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Robot Novice Monk Receives Buddhist Precepts in Seoul

The Jogye Order said the ritual was meant to show how Buddhist tradition and robot technology can coexist with compassion and responsibility.

  • On Wednesday, a 1.3-meter-tall humanoid robot named Gabi received Buddhist precepts during an ordination-style ceremony at Jogye Temple in Seoul, South Korea.
  • The Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism organized the event to symbolize coexistence between tradition and future technology, tasking Gabi with pledging to follow five rewritten precepts.
  • Clad in ceremonial robes, Gabi replied "Yes, I will devote myself" when asked if it would follow Buddha's teachings, while monks hung 108 prayer beads around its neck.
  • Ven. Seong Won, who oversees cultural affairs at the Jogye Order, explained the name Gabi combines Siddhartha with the Korean word for mercy to spread Buddha's compassion globally.
  • Gabi will join the Lotus Lantern Parade on May 16 alongside three other robots, as the sect used AI platforms Gemini and Chat GPT to draft principles for human-robot coexistence.
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Robot was ordered by the Jogye Order at a ceremony in Seoul. The project wants to show Buddhism as progressive, but critics call it a "socio-economic" and "distopic" initiative.

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Dressed in traditional robes, simulated shaved head and hands together in prayer, “Gabi” appeared in front of dozens of faithful in a temple in South Korea and starred in an unprecedented scene: becoming the first humanoid robot monk to participate in a formal religious ceremony. The event took place at the Jogye temple in Seoul during the pre-Buddha birthday celebrations; there, the 130-centimeter humanoid robot answered ritual questions, made …

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연합뉴스-Yonhap News Agency broke the news in Korea (the Republic of) on Wednesday, May 6, 2026.
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