If there is one film that is a must-see for everyone, it is The Matrix. When watched with a mind willing to learn, The Matrix can send anyone into deep introspection, shatter their core beliefs, make them question reality, and truly change their life. However, just as water cannot enter an upside-down pot, The Matrix cannot be understood by just watching it for the sake of entertainment. The film offers the deepest philosophies in film history and it deserves to be watched with a scrutinizing eye.

Spoiler alert, obviously.

Recapping the plot: The Matrix is set in a dystopian world where machines harness the power of the human body by keeping them in pods and putting them in a dream world known as the matrix. Neo, the protagonist, escapes from the matrix with help of Morpheus and realizes that his whole life has been a lie. This understanding that the world is an illusion gives him power over its various elements. The most disturbing part of the film is that IT IS BASED ON REALITY.

Yes, the concept of humans living in a world of illusion is not fictional but is actually explored in-depth in Advaita Vedanta, Buddhism, Jainism, and many other ancient Indian schools of thought. According to these philosophies, this world, the earth, and the universe are an illusion and the real world is beyond it. Many people like Gautam Buddha, Jain Tirthankaras, and other saints have actually freed themselves from this mortal world and achieved Nirvana, Moksha, or become the one. The Matrix is directly inspired by Advaita Vedanta and many of the film’s dialogues are copied from Sanskrit texts. If that is not disturbing then nothing is.

So what are the similarities between The Matrix and Advaita Vedanta?

1: Matrix and Our World

According to Advaita Vedanta this world, aka earth, is nothing but an illusion, also known as Maya. We are all living in a state of dream. A person cannot differentiate between a dream and the real world until the person wakes up. The act of waking up is known as achieving Nirvana, Moksha, etc. This is when the person realizes that this world is Maya and things like feelings, emotions, desires, pain, happiness are just electrical sensations of the mind. The person is free from happiness and sufferings, birth and rebirth, life and death. At this point, nothing from the mortal world can affect the person. However, those who do not escape are trapped in this endless cycle of birth and rebirth. The world is powered by their energy.

This same concept is used in The Matrix with Morpheus directly quoting from Advaita Vedanta. Humans are trapped in the matrix without realizing that there is a world beyond it and the machines are feeding on their energy. When someone takes the red pill and escapes from the matrix, the person attains power over the program and is able to fight off agents. Neo is “the one” and no agent can even touch him. There is a Sanskrit expression “tat tvam asi” which means “you are the one.” This dialogue is repeated multiple times throughout the trilogy.

2: Neo and The Seeker

According to Advaita Vedanta, a seeker is a person who doubts this world and goes on a quest to seek the true reality. To be truly free, the seeker needs to be desperate to know the truth and it all starts with a question. For Gautam Buddha, the question was “how can human beings be free from sorrow, sufferings, and death?”

Neo is the seeker, a hacker who sees beyond what is visible. He knows that there is something amiss and this keeps him awake for nights, sitting alone by the computer to find Morpheus. He is desperate to find the truth just like a seeker. To know, he must ask a question which was, “What is the matrix?”

3: Morpheus and The Guru

It is not possible to walk on the path of enlightenment without the help of a guru. Even gods who incarnated themselves on earth had to bow down before a guru to get knowledge. A guru is a person who himself has achieved liberation but returns only to help others seeking liberation. According to Advaita Vedanta, when a seeker is ready the guru will reach out to the seeker. At this point, the seeker must have faith because it is hard to believe that this world is not real. Faith helps to discard the initial thoughts of disbelief until the seeker gets enough knowledge and experience. Just knowing that the world is an illusion is not enough, one must also internalize it. Once internalized, the seeker becomes fearless.

Morpheus represents the concept of guru in The Matrix. He is free from the matrix but comes back only to free others. Morpheus reaches out to Neo when he believes that Neo is ready. He tells Neo to jump from a building but Neo lacks faith and gets caught by the agents. Trinity was waiting to save Neo if he had the faith to jump, which he did not. Neo knew that the matrix is not real but he had not internalized the idea. Even in the training module, Neo still fights as if he was in the real world, failing to defeat Morpheus. But once he realizes that his body is not real, he starts becoming more powerful and fearless. This is why Morpheus says:

4: Trinity and God

Having faith in God is the easiest way to be liberated from this world but not the only way. However, the seeker must be devoted to god for liberation and not to get sucked more and more into this rabbit hole. Most people worship god for demanding material things and not liberation, which is why they fail. On the path to liberation, god will protect the seeker from challenges, prevent the seeker from being led astray by illusions, and lead the seeker to the guru. Once liberated, there is no difference between the seeker and god. However, in this world of Maya, god is more powerful because everyone is bound by the rules of Maya.

