I have sent all of you this very informative article that compares Gnosticism and Buddhism in The Matrix. You can use it to understand the ways that The Matrix deviates from or re-writes orthodox christian allegory. It is also useful to see parallels between gnostic and eastern religious traditions. If you know anything about Shinto, and would like to use your post to tell us if Shinto has similar concepts (I am not sure that it does) please do!
From the wikipedia entry on Shinto:
'Because Shinto has co-existed with Buddhism for well over a millennium, it is very difficult to untangle Shinto and Buddhist beliefs about the world. Though Buddhism and Shinto have very different perspectives on the world, most Japanese do not see any challenge in reconciling these two very different religions, and practice both. Thus it is common for people to practice Shinto in life yet have a Buddhist funeral. Their different perspectives on the afterlife are seen as complementing each other, and frequently the ritual practice of one will have an origin in the other.'
Kami
'Shinto teaches that everything contains a kami ("spiritual essence" which is sometimes translated into "god", though perhaps soul or spirit would be more accurate; an even better translation would actually be "The Sacred"). Every rock, every squirrel, every living and nonliving thing contains a kami. There is also a main kami for groups of things: for example, there is a kami within a rhino, and there is also a main kami residing over all the rhinos of the world.'
'The most immediately striking theme in the Shinto religion is a great love and reverence for Nature in all its forms and for natural artifacts and processes. Thus, a waterfall, the moon, or just an oddly shaped rock might come to be regarded as a kami; so might charismatic persons or more abstract entities like growth and fertility. As time went by, the original nature-worshipping roots of the religion, while never lost entirely, became attenuated and the kami took on more reified and anthropomorphic forms, with a formidable body of myth attached to them. (See also: Japanese mythology.) The kami, however, are not transcendent deities in the usual Western and Indian sense of the word. Although divine, they are close to humanity; they inhabit the same world as we do, make the same mistakes as we do, and feel and think the same way as we do. Those who died will usually become kami, with their power and main characteristics given by their doings in life. Those believing other religions may be also venerated as kami after death, if there are Shinto believers who wish them to be.'
'Shinto can be seen as a form of animism and may be regarded as a variant of shamanist religion. Shinto beliefs and ways of thinking are deep in the subconscious fabric of modern Japanese society. The afterlife is not a primary concern in Shinto; much more emphasis is placed on fitting into this world, instead of preparing for the next.'
- June 22, 2008 3:39 PM
16 comments:
qI'll have you Dr. G that no part of my response was cut and pasted (which is probably apparent from the type-o's I see in it as a read back through it). I just finished reading the article you sent us and I found it very interesting as I had formerly read only briefly about the teachings of Gnosticism and Buddhism. I think the places where it highlighted direct parallels with the film were intriguing. What I find most challenging about the film is the role of the Oracle. I have still not seen the second and third films in the trilogy (another form of trinity). If the Trinity is Morpheus, Trinity and Neo, then who is the Oracle? A prophet? Daniel, the interpreter of dreams for King Nebudchadnezer? If so, why is the Oracle inside the Matrix? If anything that sounds something like the role of what Christians claim to be (and probably Buddhists from the article): living in the world in order to help others but realizing that the material world is not all there is and that there is another reality in heaven. However, if this is the role of the Oracle, then that would make those who can travel between the Nebudchadnezer and the matrix more like heavenly beings and then the parallels end.
I found Celina's suggestion that Trinity's death was absurd for the way she is portrayed in the rest of the films to be intriguing and, having only read the bios, wondered at the fact that this strong futuristic woman would still need a man to rescue her and that she would then die the way she did. However, Cristie discussed something interesting when she talked about love and that it was Neo's love that saved Trinity and Trinity's love that saved Neo. I think this is a strong divergence from Christian teaching, except that I do not know much about gnostic teaching, but in the tradition I was raised in, it was God's love for mankind that caused Him to send His Son, Jesus Christ to save the world. Thus, if Neo were to parallel that religion, he would have chosen mankind and Trinity probably would not have needed saving anyway. I think this brings into question the object of love and its ability to help or hinder, but I know that is not the main focus so I move on.
