Image credit – REUTERS/KIM KYUNG-HOON
Science and religion seem like aspects of life that would clash. Science is always trying to prove why certain things are the way they are, and religion is about faith and believing in things that might not necessarily be physically tangible or measurable, but over in China at the Longquan Temple in Beijing, they want to prove that science and religion don’t necessarily contradict each other.
To that extent, the temple has created a 60cm-tall robot nicknamed Xian’er that will be able to dispense advice to templer-goers. According to Xian Fan, head of the Comic Centre at the temple, he claims that there are no plans to commercialize the robot, and that it was designed to be a modern tool to help spread their teachings. ”We’re not doing this for commerce, but just because we want to use more modern ways to spread Buddhist teachings.”
Xian’er is able to respond to questions that visitors might have via a touchscreen on his chest. For example if you were to ask him what is the meaning of life, his reply would be, “My master says the meaning of life is to help more people finally leave behind bitterness and gain happiness.”
Naturally there are some who are a bit skeptical about the robot’s capabilities, but if anything it does seem to prove just how ubiquitous technology is these days. So not only do we have robots in factories, hotels, and even in the entertainment industry, but also in the more spiritual part of our lives.