Robot Monk in Chinese Temple Teaches Buddhism
Master Shi Xianfan is head of Longquan Temple’s comic center and creator of Xian ‘er
This is about a cartoon character from a Buddhist temple in Beijing. Xian’er the monk is no ordinary two-dimensional comic strip – he’s a walking, talking, 24-inch-high robot who can chant, answer questions and interact with his surroundings.
Xian’er the robot monk is not the first high-tech solution to Buddhist teachings from Longquan Temple.
The institution is staffed with monks who operate computers and use smartphones along with their prayer beads and singing bowls. The robot monk creator from content supply platform Blue Ocean Network (BON), Master Xianfan, joined the temple after graduating from China’s art school – the Central Academy of Fine Arts.
Followers of the temple seem to agree that technology won’t diminish the authenticity of the spiritual Buddhism lessons but simply make them more accessible to the masses.
The monks at Longquan Temple use modern management and communication methods to promote Buddhist culture
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