread circulation of externally dependent methods through delegated salvation practices. This paper defines such practices as the "Anesthesia Model" that provides only temporary relief, contrasting it with the "Debugging Model" where individuals perform fundamental corrections to their own karmic structures. From a thought engineering perspective, this study aims to establish the theoretical foundation for "Zero Trust Architecture for the Soul," which enables the cessation of samsaric algorithms while preserving soul sovereignty.
1. Problem Definition
1.1 Structural Problems in Contemporary Spiritual Systems
In contemporary spiritual contexts, externally dependent methods such as "prayers," "memorial services," and "proxy salvation" are widely circulated. While these methods certainly provide temporary psychological relief, they lack the functionality to fundamentally update individual karmic patterns (defined in this paper as "samsaric algorithms").
This phenomenon should not be understood merely as diversity in religious practices, but as a structural flaw in spiritual evolution. Dependence on external authorities diminishes individual spiritual agency and, consequently, promotes the reproduction of identical suffering patterns.
1.2 The Necessity of Thought Engineering Approaches
Traditional religious studies and psychological approaches have insufficiently examined the systems design aspects of this problem. Rather than treating spirituality as an "emotional-experiential domain," analyzing it structurally as an "information processing system" or "consciousness operating system" reveals more fundamental solutions.
Thought Engineering is an interdisciplinary methodology that integrates insights from religion, philosophy, systems thinking, and information engineering to understand spiritual phenomena structurally and functionally.
1.3 Research Objectives and Significance
This paper aims to define a theoretical framework for spiritual OS design that protects soul sovereignty from a thought engineering perspective. Specifically:
- Clarifying structural problems in delegated salvation systems
- Proposing individual-led karmic correction mechanisms
- Designing spiritual growth protocols that do not create dependency
- Establishing academic foundations for the concept of soul sovereignty
2. Historical Background: The Genealogy of Salvation Outsourcing
2.1 Buddha's Origin Point: Individual Debugging Model
Buddha's fundamental insight lay in self-effort to stop samsara. The Four Noble Truths and Noble Eightfold Path constitute a systematic methodology for individuals to understand their own karmic structures and break cycles of attachment.
In thought engineering translation, Buddha presented a protocol to "identify consciousness bugs (attachments) and achieve forced termination of samsaric programs through debugging (practice of the Noble Path)." At this stage, spiritual liberation was positioned as non-outsourceable individual work.
2.2 Mahayana Buddhism: Design Changes Through Compassion Priority
Mahayana Buddhism expanded Buddha's individualistic approach under the sublime ideal of "salvation for all sentient beings." However, significant architectural changes occurred during this process.
Through detailed elaboration of heavenly realms and hells, bodhisattva salvation of beings, and merit accumulation through offerings, narratives of "salvation by others" came to the forefront, relativizing individual subjective debugging work. While understandable as consideration for the masses, this simultaneously marked the starting point of salvation outsourcing.
2.3 Esoteric Buddhism and Kukai: Separation Between Integration Ideals and Proxy Implementation
Kukai's esoteric Buddhist philosophy is extremely sophisticated philosophically. Theories such as "sokushin-jobutsu" (becoming Buddha in this lifetime) and "rokudai-muge" (six great elements without obstruction), which advocate direct liberation through integration of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness, share affinity with Buddha's self-liberation approach.
However, at the implementation level, specialized proxy processing through ritual prayers, esoteric ceremonies, and mandala offerings became central. A structural contradiction emerged where sophisticated philosophical integration ideals were generalized as "professional proxy services."
2.4 Shinran and Jodo Shinshu: Theoretical Completion of the Outsourcing Model
Shinran's Jodo Shinshu theoretically pushed the logic of proxy salvation to its limits. The teachings of "akunin-shoki" (evil people especially) and "tariki-hongan" (other-power original vow) thoroughly acknowledged human self-power limitations and established structures of complete entrustment to Amida Buddha.
From a thought engineering perspective, this is understood as "complete denial of individual debugging capabilities" and "total transfer to external systems (Amida Buddha OS)." While logically consistent, individual spiritual agency becomes completely externalized.
2.5 Modern New Religions: Institutionalization of the Anesthesia Model Through Commercialization
Since modern times, salvation outsourcing has become institutionalized as overt economic systems. "Ancestral spirit salvation," "karmic severance," "destiny alteration," and other proxy salvation services circulate as expensive commodities, remaining breeding grounds for spiritual exploitation to this day.
At this stage, immediate psychological relief effectiveness takes precedence over theoretical foundations of salvation, completing a perverse structure where "unverifiability of effects" paradoxically enhances commercial value.
