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Abstract:
Japanese Zen Buddhism offers a perspective on HRI that notably differs from views normally encountered in the Abrahamic religious traditions of the West. Professor Masahiro Mori has written a book, The Buddha in the Robot, that supplies an especially clear articulation of a Buddhist vision of contemporary robotic technology. The present paper critically reviews Professor Mori's account, focusing particularly upon an important chapter treating the concept of Buddha nature. Beyond the objective of helping to improve understanding of HRI in a broad multicultural context, this review aims also to identify philosophical and theological issues raised by the views of Mori that appear to hold practical implications for social acceptance of the subject technology.