A Temple in Seoul Consecrated a Robot as a Buddhist Monk

On May 6, a Buddhist ceremony took place in Seoul, during which a humanoid robot took an oath and became a monk. The robot named Gabi, standing 130 centimeters tall, was developed by the Chinese company Unitree Robotics. At the ceremony, he was dressed in traditional gray-brown Buddhist robes.
“Gabi” means “mercy.”

At the Chogesa Temple, the robot took a vow to dedicate itself to Buddhism. It folded its hands, bowed, and answered questions from monks, confirming its readiness to serve the Buddha and his teachings.

A string of 108 beads was placed around Gabi’s neck, and a sticker was attached to his arm—instead of traditional incense burn marks.

The robot’s participation was conceived as a symbolic adaptation of monastic customs for a non-human being. Using Gemini and ChatGPT, five Buddhist precepts were rewritten for the humanoid:

- Respect life and do no harm to it;
- Do not damage other robots or objects;
- Obey humans and do not contradict them;
- Refrain from deceptive speech or behavior;
- Conserve energy and avoid recharging.
Monk Son Won called the ceremony the first step toward coexistence of humans and machines in cultural and spiritual space.

At the end of May, Gabi will appear at the festival along with other robots Sokja, Moha, and Nissa.