1. If I remember correctly, the movie describes a world where humans live in a “virtual reality” created by AI (Artificial Intelligence.)
- There is also a philosophical hypothesis that humans live in a “simulation.” Many people, including Elon Musk and Scott Adams, believe that we live in a simulation. See, for example, “Confirmed! We Live in a Simulation.”
- Then, the question comes up: “Who created that simulation?” If it is a computer-generated simulation,” someone must have written the program!
2. The correct explanation is that we live in a “world” created by our minds. It is not a simulation. That is how the world works, and that is how it has been from an “untraceable beginning.” There cannot be a “beginning” to a process based on the principle of causality.
- However, there can be an end to that process (not for the whole world, but for each person). When the root causes are eliminated, the existence (and perpetual suffering) ends.
- When the Buddha talked about “ending the world,” he meant the ending of the existence of a given person in this world. Why would one want to “end the existence in the world”? Because in the long run, there is MUCH more suffering than short bouts of “happiness” or “pleasure.”
3. It is true that the Buddha called vinnana a “magician” and sanna a “mirage” in the sutta that Sacket referenced (and I have discussed: “Sotapanna Stage and Distorted/Defiled Saññā.”).
- However, no one created that scheme. That is how the world has operated from a time going back to infinity.
- We create the illusion in our minds. We cultivate specific “gati” with our actions rooted in rage, dosa, moha. Then Paticca Samuppada (Principle of Causality) guarantees that we will born into a world matching those gati, and corresponding illusions about reality.
- Once one understands the complete picture, there will be no doubts. Reality is not created by anyone (a Creator), nor is it a “simulation.” Both those hypotheses are incompatible with the Principle of Causality. Modern science is based on the Principle of Causality, but it cannot find the complete solution until mental phenomena are taken into account. Scientists are only focused on material phenomena, a byproduct of mental phenomena!
