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KYOTO--Inspired by a priest’s belief that Buddhist practices should evolve, the bodhisattva of compassion and mercy has manifested himself as a robot at a temple here.
The android edition of Kannon, also known as Kanjizai Bosatsu, talked to the audience at Kodaiji temple in Higashiyama Ward on a recent day with the hope of sharing the teachings of Buddha.
Among the audience was a monk from a different sect of Buddhism.
“I had not imagined that such a style was possible,” said Eishin Masuda, 50, a resident of Nagoya who works under the Jodo school of Buddhism, as he prayed in front of the robot.
“It teaches standard lessons, though the device may look strange,” he said. “The idea is interesting because temples can reach out to even those who formerly were not curious about Buddhism with it.”
Standing 195 centimeters tall and weighing 60 kilograms, the humanoid, dubbed Mindar, has a silicone face, shoulders and hands resembling the skin of a person, though the material is not applied to other parts of his metallic body.
The robot’s face, arms and torso can move, allowing Kannon to blink, for example. His gentle expression comes with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
Kannon explained about the Heart Sutra for 25 minutes using its speech synthesis system while speaking to virtual spectators projected on a wall.
The android edition of Kannon, also known as Kanjizai Bosatsu, talked to the audience at Kodaiji temple in Higashiyama Ward on a recent day with the hope of sharing the teachings of Buddha.
Among the audience was a monk from a different sect of Buddhism.
“I had not imagined that such a style was possible,” said Eishin Masuda, 50, a resident of Nagoya who works under the Jodo school of Buddhism, as he prayed in front of the robot.
“It teaches standard lessons, though the device may look strange,” he said. “The idea is interesting because temples can reach out to even those who formerly were not curious about Buddhism with it.”
Standing 195 centimeters tall and weighing 60 kilograms, the humanoid, dubbed Mindar, has a silicone face, shoulders and hands resembling the skin of a person, though the material is not applied to other parts of his metallic body.
The robot’s face, arms and torso can move, allowing Kannon to blink, for example. His gentle expression comes with a smile pulling at the corners of his mouth.
Kannon explained about the Heart Sutra for 25 minutes using its speech synthesis system while speaking to virtual spectators projected on a wall.