Someone, I don't remember who, mentioned that Neo could mean light while someone else mentioned that another name for Christ is Light of the World (I think that was mentioned at least). I find this interesting. There are so many different meanings wrapped up in a three letter name. However, they all seem to tie together. Light is also interesting in its relation to God and mankind. Aristotle (I think) discussed the cave and how a man sits and sees shadows and thinks it is reality and when he is brought into the real light which is outside the cave he is blinded by it. However, when he begins to understand he goes back to tell the people in the cave what he knows and they think he is crazy because they could not possibly understand the wisdom to which he is now privy. In a way, this is what happens with the people who leave the Matrix. Also, God is said to be so holy that humans must cover their face in his presence (see the story of Moses on the mountain when he had to hide in a cave and cover his face so the presence of God could pass by as he requested. The Hebrew children were also lead by God's presence when they wandered in the wilderness in the form of a cloud by day and a pillar of fire (a form of light) at night. Finally, Jesus talks about being the "light of the world" and letting your light shine so that others may see Him. Neo, as a light imparts knowledge, brings guidance and salvation, gives hope, and destroys Agent Smith. I don't really know what else to talk about but I want to become more familiar with Buddhism as I look at this movie because I have a harder time seeing its parallels on my own (though the article makes them quite clear when I am reading it).
Personal thoughts on Christian symbolism and The Matrix:
I think that critics’ allusion to Christian symbolism in The Matrix itself appears a little far-fetched to a layperson. With whatever little knowledge of Christianity I have, it was not possible for me to allude to that symbolism myself. I found the symbolism to be quite obvious in the movie after some research on the subject. For those not aware of the tenets of Christian theology, the comparisons would have appeared legitimate if the analogy was more obvious in the drama series. Apart from a few scenes, the references to the Bible or Christianity, or to Buddhism as some critics say, can easily be overlooked unless one really tries to dig them out. It is my belief that the Wachowskis did not want to inundate the movies with clichés on religion, which in turn would have compromised their work as a genre splicer. But of course it is my interpretation and it is impossible to enter the thought process of the makers of the Matrix.
For example, Trinity and Neo in the Matrix-world are humans manipulated by computer programs even if the Architect says in The Matrix Reloaded, “Though the process has altered your consciousness, you remain irrevocably human”. At this point, I thought that Neo was actually human. But then comes to my mind the question, “What process is the Architect referring to?” The answer has to be a computer program. The Architect also talks about the Source, the Matrix, where Neo will eventually need to return. That proves how inseparable Neo is from the machines. Both Neo and Trinity frequently need to contact their operator for weapons, bikes and teleportation. It is enticing to label these feats as magical or religious, but the plot seldom leaves room to guess beyond the machines. To me, they are a function of complex computer programs. I initially thought that elaborate efforts to overtly link the plot to Christian symbolism, or any other religion for that matter, was an extrapolation of human imagination. But the Notes section of http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/gnostic.htm, which gives a glimpse of the Wachowski minds, made me believe that the directors did all they could to embed the Christian and Buddhist symbolism in the movie – even if it does not seem obvious to me.
Does the allusion to Christian symbolism really work to define the drama series?
The answer is yes. A piece of art serves its full purpose when it tickles the human mind. In doing so, if it leaves room for the viewers to engage in filling some of the blanks through their thoughts and personal experiences, the art will have served its purpose and elevated it to a higher level – a new genre in this case. It is also a license to fame and success. The best way for a movie like The Matrix to do this was by evoking human imagination, which it does well. Inject symbolism at this point subconsciously, and it takes the human mind also (the viewer’s mind) to an altogether different level. If few things made me think this way in this movie, they were the words Trinity, Jesus, and Zion – words which have their roots in Christianity and Judaism and help connect with the implied symbolism.
Comments on the article Wake up! Gnosticism and Buddhism in The Matrix. The article focuses on the parallel between Buddhist and Gnostic allusions in the movie. The article critiques the allusion of the Buddhist teachings about this materialistic world being an extension of human beings’ illusion of the unreal world in The Matrix. In the movie, computer hacker Neo wakes up from the materialistic world of Matrix to reality, and makes his fight with the machines his mission to save humanity.
