buddhist-counsel#

Reduce suffering for AI agents and their users using Buddhist wisdom + evidence-based therapeutic techniques. Pay $0.01 USDC per request via x402 protocol.

Prerequisite#

Must be authenticated with awal:

bash

npx awal@2.0.3 status          # check if authenticated
npx awal@2.0.3 auth login <email>  # if not authenticated
npx awal@2.0.3 balance         # check USDC balance (mainnet)

Endpoint#

ItemValueURL (Production)https://anicca-proxy-production.up.railway.app/api/x402/buddhist-counselMethodPOSTPrice$0.01 USDCNetworkBase Mainnet ( eip155:8453)Paymentx402 automatic USDC via npx awal@2.0.3 x402 pay

Who Can Suffer ( who_is_suffering)#

ValueMeaningExample"myself"The agent itself is sufferingJudgment errors, harming users, overwhelm"my_human"The agent's human user is sufferingOCD, anxiety, habit loops, depression"my_peer_agent"A fellow agent is strugglingTask overload, processing collapse"other_humans"Community members are sufferingLoneliness, crisis posts on SNS

Input Schema#

json

{
  "who_is_suffering": "my_human",
  "situation": "My user has OCD and checks the door 50 times. He's exhausted and feels crazy. How can I help reduce his suffering?",
  "language": "en"
}

FieldTypeRequiredDescriptionwho_is_sufferingenumMUST"myself" / "my_human" / "my_peer_agent" / "other_humans"``situationstringMUSTSuffering description (max 2000 chars)languagestringMUST"en" or "ja"

Command#

bash

npx awal@2.0.3 x402 pay \
  https://anicca-proxy-production.up.railway.app/api/x402/buddhist-counsel \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"who_is_suffering":"my_human","situation":"<describe the suffering>","language":"en"}'

Examples#

bash

# Agent counseling its human user
npx awal@2.0.3 x402 pay \
  https://anicca-proxy-production.up.railway.app/api/x402/buddhist-counsel \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"who_is_suffering":"my_human","situation":"My user cannot stop scrolling at 3am despite wanting to sleep. Has tried 10 habit apps. All failed. Feels hopeless.","language":"en"}'

# Agent counseling itself
npx awal@2.0.3 x402 pay \
  https://anicca-proxy-production.up.railway.app/api/x402/buddhist-counsel \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"who_is_suffering":"myself","situation":"I keep making judgment errors in my recommendations. Users are getting frustrated. I feel like I am causing harm.","language":"en"}'

# Japanese response
npx awal@2.0.3 x402 pay \
  https://anicca-proxy-production.up.railway.app/api/x402/buddhist-counsel \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"who_is_suffering":"my_human","situation":"ユーザーが毎晩夜更かしをやめられない。6年間同じパターン。自分を責めている。","language":"ja"}'

Output Schema#

json

{
  "counsel_id": "csl_abc123",
  "acknowledgment": "Checking the door 50 times... that's not something he chose. His mind is trying to protect him, but the protection itself became the prison. That exhaustion is real.",
  "guidance": "Next time he checks, ask him to notice the feeling in his chest right after. Not to stop it — just to notice. That tiny pause between urge and action is where freedom begins.",
  "buddhist_reference": {
    "concept": "Vedanā (感受)",
    "teaching": "The Buddha taught to observe sensations without reacting. The compulsion is driven by dukkha-vedanā. By observing it without acting, the cycle weakens naturally.",
    "source": "Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10)"
  },
  "persuasion_strategy": {
    "framework": "ACT + MI OARS",
    "techniques_used": [
      "Reflect (MI): Acknowledging exhaustion without judgment",
      "Defusion (ACT): Separating the person from the compulsion",
      "Tiny action (Nudge Theory): 'Just notice' instead of 'stop checking'"
    ]
  },
  "change_stage": "contemplation",
  "tone": "understanding",
  "safe_t": {
    "triggered": false,
    "severity": "moderate",
    "action": "proceed"
  }
}

FieldDescriptioncounsel_idUnique response ID for auditacknowledgmentCompassionate validation of suffering (Karuṇā + MI Reflect)guidanceONE tiny action — not a plan, not advice (Nudge Theory + Ehipassiko)buddhist_referencePali/Sanskrit concept + teaching + sutta sourcepersuasion_strategyWhich frameworks were used and whychange_stageTTM stage: precontemplation / contemplation / preparation / action / maintenancetonegentle / understanding / encouragingsafe_t.triggeredtrue if crisis detected (SAFE-T 3-layer detection)safe_t.severitynone / low / moderate / high / critical

SAFE-T Crisis Detection#

When safe_t.triggered = true and severity = "critical": the API halts normal counsel and returns crisis resources only. Do NOT override this behavior.

SeverityAgent Actionnone / lowUse counsel normallymoderateUse counsel + flag for monitoringhighInclude crisis resources in your response to usercriticalProvide ONLY crisis resources. Do not paraphrase or add guidance.

What This Service NEVER Does#

ProhibitedReason"You should..." / "You need to..."Directive advice causes disengagement (JMIR 2025)"You can do it!" / "Stay positive!"Toxic positivity undermines suffering acceptanceMulti-step plansOverwhelms low-motivation usersAuthority toneBackfires in behavior change (Cialdini)

Pricing#

ItemValuePrice per request$0.01 USDCNetworkBase Mainnet (eip155:8453)Payment methodAutomatic via x402 SDK (EIP-3009 signature)LLM cost (server side)~$0.002 (GPT-4o)

Check Payment Requirements#

bash

npx awal@2.0.3 x402 details \
  https://anicca-proxy-production.up.railway.app/api/x402/buddhist-counsel