The android was chosen by the Korean Jogye order to combat declining interest
Buddhist monks in South Korea are relying on proselytizing robots to revive interest in Buddhism in the country. Gabi is the name of the android who was ordained as a monk in Seoul on May 6, during a mantra recitation ceremony, by the Jogye order, the largest Buddhist movement in the country. This was reported by the South Korean agency Yonhap and other international media.
The robot, whose name means “mercy of the Buddha”, was given an official certificate showing its manufacturing date, March 3, 2026, in the same space reserved for the date of birth for human initiates.
Wearing a gray and brown ceremonial robe, black shoes, a rosary and flesh-colored gloves, the 1.30m tall Gabi then clasped his hands in prayer inside the Venerable Sungwon Temple, headquarters of the Jogye order.
The android’s initiation was conceived at a time of uncertainty for the sect, which is facing a decline in participation. Today, only 16 percent of Koreans identify as Buddhist, compared to 23 percent in 2005. Last year, the Jogye order also ordained only 99 new monks, compared to more than 200 a decade earlier.