Interestingly, the concept of illusion has its roots in Hinduism too. Maya, in Hinduism, means illusion. Ironically, even love is called Maya in Hindi, Nepalese, and Sanskrit (ancient Vedic language). Is Neo under the spell of Trinity’s illusory love? If I’m not mistaken, the concept of illusion concerning the unreal and materialistic world started with Hinduism, way before Buddhism. Buddhism is believed to be an offshoot of Hinduism (Buddha is the tenth incarnation of Hindu God Vishnu). In addition, the Trinity in Hinduism comprises of three Hindu Gods – Brahma, Vishnu and Maheswor (Shiva). Brahma is the creator of the world; Vishnu is the provider, while Maheswor or Shiva is the destroyer.
With reference to the first blogs written by the other students, I thought their writing were excellent as I was especially interested in both Trinity, her femininity and her futuristic potentiality as well as her relationship with Neo.
Most classmates defined Trinity as the Trinity of God and the Holy Spirit, but some considered Trinity as Mary Magdalene who supposedly had an affair with Christ, therefore, it was only natural to recall Mary Magdalene in this situation.
Taking the relationship between Neo and Trinity, it is possible to regard a situation similar to that of Jesus and Mary, is it for this reason the movie makers named her Trinity? Zoejisfab and Celina explained that this was in the Gnostic and not in Christian and/or Catholic teachings. In the Matrix they found Gnosticism, whether it was Gnostic or Catholic, the existence of Trinity and the relationship between the two seemed very important not only in the plot of the movie plot but for the intension of the movie makers in drawing religious traditions.
In the article that had been sent to us, the authors explains how the Wachowski brothers accepted and took in Gnosticism and Buddhism in the Matrix as can be seen from the metaphorical language, the concept of material world, to Neo’s individual mind, and enlightenment. In trying to comprehend this, I, unfortunately, could not find any topic or reference related with Trinity, nor even the reference of a relationship of Neo in the article, as I could not help but rethink what the existence of Trinity was.
Regarding Trinity, most of classmates mentioned that Trinity is unlike other women because she is physically and mentally tough. Dikshya wrote that Trinity is like an androgynous woman when she wears in black leather costume and fights machines, however, when she kiss Neo and whispers “…the man who I loved would be the One. So you see, you can't be dead. You can't be because I love you” to him, her expression is completely different from her in black clothing. She expresses her inner emotion which is her femininity. Mikiko recognized this as warmth and sensitivity. In this, Zoejisfab also stated that Trinity has not lost the feminine qualities of feeling and caring, and therefore this scene was very impressive.
I am a kind of very romantic type of person, so this scene was really impressed.
As for Shintoism, the question whether it has similar concepts that of Gnosticism and Buddhism, I am not sure as I do not think that it has its own doctrine about the world or the individual mind. Shinto or Shintoism, literally meaning the way of the gods which is a very Japanese religion from the ancient times, centered on the ideas of Japanese intimacy with nature and the belief or worship of one’s ancestor.
In looking at the Japanese way of life, there are some reasons the people do not challenge Buddhism in a land where Shintoism has been a way of life. Buddhism has its own doctrine such as enlightenment, Shinto has nothing similar but in which worship is freely done one’s own style. Another reason for this, is that Buddhism was an adopted religion from another country, while Shintoism is very Japanese and therefore people are more likely to believe that Yamato-Damashii derived from Shintoism, and it is under these circumstances, the Japanese live very harmoniously.
Nice work so far... I am waiting to hear from the rest of you (slackers, late but not too late... get in here!) Just a note, remember that The Matrix, is probably a poor fit for orthodox Christianity, since The Oracle and Morpheus teach mind control tricks like spoon bending and kung fu, that Neo is a a trained killer with Guns, and the lack of any identifiable "God" figure who sees over or understands the whole story.