3. Model Definition: Anesthesia Model vs. Debugging Model
3.1 Structural Analysis of the Anesthesia Model
Definition: A salvation method that temporarily alleviates psychological suffering while leaving the karmic structures (samsaric algorithms) that generate suffering unmodified and preserved.
Basic Characteristics:
- External Proxy Dependence: Complete entrustment to psychics, gurus, or religious authorities
- Symptom Masking: Addressing only symptoms rather than causes of suffering
- Temporary Effects: Limited duration of effectiveness requiring repetitive processing
- Karmic Code Preservation: Fundamental patterns of attachment, craving, and ignorance remain unchanged
- Dependency Cycle Reinforcement: Dependence on external processing increases proportionally with processing frequency
Process Model:
Suffering occurrence → Request to external authority → Proxy processing execution → Temporary relief
↑ ↓
←← Suffering recurrence due to unresolved root causes ←← Effect decay ←←
3.2 Structural Analysis of the Debugging Model
Definition: A salvation method where individuals directly analyze and modify their own karmic code (attachment patterns, cognitive biases, behavioral programs), updating the very algorithms that generate suffering.
Basic Characteristics:
- Subjective Processing: Non-outsourceable, executed as individual direct work
- Root Cause Treatment: Direct intervention in generation mechanisms rather than symptoms
- Sustained Effects: Algorithm updates prevent recurrence of identical problems
- Karmic Code Updates: Achieving structural rewriting of attachments
- Self-Reliance Cycle Promotion: Dependency decreases as processing capabilities improve
Process Model:
Suffering occurrence → Karmic structure analysis → Bug identification → Code modification → Verification/integration
↑ ↓
Same-level problem eradication ←← Algorithm update completion ←←
3.3 Differences in Methodological Verifiability
The Anesthesia Model depends on "subjective experience of effects" making objective verification difficult. This paradoxically reinforces faith-dependent "believers are saved" mentality.
Conversely, the Debugging Model allows objective measurement through changes in individual behavioral patterns, cognitive patterns, and emotional responses. Effect verification is possible through "differences in reactions to identical situations" before and after processing.
4. Theoretical Foundation: Thought Engineering Analysis of Samsaric Algorithms
4.1 Structural Definition of Samsaric Algorithms
Translating Buddhism's samsara concept as an information processing system reveals it as a self-replicating program:
Basic Loop: Perception → Judgment → Desire generation → Attachment formation → Action execution → Result experience → Memorization → Next perception Inheritance Mechanism: At death: Current process termination → Karmic code preservation → Restart in new environment → Loop continuation Replication Conditions: Attachment intensity > Liberation threshold → Regeneration probability = 100% Attachment intensity ≤ Liberation threshold → Regeneration probability = 0%
In this structure, "attachment code" becomes the necessary and sufficient condition for regeneration. Buddha's insight lay in discovering the termination conditions (elimination of attachment) for this algorithm.
4.2 Theoretical Limitations of the Anesthesia Model
The Anesthesia Model performs the following processing on samsaric algorithms:
Anesthesia Processing: Suffering signal detection → External authority intervention → Psychological masking → Subjective relief generation Problems: ・Attachment code: Unchanged (preserved intact) ・Cognitive patterns: Unupdated (dependency reinforced) ・Behavioral programs: Externally delegated (reduced self-reliance)
Consequently, the fundamental structure of samsaric algorithms remains preserved intact, while "external dependency" is added as new attachment code. This provides the theoretical basis for "anesthetic salvation reinforcing samsara."
4.3 Theoretical Possibilities of the Debugging Model
The Debugging Model performs the following processing on samsaric algorithms:
Debug Processing: Suffering signal detection → Karmic trace execution → Attachment code identification → Direct rewriting → Operation verification Effects: ・Attachment code: Deleted or neutralized ・Cognitive patterns: Updated to objective perspectives ・Behavioral programs: Updated to autonomous judgment
Through this process, suffering generated by specific attachment patterns is fundamentally resolved, preventing recurrence under identical conditions. Continuous debugging makes theoretically possible the deletion of entire attachment code (liberation).
