With respect to the last, Buddhism may truly be the most appropriate choice for machines; it speaks not of an eternal atman but of a constantly changing anatta, “non-self”. 2 min read May 9, 2026 07:07 AM IST First published on: May 9, 2026 at 07:07 AM IST It is a limiting factor for science fiction that the writers tend to be human; as a result, aliens, too, are often remarkably human. They might prize shiny things. And a particularly mysterious shiny thing? It may well be deemed worthy of veneration. Take the Ewoks worshipping the droid C-3PO in Return of the Jedi — when an advanced machine meets a “primitive” civilisation, the line between technology and divinity can blur. One can imagine robots becoming objects of devotion. But can it ever be the other way around: Can robots be followers of a religion? In South Korea, they can. A four-foot-tall robot named Gabi has been ordained as a monk in the country’s biggest Buddhist sect.…