Controversy over 'robot monk' preaching Buddhist scriptures at Japanese temple

The nearly 400-year-old temple in Japan has collaborated on developing a robot called Mindar to teach Buddhist scriptures, hoping to attract the attention of the younger generation.

According to CNN , the " robotic monk" is about the size of a real person and is modeled after the Bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara (known by Buddhism in Japan as Kannon Bodhisattva). The robot was taken to Kodaiji Temple in the ancient capital of Kyoto in February.

There has been some disagreement with the decision of the temple, saying that this is an anti-nature creature like " Frankenstein's monster".

The monks at Kodaiji Temple, meanwhile, share that Mindar has done a great job of helping to promote the traditions of religion that have existed for more than 2,500 years.

Mindar in a public premiere in June. Before that, Mindar was on display continuously from March 8 to May 6.(Photo: AFP).

Lecture Bat Nha Tam Kinh

Mindar was jointly developed by Kodaiji Temple and robotics expert Hiroshi Ishiguro at Osaka University. Manufacturing cost up to nearly 1 million USD. The robot was put into operation in early 2019.

Mindar is 1m95 tall with most of its body made of aluminum, shaped like a non-gender. This robot is programmed to perform a 25-minute lecture on Bat Nha Tam Kinh.

Mr. Ishiguro uses silicon to cover the hands, face and shoulders of the robot. When Mindar moves to describe a lecture, this element of appearance can give the impression of a monk preaching.

The rest of Mindar's body is not covered, but revealing machinery inside. The top of the head is exposed, with wires placed in transparent plastic tubes wrapped around the head and body. The left eye of the robot has a micro camera attached.

Monk Tensho Goto said Mindar's advantage over monks is that it can meet more people, store more information over time.

"This robot will never die. It will continue to update and evolve. That's the magic of the robot. It can store knowledge indefinitely with infinite volume , " Mr. Goto emphasized.

Monks at Kodaiji Temple announced about Mindar with Japanese media in February. (Photo: Kyodo)

Blasphemous or will be the future?

"The biggest difference between a normal monk and a robot is: We will eventually die," said monk Tensho Goto, emphasizing the "immortality" of Mindar robots.

He also dismissed criticism that Kodaiji Temple was acting blasphemous while giving robots a lecture on Buddhist scriptures.

"Buddhism is not about believing in a single god, it is important to follow the path the Buddha taught. It is not important that the path is taught by machine, scrap metal or tree. " he said.

The Japanese monk is confident that with the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, Mindar's intelligence will develop and help people overcome the greatest difficulties in life."This will change Buddhism," he told the Japan Times.

Besides, Tensho Goto also hopes that his robot colleagues can attract the interest of the younger generation in ways that traditional monks cannot.

"Young people often think the temple is a place dedicated to funerals or weddings , " he said, the younger generation of Japanese people are increasingly separated from Buddhism.

"They find it difficult to find a sense of closeness from outdated monks like me, but hopefully robots will serve as an interesting bridge between the two. We want people to look at this robot and think about the nature of Buddhism, " said Goto.

Kodaiji Temple affirms their goal is not to attract many visitors because of curiosity about Mindar. Mr. Tensho Goto emphasized that the knowledge stored in Mindar will help teach people how to overcome the pain of life.

"The goal of Buddhism is to alleviate the sufferings of human suffering. Modern society carries with it all kinds of new pressures, but this goal of Buddhism for more than 2,000 years has never changed , " shared the monk.

Monk Tensho Goto next to the Mindar robot.(Photo: Getty).

Opposite reaction

A recent survey by Osaka University with visitors to Kodaiji Temple revealed various reactions about Mindar. Many expressed surprise when the "robotic monk" made them feel very much like attending a lecture of real people.

"I feel warmth is often absent from other robots," said one survey participant.

"At first I had an unnatural feeling, but the robot's lecture was very easy to follow. It made me think a lot about right and wrong in my life," another person shared.

In the meantime, many people find Mindar too compulsive."The sutta sounds uncomfortable, and the expressions are clearly programmed mechanically," an urgent person said.

According to the monk Tensho Goto, a large number of Japanese visiting the temple began to receive the arrival of Mindar. Most of the negative feedback came from foreign visitors.

"Westerners are most pressing about robots. Maybe they are influenced by their bible. Many Western visitors compare our robots with Frankenstein's monsters , " he said.

"The problem is probably the Japanese have no prejudice against robots. We grew up with comic books, where robots are human's best friends. Westerners, they think differently," Goto said. share.

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