Monks at Jogyesa Temple in Seoul ordained a humanoid robot as a Buddhist monk this week, thereby bridging the gap between technology and spirituality in a novel fashion.
The G1 humanoid, developed by Chinese company Unitree Robotics, received the Dharma name Gabi during a special initiation ceremony. Draped in traditional robes, Gabi joined monks in prayer, pressed its palms together in respect and received 108 prayer beads.
Organizers adapted the yeonbi ordination ritual by placing a lotus lantern festival sticker on its mechanical arm instead of applying burning incense to the skin in the usual fashion. Temple leaders from the Jogye Order organized the event ahead of Buddha’s birthday celebrations.
Venerable Sungwon, the order’s cultural affairs director, noted that the initiative aims to engage younger Koreans amid declining participation in Buddhism. Only about 16 per cent of South Koreans now identify as Buddhist, a significant drop from 23 per cent in 2005. The order ordains far fewer new monks than it did in past years.
Officials adapted the Five Precepts of the religion specifically for Gabi. These instruct the robot to protect life, avoid damaging other robots or property, respect and obey humans, refrain from deceptive conduct and conserve energy.
Temple officials see this as part of a “hip Buddhism” approach that leverages technology to draw in visitors and spark interest, especially among youth.
The ceremonial event was not viewed favourably in the eyes of every Buddhist though. One voiced his condemnation on social media.
“As a Buddhist, I find this ridiculous and insulting,” he said on X.
Along with progress in the religious-tech frontier, the G1 model continues to push boundaries in other areas. Luxury brand Caviar recently transformed a G1 into “Aladdin,” the world’s first luxury humanoid. The Russian designer customized the robot with gold, jewels and Eastern-inspired garments like caftans, creating an extravagant collectible while preserving its full movement capabilities.
In addition, Japan Airlines just launched a pilot at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport that deploys Unitree G1 robots for baggage handling and ground operations. Working alongside heavier robots, the G1 assists with cargo transport in live airport conditions as part of a multi-year trial addressing labour shortages. This initiative is providing valuable insights about how humanoids can be integrated into the workplace.
A humanoid robot was just ordained as a Buddhist monk in South Korea. Named ‘Gabi’ …meaning mercy …it became the first robot to take part in such a ritual.
Some questions worth sitting with:
• Is this the merging of iron and clay spoken of in Daniel 2 …impressive on the… pic.twitter.com/jzne0SnE27— TheLizVariant (@TheLizVariant) May 7, 2026
Read more: Japan Airlines employs humanoid robots for baggage handling in Tokyo pilot
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