Chinese robot monk blends science and Buddhism

[rug]

Master Xianfan looks at robot monk Xian'er as he prepares to pose for photograph in the main building of Longquan Buddhist temple on the outskirts of Beijing, April 20, 2016. Photo courtesy REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon

By Reuters | 7 hours ago

BEIJING (Reuters) A Buddhist temple has decided to ditch traditional ways and use technology to attract followers.

Longquan temple on the outskirts of Beijing says it has developed a robot monk that can chant Buddhist mantras, move via voice command, and hold a simple conversation.

Named Xian’er, the 2-foot tall robot resembles a cartoon-like novice monk in yellow robes with a shaven head, holding a touch screen on his chest.

Xian’er can hold a conversation by answering about 20 simple questions about Buddhism and daily life, listed on his screen, and perform seven types of motions on his wheels.

http://religionnews.com/2016/04/21/chinese-robot-monk-blends-science-and-buddhism/

[Jim__]

1. A robot reciting Zen koans seems a bit of a parody.

The Zen master Hakuin was praised by his neighbours as one living a pure life.

A beautiful Japanese girl whose parents owned a food store lived near him. Suddenly, without any warning, her parents discovered she was with child.

This made her parents angry. She would not confess who the man was, but after much harassment at last named Hakuin.

In great anger the parent went to the master. "Is that so?" was all he would say.

After the child was born it was brought to Hakuin. By this time he had lost his reputation, which did not trouble him, but he took very good care of the child. He obtained milk from his neighbours and everything else he needed.

A year later the girl-mother could stand it no longer. She told her parents the truth - the real father of the child was a young man who worked in the fishmarket.

The mother and father of the girl at once went to Hakuin to ask forgiveness, to apologize at length, and to get the child back.

Hakuin was willing. In yielding the child, all he said was: "Is that so?"

[rug]

4. Is that so?

I wonder what would happen if we replied to each other in here with that.

[struggle4progress]

2. That's just sad

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. The Electric Monk:

The Electric Monk was a labour-saving device, like a dishwasher or a video recorder. Dishwashers washed tedious dishes for you, thus saving you the bother of washing them yourself, video recorders watched tedious television for you, thus saving you the bother of looking at it yourself; Electric Monks believed things for you, thus saving you what was becoming an increasingly onerous task, that of believing all the things the world expected you to believe.

You won't be surprised to find out that was Douglas Adams. In Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency.