I recommended this movie not because to focus on AI or simulation. Please understand my intentions. The message is what is important not the words.
The Matrix (or a mental reality/ mental projection of the outside world) should be wisely reflected and compared to the Dhamma that we have learned. Just as Lord Buddha gave a simile of “lump of foam” for “rupa”… a simile of “bubble” for “vedana”… “mirage” for “sanna”… “banana trunk” for “sankhara”… “illusion” for “vinnana”. These should be compared and contemplated like this.
So “The Matrix” is like a mind-made world in which we all are living (each one of us has their own version of reality). We think that the “outside world” we see, hear, smell, taste and touch is “real” and has inherent pleasures and displeasures (just like in a dream).
The Artificial Intelligence (AI) shown in this movie can be compared to our own defilements which we have created in the past and present lives (anusaya/asava/gati/kiles, etc).
The Matrix can be compared to our pancupadanakkhanda (all five of them are mental and fabricates our own versions of reality). But the kammic energy we create is REAL and that’s what come back to us as vipaka. In the long run, most sentient beings mostly create negative kammic energies as compared to positive ones which lead them to the apayas most of the time and that suffering is REAL (although it is also prepared by our mind… “kamma-vipaka”).
The Agents shown in this movie can be compared to Mara (both internal and external) which wants us to keep enjoying these mind made kama pleasures and don’t want us to awaken or escape from The Matrix.
Morpheous and his crew can be compared to Kalyana Mittas who are guiding us to see the TRUTH and escape from this Matrix. But we ourselves have to make the choice of taking the blue pill or the red pill (those who have seen the movie can relate!).
The critical point is that when we see an image, hear a sound, smell a fragrance, taste a food or touch any tangible objects, we think or perceive that we are sensing the “outside world” but in reality our mind is just experiencing the “mind-made rupas” which is actually a mental projection (mental version) of the outside world. This is the Matrix!
And based on this virtual reality we attach ourselves to these “mind-made rupas” and generate kammic energies. These all are internal processes (just like we see a dream, our own self image as well as the images of others and all the experiences in our dream are created by our own mind!). And to awake from this dream is what is Dharmavabodhaya (realisation of Dhamma).
I hope this is making sense. Its difficult to express our thoughts in words or writings.