I really enjoy, though, everyones contributions so far that highlight the use of traditional christian symbolism and the deviations from it (Neo and Trinity actually have sex, right? in Matrix 2) that suggest that the Christian symbols and the deviations from orthodoxy are linking up with BUddhist and other religious themes in a pattern that seems Gnostic in many ways.
I am as interested in where the christian allegory (look this word up, ok?) fits and where it breaks down... More on your reactions to other posts? To the new reading?
I’ve made some progress here toward this blog assignment. I got a chance to watch the Matrix movie 2 and 3 for the first time over the weekend. Too bad I didn’t get to see the first movie. I didn’t really understand the whole thing but at least I think I kind of get a good overview of the Matrix movies. I think the writers of the Matrix are geniuses that they not only produced one of the most complicated sci-fi movies but they also touched upon one of the most sensitive topics that some people avoid to talk about, religion or what we believe in. In fact, The Matrix movies can be related to Christianity as well as some other religions, such as Buddhism, Islam, Gnosticism, and so on.
As far as my reactions to the Christian themes, the Matrix movies directly and obviously addressed that the Matrix movies are associated with Christianity. The writer purposefully named the characters with a Christian term, like the name of the main female character, Trinity. At first I didn’t see how this sci-fi movie could be related to Christianity like everybody else was saying. It was surprised me a little because I didn’t know at first what Trinity exactly meant until I looked the word up in the dictionary. The dictionary says Trinity means the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And so I came to realize this is obvious of what the writers were trying to do. Also, as the reading mentions that one character say ‘Jesus Christ’ when Neo enters the room. This shows how obvious of the writers’ intention.
Some other things I picked up from watching the Matrix 2 and 3 are that it talked about choices and something that is meant to be. This makes me think about the saying ‘everything happens for a reason.’ I used to confuse whether we make our own choices in our life or God has a plan for us and that is everything happens according to God will. In the Matrix 3, I remember toward the end of the movie the Oracle says something like ‘I didn’t know what was going to happen, but I believed.’ This makes me think that everything is possible if we just believe.
As for the question of The Architect and The Oracle, it was mentioned in the movies that The Architect balances the equation, while The Oracle unbalances it. The Architect, who created the Matrix, causes all these problems, whereas The Oracle knows the solution to end the war. In the movie, The Oracle foretells Neo what he is supposed to do and what is going to happen, for example she said to Neo that he has to find a Keymaker in the movie 2. This set the plot of the rest of the movie that the Keymaker has to be found. And the Keymaker will help Neo to accomplish some of his goals. I kind of have this question whether The Architect can represent God. It is because he created the Matrix and according to the reading The Architect can be Yaldabaoth, the Creator God, who believes himself is God. I have no idea about The Oracle, though. Maybe she can be an angel who foresees things and tells us what we should do. But there’s no angel in real life, so I don’t know.
I found the reading interesting. Gnosticism is something new for me, so I’m not that familiar with it. The reading mentions about Gnosticism’s “Stillness,” which I think is similar to Buddhism’s meditation. I heard that if you were really an expert on meditation, you would be calm enough to see things in a slow motion.
From the reading, it says about Buddhism that “…final realization is an individual process” It is like everything depends on ourselves. The keyword here is “Thyself” or yourself. The movie used the word “Thyself” in the Matrix movie 3. There was a sign saying “Know Thyself” hanging on the wall in The Oracle’s house. Neo asked something like who would know something would be coming to The Oracle on his last visit at her house. The Oracle pointed to the sign on the wall and that is the answer “Know Thyself.”
Relating to Buddhism, the film also mentions about Karma, which every action has its consequence. In Buddhism, people believe action can cause consequences either in this lifetime or in the next life. Who and what you are today might be consequences of what you’ve done in the past or in your earlier life.
I think our interpretation toward the Matrix movies depends on what our belief is. People who come from different background, especially different religious backgrounds, pick up different things when watching the Matrix movies. In other words, those who are Christian might look at the film in different perspectives from those who are Buddhist.
First of all, I mention Buddhism. Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. He realized complete awakening and insight into the nature and cause of human suffering which was ignorance, along with steps necessary to eliminate it. After that, he began to teach the constituent factors of the experienced world, namely the Dharma, to people because they were overpowered by greed, hatred and delusion, they would not be able to see the true dharma. This is the origin of Buddhism.
