<
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/08/jogyesa-temple-south-korea-humanoid-ai-robot-gabi>
"Amid rows of colourful lanterns strung across the courtyard of Jogyesa temple
in Seoul, an unusual ceremony unfolded this week: monks held a Buddhist
initiation for a humanoid robot draped in saffron robe.
They placed a string of 108 prayer beads around the robot’s neck and affixed a
lantern festival sticker to its mechanical arm in place of the traditional
yeonbi ritual, in which burning incense is lightly pressed against the skin.
The robot was then presented with a formal certificate listing its manufacture
date, 3 March 2026, where a human initiate’s birth date would normally appear.
“At first we discussed it casually,” Venerable Sungwon, the order’s cultural
affairs director, says about the robot ceremony’s origins. “It began almost as
a joke. But the more we thought about it, the more serious it became.
“Robots are entering our lives so quickly, and people feel familiar with them …
They’re becoming part of our community.”"
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
