Standing at 1.3 meters tall, a humanoid robot was the cynosure of all eyes at a special refuge ceremony at a Buddhist temple in Jogye, downtown Seoul on Wednesday as he received the Dharma name “Gabi” during the ceremony conducted by South Korea’s largest Buddhist order, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism, ahead of official celebrations for the birth anniversary of the Buddha on 24 May.

Although clad in monastic robes, and with a cranial plate reminiscent of a shaved head, Gabi was ordained as a lay practitioner rather than a monk. Local media reports indicate that the robot is expected to assume the symbolic role of an “honorary” monk during the ongoing Buddhist festive season.

The traditional Buddhist refuge ceremony, known in Korean as sugye, involves taking refuge in the Triple Gem of the Buddha, the Dharma, and the Sangha, and vowing to live in accordance with the five basic precepts. 

Gabi stood with palms together for the ceremony, bowed before the assembled senior monastics, and also underwent yeonbi, a traditional ritual purification practice that includes receiving a symbolic incense burn on the forearm—in Gabi’s case, this involved attaching a Lotus Lantern Festival sticker. The robot also received a yeomju of 108 beads.

According to survey data from 2024, the majority of South Korea’s population—51 per cent—holds no religious affiliation. Christians make up the largest religious segment of the population at 31 per cent, while Buddhists account for 17 per cent. Buddhism is reported to be the fastest-growing religion in South Korea in recent years, amid growth in interest among young people.