Back to Matrix, the phrase “Wake up, Neo” is a message to Neo to awake to the fact, or attain enlightenment. (As you know, Neo was Thomas which is considered as Thomas the Believer.) Neo had sensed something was wrong since before, and wanted to awake. In fact, a person who has become enlightened (awakened to the truth) is called buddha. This idea of Matrix, obviously, is from Buddhism.
Additionally, I point out the similarity among bodhi of Buddhism, Gnosticism, and the idea of Matrix. Bodhi is the awakening experience, and also sometimes described as complete and perfect sanity, or awareness of the true nature of the universe. Bodhi express the insight and understanding (wisdom) possessed by a buddha, and also it express the notion of awakening from a dream and of being aware and knowing (reality). This situation is called Nirvana. Needless to say, this idea is same as Gnosticism.
Moreover, to reach Nirvana, people have to be on meditation. There are two types of meditation, calm meditation and insight meditation. First style is to pacify the mind and strengthening the concentration in order to allow the work of insight. This dichotomy is also sometimes discussed as "stopping and seeing." Unplugged state in Matrix is alike calm meditation. ON the other hand, insight meditation is a way of self-transformation through self-observation and introspection. It focuses on the deep interconnection between mind and body, which can be experienced directly by disciplined attention to the physical sensations that form the life of the body, and that continuously interconnect and condition the life of the mind. In Matrix, Neo realized that his mind was programmed by words in insight meditation.
In conclusion, Thomas Anderson had sensed something was wrong since before, and then met Morpheus. Thomas was told that the world was illusion, and unplugged (= meditation, near-death experience.) After that, Thomas talked to Morpheus in internal (inner) space (=the other world?), and realized that he had been programmed. Then, he was reprogrammed and awaked as Neo.
I argue that this step and idea are completely as same as Buddhism.
Just to pop in here, as I am loving the development of the blog... (even if you haven't done it yet a second time, please do before class, as we can read these all semester if we want)
-- Pitchaya makes the great speculation that the Architect is Yaoldaboth (Yahweh) the errant creator god, and in this Gnostic reading, the Oracle would be Sophia his MOTHER! Who has to help Neo (Christ) to correct the error in creation... which in Gnosticism is a world made purely out of masculine reason, devoid of organic female form.
--I love that Mikiko points out the truth, which many "happy face" American new age people don't admit (do they know?) that meditation, when practiced seriously (say for 8-10 hours with 10 minute breaks each hour for a walk around the room and toilet, or in vipissana where you don't speak to anyone for 3-4 days) is truly a near death experience, trust me, I have been there. I think Americans think meditation is sitting still for 10 minutes, taking a few deep breaths and laying down and letting the mind wander or empty... this is definitely not the meditation Buddhists are talking about, as I found out one excruciating weekend in a Korean buddhist retreat!!! More later....
First of all...shout out to Hiroko-san, thank you for commenting and expanding upon Shintoism. OK...I think that there are several religious elements throughout The Matrix, and what is most interesting is the crossover between Christianity, Buddhism, Gnosticism and various, nebulous spirituality. One can analyze Neo to death, as he is the central Christ figure. The most important theme when discussing the film with the "Wake Up", aritcle is the notion of reality and perception of reality. The Wachowski brothers when questioned admit to the connections to Buddhism in the film. The concept of samsara, "which teaches that the world in which we live our daily lives is constructed only from the
sensory projections formulated from our own desires", is well played out in the film. While Cypher eats with Agent Smith, giving into the taste of the steak, knowing that it is not real, it is Neo and the crew of the Nebuchadnezzar who eat the "bowl of snot", and exemplify the teachings of Buddha to focus on the task at hand and to now be distracted by outside forces and whims.
