Religion and the Matrix

Outline

• Yogacara Buddhism• Buddhist Themes in the Matrix• Christian Themes in the Matrix• Matrix and Religious Pluralism

Yogacara Buddhism

• Began 4th Century CE by Asanga and Vasubandhu

• Yogacara means mind-only• The physical universe created

by one’s mind• Shared consciousness creates

shared experiences• The goal is to look past the

physical world to see Nirvana

Yogacara

• Film is used as example– Movie screen is emptiness– Light source in projector is

your mind– Film is the karmic forces

creating this world– We all see the same movie– Goal look past projector,

film and see movie screen

Buddhism and The Matrix

• Theme of emptiness in scene with child and spoon• Time is cyclical, relative and illusionary in the

Matrix• People who know the Matrix is illusion have

special powers• Neo’s training similar to meditation practices• Ignorance as a theme in both Buddhism and the

Matrix• Neo and Gautama around same age when they

start questioning• Mirrors are symbolic in both Buddhism and the

Matrix• Neo and Morpheus are like Bodhisattvas

– Bodhisattva vow• Machines represent evil that try to stop neo like

Mara trying to stop Buddha

Christianity and The Matrix

• Neo is a Christ Figure– Neo anagram for One– Thomas = Doubting Thomas one of Jesus

disciples– Anderson = Son of Man– Neo called personal saviour– Ship Nebuchadnezzar has Mk. 3:11

passage– Neo’s rebirth in pod = baptism– Neo is tempted by agents = Christ’s

temptation by Satan– Neo suffers, dies and is resurrected

• Morpheus is like John the Baptist• Apocalyptic theme, Neo will destroy the

Matrix

Religious Pluralism and The Matrix

• The Matrix brings together Buddhism and Christianity

• Religious Pluralism – Extreme Pluralism– Fundamental Teaching

Pluralism– Cafeteria Pluralism– Transcendental Pluralism

Extreme Pluralism

• View that all religions are equally valid and true

• Difficult to maintain when looked at closely

• Too many inconsistencies between religions

Fundamental Teaching Pluralism

• All core teachings are essentially the same

• Difficult to maintain as some core teachings are hold ideas that contradict other religious beliefs

Cafeteria Pluralism

• Essentially what the Matrix proposes

• A mixed bag of beliefs• Difficult to make coherent• Diminishes the ideal of truth

when selecting, picking and choosing

Transcendental Pluralism

• Concept developed by John Hick in God Has Many Names

• God understood as The Real• The Real is perceived through

different cultural lenses (religions)• All religions have same goal salvation

through transformation from self-centered to real-centered

• All contact to The Real are equally effective, but none has it correct

• The Real is beyond human conception

Difficulties with Transcendental Pluralism

• Hick’s definition of The Real is so broad that it becomes meaningless

• No religions can understand The Real so why follow religion

• If nothing can connect to The Real then why have religion – can any connection happen?

Why Religious Pluralism?

• Religious pluralism is a reaction to religious exclusivism

• Religious exclusivism claims that only one religion is true and all others are false

• Religious pluralism wants to claim all religions are true

• Bassham argues no religion has good evidence because individual experience proves nothing and divine revelation (or mystical experience) doesn't prove objective existence on what was experienced

Religion and Popular Culture• Religion is second-order– This can be understood

through Civil Religion where humans create quasi-religions like baseball

• It is a category that is created to explain how humans act– There are over 50 definitions

of religion and when one solid definition is developed it doesn't capture all religions or it is so broad that its meaningless

Religion and Popular Culture

• Humans create discourse and practice to explain their situation in relation to superhuman and subhuman through creating “sacred space”– Discourse can be explaining The Force or re-scripting established

traditions like Mary Magdalene in Christianity – Practice can include the ritual of rave culture– Sacred space doesn’t have to be in a Church it could be on the

Starship Enterprise for Trekkies or a sports arena for baseball fans• Religion is this human activity to relate to the superhuman

transcendence and sacred space inclusion which also involves dehumanization and exclusion– The World of Harry Potter has Wizards and Muggles where Harry

discovers that he belongs to a special group– Sacred space is created by walking through platform 9 ¾– Understanding this relationship is also found in the human –

cylon false dichotomy created in Battlestar Galactica– Relation can also be understood through identifying with a

character like Buffy the Vampire Slayer a feminist Christ