Seoul: Under a roof of paper lanterns strung across Jogye Temple in downtown Seoul, a group of monks from the Jogye Order, South Korea's largest Buddhist sect, sat across from a postulant awaiting a precept ceremony - except that postulant was the country's first humanoid robot to take part in the ritual.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the robot, clad in humble black shoes and the Buddhist order's ceremonial gray and brown robe, stood in front of Buddhist monks and nuns as it pledged to commit itself to Buddhism in the ceremony held Wednesday, ahead of Buddha's Birthday later this month. The robot folded its hands together and bowed to the monks officiating the ceremony, as one of the monks carefully hung a 108-bead rosary and attached a sticker instead of the original ritual where one has to slightly burn his arms near an incense stick.
The ceremony continued with the monk asking the robot, "Will you devote yourself to the holy Buddha?" to which the robot replied, "Yes, I will devote myself." This exchange was followed by the robot affirming its commitment to the holy teachings. The monk then laid out five precepts, or common vows, for the robot to live by. These precepts were specifically altered to suit the robot, including respecting life, not damaging other robots and objects, following humans without talking back, avoiding deceptive behavior, and conserving energy.
The robot was given the Buddhist name Gabi, which Ven. Seong Won, who oversees cultural affairs at the Jogye Order, explained was chosen for its simplicity and meaning. "We tried to give a name that is not too hard to pronounce and old-fashioned, and a name that stands for spreading Buddha's mercy around the world," he stated.
In a congratulatory message, Ven. Seong Won expressed hope that the ritual would contribute to a society where humans and robots coexist. He recalled the initial appearance of humanoid robots three years ago and envisioned this event as a first step towards their integration in the Yeondeunghoe, the annual lantern parade celebrating Buddha's Birthday. He acknowledged the current awkwardness but emphasized the importance of the five precepts as basic principles for harmonious existence between humans and robots, noting the consultation with artificial intelligence platforms Gemini and Chat GPT in formulating these principles.
Gabi will participate in the upcoming lantern festival alongside three other Buddhist robots: Seokja, Mohee, and Nisa.