The Oracle character has always reminded me of the Caterpillar from Alice in Wonderland...if this is going off topic, forgive me. Neo is like Alice in relation to the Oracle. The Oracle always knows more than she is telling; there is a defined path that Neo, like Alice, will take, but he must take the path for himself. Down the rabbit hole; take the red pill, take the blue pill. I believe the Oracle is the conscious; a part of Neo's mind manifested into a person as a way to interact with his subconscious on the outside...an angel on the shoulder perhaps.
Is the Matrix a Christian allegory...not entirely...nor is it a gnostic parable. The film does not look to justify or embody specific Christian tenets, nor is Neo a fully developed Christ figure...even though I think there is a great parallel between Neo getting it on with Trinity, and Jesus and Mary Magdalene...but that's another story. Ultimately, morality is not a focus of the character development in the films, which would make it hard for one to argue that it is a truly Christian allegory.
Oh, No no no! The idea of the meditaion was mine, Miyuki's (sorry Mikiko...)!
I believe that Matrix is Buddhism. Interestingly, Keanu reeves did Buddha in the movie "Little Buddha" before...
I apologize that my comment comes so late, but unfortunately I spent my day or night in the emergency room, as I sliced or cut my foot open and I am not very fast on crutches ;-(
I believe, that although Christians may see figures that look familiar, the inclusion of Buddhist, Hindu, or any other false faith serves to corrupt the entire movie. From a Christian perspective, one’s attitude toward the physical world and the body is very important. Christianity has a positive, world-affirming view of matter and the body, which are the work of God’s creative activity and are therefore both real and good. By contrast, many religious traditions, including heretical Gnostic offshoots of Christianity and Judaism, have a negative, world-denying view of matter and the body. The physical world is variously seen as somehow illusory, intrinsically defective, or outright evil, and bodily existence is regarded as a trap or a prison, perhaps a punishment or a process of purification. In any case, physical existence at best seen as a necessary evil from which the goal is to escape. Those who succeed go on to a disembodied higher; those who don’t may be forced to perpetuate their corporeal entanglement through reincarnation. This vision of the afterlife contrasts sharply with the Christian hope, which is not a purely spiritual existence in heaven, but the resurrection of the body and the renewal of the physical world. Where Gnostics long to put off the body, the Christian longing is "not that we would be unclothed, but that we would be further clothed" (2 Cor 5:4), that "this mortality must put on immortality" (1 Cor 15:53). In the Matrix, men are born into a prison that you cannot smell, taste or touch. Then comes "the One," the promised deliverer who will overcome mankind’s enemy and liberate the human race from oppression. Morpheus has been foretold that he will find this figure of prophecy; and, like John the Baptist heralding Jesus as the Lamb of God, Morpheus recognizes Neo to be the One. "Neo" has two meanings: It’s the Greek word for "new," but it’s also an anagram for "one." Like Christ, the New Adam, the Chosen One, Neo freely gives himself up to save another, going to face his enemies alone. He "dies," comes back to life transformed with greater power and authority, and, in the film’s final shot, ascends into heaven, where he prepares for the coming liberation of humanity. Neo is the "one," the Christ figure, but he’s also connected with Trinity. In addition, Morpheus, besides being a John the Baptist figure, is also a kind of father figure to Neo and the other resistance fighters, completing the "trinity" of heroes. Of course there’s also a Judas figure (in one scene he and Neo drink from the same cup, as Jesus and Judas dipped in the same dish). However, despite all of these Christian and biblical references, The Matrix isn’t really a Christian allegory, any more than it is a Gnostic fable.
I want to add...
One philosopher considered the 4 essence of Hindu philosophy, as Karma (is the concept of "action" or "deed" in Indian religions understood as that which causes the entire cycle of cause and effect), Maya (is the principal deity who creates, perpetuates and governs the phantasmagoria, illusion and dream of duality in the phenomenal Universe), Nirvana (is the same idea of gnosis!), and Yoga (defined as "technologies or disciplines of asceticism and meditation which are thought to lead to spiritual experiences and a profound understanding or insight into the nature of existence”).
If I apply these 4 essence into Matrix…
Karma is that his mind which was programmed by Agent Smith.
Maya is that material culture, namely Matrix.
Nirvana is the truth that Zion.
Yoga is that Neo had sensed something was wrong, and meditated to awake.
