A renowned Jogye Buddhist temple in Seoul, South Korea held a special event combining technology and religion on May 6th. The occasion was a ceremony in which a humanoid robot named GI was ordained as a Buddhist monk.
The robot, which stands over 4 feet tall, was given the monastic name "Ghabby" and was dressed in robes and given a shaved head appearance. Normally, when someone becomes a Buddhist, they receive the Five Precepts mark tattooed on their arm, but since Ghabby is a robot, it was given a sticker on its arm and a prayer beads necklace around its neck to be accepted as a Buddhist practitioner.
According to the Korean Buddhist organization, this action aims to demonstrate harmony between ancient traditions and future technology. As a commemoration of Buddha's Birthday, this event carries an intriguing symbolic meaning—suggesting that not only humans, but also the technological innovations of the future can come under the shelter of religion.
Ref: upi
