16) The Matrix and Buddhism

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In the Sci-Fi movie of The Matrix directed by The Wachowski Brothers, computer hacker Thomas Anderson also known as Neo has lived a relatively ordinary life until he is contacted by the mysterious Morpheus who leads him into the real world. The real world has been laid waste and taken over by advanced artificial intelligence machines. The computers have created a false version of 20th century life, the Matrix, to keep the human slaves satisfied, while the AI machines draw power from the humans. Anderson, pursued constantly by the Agents, is hailed as "The One" who will lead the humans to overthrow the machines and reclaim the Earth.

The Matrix suggests Buddha’s Four Noble Truths that life is suffering. Morpheus said:

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"It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. A prison for your mind."

For almost two hundred years, humans has been living blindly only with their senses but not with their mind. The human's mind is locked up inescapable from the control of the Matrix. In doing so, they are suffering because whenever you are not in control of yourself you are being persecuted. Buddhism gives us life lessons that connect to freeing the mind. In order to cleanse your mind, you first need to cleanse your soul from all personal wrong doings.

Buddhism teaches the four noble truths, which provides an accepted view to the nature of reality, uplifting yourself from all suffering. We suffer when we do not get what we want. In the movie, the human race is suffering under the rule of the machines that they once created. Neo suffers from his desire in finding the truth to his "life." The second noble truth teaches the cause of suffering. In short, suffering is caused by one’s attachment to their world. If the true nature of this world is suffering, then the cause of suffering must be our attachment to it. As long as he desires to seek the truth, he will always suffer. According to the Four Noble Truths, you will no longer suffer when you free yourself from all desires. In the end, he ultimately reaches understanding of the Four Noble Truths, by being able to stop bullets, allowing him to defeat the agents. Neo no longer suffers by realizing that he is in a false world and chooses to see the truth of the Matrix and of his reality.