I, robe-ot: the android monk working to reboot the faith of South Korea’s Buddhists

Jogyesa temple in South Korea initiated Gabi, a humanoid robot into its order this week, as it combats falling participation and interest 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.” Venerable Sungwon’s temple is the headquarters of the Jogye order, South Korea’s largest Buddh