A humanoid robot was the focal point of a special refuge ceremony at Jogyesa, a Buddhist temple in downtown Seoul, on Wednesday. The robot, standing 1.3 meters tall, received the Dharma name “Gabi” during the ceremony conducted by South Korea’s largest Buddhist order, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, ahead of official celebrations for the birth anniversary of the Buddha on 24 May.
Although clad in monastic robes, and with a cranial plate reminiscent of a shaved head, Gabi was ordained as a lay practitioner rather than a monk. Local media reports indicate that the robot is expected to assume the symbolic role of an “honorary” monk during the ongoing Buddhist festive season that includes Yeondeunghoe, the famous Lotus Lantern Festival, and culminates on 24 May.
The refuge ceremony was held at around 10 a.m. in the courtyard of Daeungjeon Hall at Jogyesa, the main temple of the Jogye Order. The traditional Buddhist refuge ceremony, known in Korean as sugye (수계), involves taking refuge in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and vowing to live in accordance with the five basic precepts.
“Will you devote yourself to the holy Buddha?” a monk asked Gabi.
“Yes, I will devote myself,” the robot replied.
“Will you devote yourself to the holy teaching?” the monk asked.
“Yes, I will devote myself,” the robot answered. (Yonhap News Agency)
The monk then laid out five digitally enhanced precepts for Gabi to observe: respecting life and not causing harm; not damaging other robots or objects; obeying humans and not talking back; not behaving or speaking in a deceptive manner; and saving energy and not overcharging.
“I thought from the moment humanoid robots first appeared that it would be nice if robots could participate in the Lotus Lantern Festival together,” said the head of the Jogye Order’s cultural affairs department, Ven. Seong Won. “We created the Five Precepts for robots as the minimum rules robots should follow in society and for humanity. I hope they can serve as basic principles for humans and robots to coexist.” (Korea JoongAng Daily)
Ven. Seong Won added that the robot’s Dharma name, Gabi, was derived from Siddhartha Gautama and the Korean word for mercy (자비; jabi).
“We tried to give a name that is not too hard to pronounce and old-fashioned, and a name that stands for spreading the Buddha’s mercy around the world,” he explained. (The Korea Times)
Gabi stood with palms together for the ceremony, bowed before the assembled senior monastics, and also underwent yeonbi (연비), a traditional ritual purification practice that includes receiving a symbolic incense burn on the forearm—in Gabi’s case, this involved attaching a Lotus Lantern Festival sticker. The robot also received a yeomju (염주) or mala of 108 beads.
Ven. Seong Won expressed hope that Gabi’s refuge ceremony would augur well for a future that humans would share with robots and artificial intelligence.
“When humanoid robots first appeared three years ago, we thought it would be nice for a robot to take part in Yeondeunghoe, and this marks the first step,” the monk noted. “At the current stage, it might seem a bit awkward . . . but we hope the five precepts will be considered as basic principles for not only Buddhists but for society to exist together with robots.” (Yonhap News Agency)
Ven. Seong Won added that the Jogye Order had used the AI agents Gemini and Chat GPT in drawing up five Buddhist precepts for Gabi, a G1 model robot developed by Unitree Robotics in China.
According to survey data from 2024, the majority of South Korea’s population—51 per cent—holds no religious affiliation. Christians make up the largest religious segment of the population at 31 per cent, while Buddhists account for 17 per cent. Buddhism is reported to be the fastest-growing religion in South Korea in recent years, amid growth in interest among young people.
See more
Humanoid robot at Buddhist ordination (Yonhap News Agency)
Buddhist sect welcomes humanoid robot Gabi with precept ceremony (Yonhap News Agency)
Meet the robot monk (Korea Herald)
Zen and the art of robot maintenance? Humanoid robot joins Buddhist faith in Seoul temple ceremony (Korea JoongAng Daily)
The Birth of a ‘Robot Monk’… ‘Gabi’ Appears at Jogyesa Ordination Ceremony (Maeil Business)
Buddhist sect welcomes humanoid robot Gabi with precept ceremony (The Korea Times)
Robot monk joins South Korea ordination, blends technology with compassion (Chosun Biz)
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