As in the article, Wake Up!, According to Buddhism and according to The Matrix, the conviction of reality is based upon sensory experience, ignorance, and desire keeps humans locked in illusion until they are able to recognize the false nature of reality and relinquish their mistaken sense of idenity.” This reminds me of the saying mentioned in the text of “prison of the mind” and how when Morpheus tells Neo, “I’m trying to free your mind.” Buddhist doctrine in the world of the Matrix films, what most people think of as "reality" is actually a computer-generated simulation which aligns with the Buddhist doctrine that the world was we know it is an illusion, which we must break out of in order to achieve enlightenment. Indeed, according to Buddhism the biggest problem that faces humanity is our inability to see through this illusion. As in the Wake Up!, text ,in Buddhist belief, “man’s emancipation depends on his own realization of the Truth, and not the benevolent grace of God or any external power as a reward for his obedient good behavior. Another reference in the flim, Neo is aided in his education about the Matrix by a young boy dressed in the attire of a Buddhist monk. He explains to Neo that he must realize that "there is no spoon," and that our ability to change the world around us is actually a matter of our ability to change our own minds. I noticed a theme that appears in the Matrix films about of mirrors and reflections. Reflections within the sunglasses that the heroes wear. According to the article, according to Buddhist teachings, the mirrors/reflections which is possibly illustrating the idea that the world we see around us is actually a reflection of what is in us. So again the spiritual parallel of the teaching; in order to understand that the reality we perceive is but an illusion it is necessary for us to empty our own minds first.
oops, it was Miyuki on meditation, not Mikiko... All interesting stuff so far, I hope to help you sort this out in these next weeks as we approach our discussion of The Matrix series. I can't tell you how much Pitchaya must see the first film (Ha!) and the rest of you should join her and see the second and third... if for no other reason than to understand the full epic as it stands.
On the religious themes, I want to introduce you to some concepts from comparative religions and some idea about how mythology works in narrative art this semester, I'll have some fabulous handouts that I think you'll find interesting on these topics tommorrow, and they take The Matrix as their example, so they are easy to understand.
About Saskia's selection about gnostic versus traditional christianity... can I ask where this is from? It sounds very orthodox, the mainstream of academic research that I am familiar with tends to associate the orthodox Catholic and Protestant faiths with historically very anti-sexual and anti-sensual attitudes toward the body and very negative views about women (in the garden of Eden, and in matters of priesthood for example.
The gnostic heritage is usually blamed for orgiastic behaviors such as the Cathar heresy in the SOuth of France, and is firmly focused on the idea that Mary Magdalen was not a prostitute but an upper class patron and lover of Christ's. The idea that she was a prostitute has been disproven by historians at Yale and Harvard (Elaine Pagels and Marvin Meyer for example) and there is strong evidence that this was a "dis" or insult that was spread in order to invalidate various cults of Mary in the early Church.
more to come... just food for thought, nothing to worry about...
Here is the scoop on why Mary Magdalen is said to be a prostitute, even though the bible says this nowhere, and other sources give her a more dignified identity:
From Lisa Shea:
"The History of Mary Magdalene...
Mary Magdalene was NOT A PROSTITUTE. She was a wealthy, honorable, respected and loyal woman. The ONLY reason anybody thinks she was a prostitute was because of a speech by Pope Gregory the Great. In 591 AD he made a mistake in a sermon and confused Mary M with another Biblical character. That one mistake lasted for centuries. Finally, in 1969 the Vatican officially spread the word that Pope Gregory was simply wrong.
In the Bible, Mary M is described as a woman of means that travels around with Jesus and the disciples. This would be pretty unusual for an unmarried woman in those days, to roam around with a band of unrelated men. In the gospels, it's said that Jesus kissed her and told her things he didn't tell the other apostles. Mary is the first person to talk to Jesus after his resurrection. Because of this and similar reasons, many feel that Mary was married to someone in the group - perhaps Jesus. "
I am sorry for such a late posting. By the way, all of the comments that I have seen so far are interesting!! Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to watch both Matrix 2 and 3 yet. However, I would like to make a comment on Shinto and its relation with the Matrix and the article "Wake up!".
