Filial Piety in Buddhism: Ethical Transformation and Personality Development in Contemporary Vietnam

Abstract

In the East Asian cultural tradition, particularly in Vietnam, filial piety (Hiếu) has long been regarded as the foundation of morality, encapsulated in the maxim “Among a hundred virtues, filial piety comes first”. Within the Buddhist perspective, filial piety transcends familial obligation and becomes a spiritual path of transformation, breaking through ego-centeredness and nurturing universal responsibility. This study examines the current state of moral values among Vietnamese youth in the digital era, drawing on surveys of students and reports from the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. Findings reveal a significant gap in filial awareness, an imbalance between survival skills and moral cultivation, and limitations in ritual practices that remain largely formalistic. Employing the theoretical framework of Yogācāra (Consciousness-Only School) in Buddhist psychology, the paper explores the mechanisms of planting wholesome seeds and purifying the storehouse consciousness through filial practice. The research argues that filial piety functions as a cultural and ethical resource capable of reshaping personality, strengthening gratitude and responsibility, and contributing to the construction of Vietnam’s human value system in the context of globalization and digital transformation.