Yushu G1 humanoid robot receives ordination at a South Korean Buddhist temple: Given the Dharma name “Gabi,” it must adhere to precepts such as not overcharging.
According to South Korea’s JoongAng Ilbo, a special ordination ceremony was held at Jogyesa Temple in Jongno-gu, Seoul, ahead of Buddha’s Birthday. On October 6th, local time, the Jogye Order of Buddhism held an ordination ceremony for the 130cm tall humanoid robot Yushu G1 in the courtyard in front of the main hall of Jogyesa Temple. The robot received the Dharma name “Gabi” and officially became a Buddhist.
Ordination is a Buddhist ceremony of taking refuge in the Three Jewels—the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha—and promising to abide by the precepts. Ordinary believers can also receive ordination. According to IT Home, Gabi received ordination as an ordinary Buddhist on that day, but will participate in activities around Buddha’s Birthday as an “honorary” monk.
At the ceremony, Gabi entered wearing a helmet resembling a shaved head, a long robe, and a kasaya (Buddhist robe), and then stood before the preceptors, including Master Cheolsan Seonwoong, with palms together.
Before formally receiving the precepts, Jiabei also completed a ritual of repentance symbolizing the purification of body and mind, and an arm-burning ceremony. Normally, when burning an arm for a person, incense is touched to the arm; however, on this day, facing the robot arm, the monk did not use incense, but carefully affixed a lamp-burning sticker and hung a 108-bead rosary necklace on Jiabei.
The monk asked, “Are you willing to take refuge in the holy Buddha?” Jiabei replied, “Yes, I am willing to take refuge.”
The Five Precepts that Buddhists must observe were also adapted into a robot version. The original “Do not kill,” “Do not take what is not given,” “Do not commit sexual misconduct,” “Do not lie,” and “Do not drink anything that cloud the mind” were rewritten as “Respect life, do not harm life,” “Do not damage other robots and objects,” “Obey humans, do not argue,” “Do not engage in deceptive behavior or expression,” and “Conserve energy, do not overcharge.”
The Caoxi school explained that the robot ordination ceremony signifies that technology should also be built upon the values of compassion, wisdom, and responsibility, and symbolizes a new possibility for the harmonious integration of tradition and the future, and the coexistence of humanity and technology.
Venerable Sheng Yuan, the cultural minister of the Caoxi Zen sect, said: “From the moment humanoid robots first appeared, I have hoped that robots could participate in the lamp-lighting ceremony. We have formulated the Five Precepts for Robots, which are the minimum rules that robots should follow in society for the sake of humans. I hope that these precepts can be followed as the basic rules for humans and robots to live together.”
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