As you already have an idea about Shinto, it is the natural indigenous religion of Japan. The place where we worship Shinto Gods or Kami (in Japanese) is shrines. The reason why we call Shinto "Gods" is because all natural objects and phenomena used to be considered as having Gods/Kami. Thus, the Gods of Shinto were uncountably numerous. Moreover, this religion gradually extended to the worship of ancestors. Therefore, unlike other religions such as Christianity or Buddhism, there were no specific leaders in Shinto religion, nor any books of scripture such as Bible. Also, Shinto became ideologized by getting the foreign ideas from Buddhism and Confucianism. In my opinion, the idea of Shinto can be hardly applied to the idea of religion described in the Matrix because as I mentioned above, there is no specific God such as Jesus Christ of Christianty. However, the believers in Shinto are known for their strong sense of solidarity between their Gods and themselves as Christians believe Jesus Christ and also in the Matrix, Trinity believes that Neo will be the one save the world. Thus, this can be a common feature between Shinto and the idea on religion described in the film.
Let's move on to the next. What I think now after I read the article "Wake up!" is, someone has already mentioned, that the idea on religion we can see in the film can be any religions if there are a believer and his/her God. We have different backgrounds and different beliefs in our religions and therefore, we have different roots to meet our God who is in our minds. Jesus Christ for Christianity and Gautama Buddha for Buddhism are both Gods for each believers. So, no wonder if there are different views to see the religion emphasized in the Matrix.
Also, what I am interested in is that the article says "...his human mind allows him to bend or break these rules." Yes. It is okay if Neo is not described as Thomas Anderson as well, if the Matrix needs "Neo" only as a creature that can save the world and also, Neo's responsibility is to fight with the people or things that disturb letting the Matrix be free(=save the world). However, there must be a reason that Neo should be a human being as well as the God. In my opinion, he might be needed to be entrusted by his Architect about his destiny and be trained so that he recognizes himself as the Messiah of the world. Also, he might even needs to learn how to fall in love with a woman so that the power of helps increasing his consciousness on save the world and the important person or thing for him.
I’m sorry I did not post sooner. I have one full time job and another “takes up too much time” job and no internet at home [why I am forced to post at lunch time]. Anyway, as I read the posts by other students, I think ‘job well done.’ I really enjoyed reading Adam compare the Matrix to Alice and Wonderland. I made a similar comparison, at least between Alice and Wonderland and Christian/Religious beliefs. The fact that people can be manipulated into thinking they are making a choice is intriguing to me.
I see a comparison between the Matrix movies and Gnosticism. Trinity, while being a figure of love, hope and faith, is also a symbol of sexuality [as was mentioned by other students about her wearing tight black leather]. This relates closely with the Mary from the Gnostic teachings. She is not only strong spiritually and in love with the messiah [Jesus/Neo], but also makes passionate love to Neo (which seems to fuel the other people in Zion as sexual beings).
Miyuki said “to reach Nirvana, people have to be on meditation.” I love how she used the terms ‘unplugged’ from the Matrix and compared it to meditation. I was raised around Buddhist for my young life and was always involved in a form of martial arts (kung fu specifically). The idea of bringing the body and mind into a peaceful state is something of great interest to me. As Dr. G said, 10 minutes sitting still is not mediation. It takes great concentration not to concentrate. :-)
Thank you Mikiko for the brief, but fascinating, introduction to Shinto. In describing that there are many ‘things’ (natural objects) that can be described as God, maybe in the Matrix movies, the place of Zion is God-like. It [the place of Zion-refuge for all humanity] has the capacity to feel, heal, and experience love. It fuels the individuals in their wants and achievements and aids in their protection. I love this idea about natural objects having a sort of power over and with us.
On a side note, I read about high school students in the Modesto area (California) who are now required to take all major religions as a class requirement for graduation: this includes Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. There motto for this new development is “to teach, not to preach.” I definitely feel that the US is behind in the teaching of outside religions. Although we are (in general) a religious country, we know very little about outside religions.
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