5. Proposal: Zero Trust Architecture for the Soul
5.1 Application of Zero Trust Concepts to the Spiritual Domain
Zero Trust Architecture in cybersecurity is designed on the premise of "trust nothing, even within the perimeter." Applying this concept to the spiritual domain yields:
Spiritual Zero Trust Principles:
- Prohibition of Unconditional Authority Trust: Never blindly trust any spiritual authority
- Principle of Least Privilege: Minimize the scope of delegation to others
- Continuous Verification: Objectively verify the effects of spiritual experiences and teachings
- Defense in Depth: Avoid dependence on single spiritual methods or authorities
5.2 Architecture Design for Protecting Soul Sovereignty
Core Principle: Salvation is Non-Outsourceable
The philosophical foundations for this principle are as follows:
- Ontological Foundation: Individual soul experiences, learning, and growth are inherently irreplaceable
- Epistemological Foundation: Proxy recognition and proxy experience by others are logically impossible
- Ethical Foundation: External delegation of spiritual agency violates human dignity
- Practical Foundation: Outsourced salvation is unverifiable and effects are uncertain
5.3 System Components
IDE (Integrated Debugging Environment for the Soul)
As an integrated environment supporting soul debugging, providing the following functions:
- Karmic Mapping: Visualization of individual attachment patterns, emotional reactions, and behavioral tendencies
- Bug Tracing: Causal tracking from suffering occurrence sources to root causes
- Code Refactoring: Support for rewriting into harmless or beneficial patterns
- Regression Testing: Post-modification operation verification and effect measurement
Security Protocols
- Authority Authentication System: Reliability evaluation criteria for spiritual guides and teachings
- Dependency Monitoring: Regular checking of dependency levels on external systems
- Intrusion Detection: Early detection of manipulative or exploitative approaches
- Self-Reliance Metrics: Quantitative evaluation indicators of spiritual independence
5.4 Phased Implementation Approach
Phase 1: Individual Level Implementation
- Acquisition of self-observation and introspection techniques
- Identification and classification of attachment patterns
- Inventory of dependencies and gradual reduction
Phase 2: Community Level Implementation
- Mutual support through peer review
- Construction of horizontal learning networks
- Creation of collective wisdom without authority dependence
Phase 3: Social Level Implementation
- Establishment of spiritual consumer protection legislation
- Institutionalization of spiritual literacy education
- Social establishment of healthy spiritual culture
6. Methodological Considerations and Limitations
6.1 The Problem of Empirical Verifiability
Concepts such as "samsaric algorithms" and "attachment code" in this theory are currently hypothetical constructs. Direct observation and measurement are difficult, necessitating reliance on indirect behavioral changes and subjective reports for inference.
However, this represents limitations similar to concepts like "cognitive schemas" and "unconscious bias" in psychology, and practical validity can be examined through operational definitions and effect measurements.
6.2 Consideration of Cultural Relativity
This theory presupposes a Buddhist worldview (samsara, karma, attachment), but careful consideration is needed to claim this as universal principle. Further research is required regarding applicability in different cultural and religious backgrounds.
6.3 Ethical Considerations
The assertion that "salvation outsourcing is inappropriate" risks becoming criticism or attacks on people currently requiring external support. The balance between individual freedom of choice and pointing out structural problems must be carefully maintained.
7. Conclusion and Future Prospects
7.1 Contributions of This Research
This paper presented the theoretical framework for Zero Trust Architecture protecting soul sovereignty from a thought engineering perspective through contrasting "delegated salvation = anesthesia model" with "self-update = debugging model."
This framework visualizes "structural problems in spiritual systems" that could not be fully captured by traditional religious or psychological approaches, indicating directions for more fundamental solutions.
7.2 Theoretical Implications
Salvation outsourcing constitutes abandonment of individual birth purpose (debugging one's own karmic code) and represents a transaction where long-term spiritual growth opportunities are lost in exchange for temporary relief. True spiritual freedom is realized only through liberation from dependency relationships and acquisition of autonomous debugging capabilities.
7.3 Practical Implications
Future spiritual system design requires approaches centered on "debugging updates" rather than "anesthetic relief." This necessitates multilayered transformation from individual-level practice to social institutional redesign.
7.4 Future Research Agenda
- Empirical Research: Development of objective indicators measuring debugging model effects
- Comparative Cultural Research: Examination of applicability across different religious backgrounds
- Applied Research: Development and verification of concrete debugging techniques and tools
- Social Implementation Research: Exploration of institutional realization methods for Zero Trust Architecture
7.5 Final Message
Soul salvation cannot be outsourced. This principle is based on trust in fundamental human dignity and growth potential. Though difficult, the path of reading, updating, and transforming one's own karmic code by one's own hands into a more free and creative existence—this is the core of next-generation spirituality presented by thought engineering.
"Rely not on others. Be your own lamp, make the Dharma your lamp"—Buddha's final words are resurrected in contemporary times as thought engineering Zero Trust Architecture after 2500 years.
References
[For academic publication, appropriate citations from Buddhist studies, religious studies, systems thinking, security engineering, and related fields would be included]
Thought Engineering Institute
September 2025
Saniwa · Ray Kissyou