In The Matrix, Trinity leads Neo to Morpheus, encourages him to ask the right questions, protects him from agents, removes the bug, sets him on the right path when he is misguided, and brings him back to life. Once Neo is out of the matrix, both Trinity and he are equal. Trinity represents God in The Matrix. Most of the population believes that God is a male which is why, on their first meeting, Neo expresses that he thought Trinity was a man, and Trinity replies, “Everyone does.”

5: Agents and Maya

Maya is created to prevent people from getting liberated. Things like happiness, sorrow, pain, pleasure, love, family, work, friends, keep people engaged in their day-to-day life, not allowing them to think beyond, seek higher pursuits. No one would want to leave when they have a successful career, a loving family, and a peaceful life. Gautam Buddha was born as a prince, had everything he needed, surrounded by the best of Maya, yet he let go of everything and went on a path of liberation. Maya is everyone and everything. Anyone who is not liberated can be a potential threat to a seeker. This is why Advaita Vedanta recommends taking up Sannyasa. A Sannyasi gives up everything including family, wealth, and even identity by performing one’s own last rites. A sannyasi can never stay at a place for more than a day as it can cause the development of attachment to the place. That is why a sannyasi has to constantly keep travelling. There are 6 things that are dangerous to a seeker, also known as the Arishadvargas, which are desire, anger, greed, arrogance, delusion, and jealousy. Once a seeker is liberated, this world of Maya cannot be of any harm. The seeker realized that this world is nothing but Maya.

Agents represent Maya. They are not a single person, but everyone. They can become anyone to stop Neo and plant bugs in him. In the matrix, the agents are all-powerful and no person has ever stood a chance against them. This is why Morpheus advises to just run or hide from them, aka taking up Sannyasa. Once Neo becomes the one, he sees the matrix in its true form which is the code. He is able to fight them without even trying just like a liberated person is not affected by Maya. To become free from the matrix, Neo has to give up everything like a sannyasi. When he comes out of the pod, he is naked with a clean-shaven head, just like a sannyasi.

6: Oracle and Vedas

The 4 Vedas are a part of this world of Maya, maybe a tool to keep humans trapped forever, or the only source of information to get liberated, there is no way to know. A guru needs to refer to the Vedas for guidance. The only choice is faith.

The Oracle is not a human. She represents the Vedas. Just like the Vedas, even the Oracle is a part of the matrix. Neo questions her, not knowing whether he should trust her or not. However, Morpheus and Trinity take her word for command. In The Matrix, Oracle shows Neo a sign which says, “Know thyself.” This is the core of the Vedas, know what you truly are. You are not your body, your thoughts, your emotions, know your true self and you will achieve control over all of these.

Humans were rejecting the matrix until they were given a choice, free will. 99% of people accepted the matrix once they were given a choice, even if they were aware of the choice only on a subconscious level. This is why the architect, who resembles Brahma, created the Oracle a program that helps people escape from the matrix. However, only a minority of people make the choice to escape which keeps the matrix stable. Similarly, only a few people choose to follow the Vedas which keeps this world of Maya running.

How does all this apply to everyone?

Not everyone would want to escape the matrix because ignorance is bliss. Also, the concept of a world beyond this one is not been scientifically proved till now, although it may be proven later. So how does the philosophy of The Matrix or Advaita Vedanta apply to normal life? Why should one try to detach oneself from this world? Why not reap all pleasure from life while it lasts?

“No one has seen tomorrow, so enjoy as much as possible today,” this is the most popular ideology that people live by today. However, as positive or self-comforting it may sound, it is the most dangerous ideology out there, a clear path to destruction and dystopia. Pleasure cannot be the ultimate goal of life because it can never be achieved. There is no end to pleasure. If one cigarette is giving you pleasure now, you will ask for more tomorrow. You will look for stronger and stronger stimulants, going deeper and deeper into this rabbit hole, without ever being satisfied. This applies to everything like food, social media, approval, money, bodily pleasure, etc. By getting devoured by pleasure, a person not only destroys his/her own life but also the ones near him/her. Similarly, there is no end to suffering as well. There is no end to problems in life.

The only thing that can put an end to suffering is you yourself. You are the one. You have the power to detach yourself from those problems or keep on pondering on them, removing the scabs over healing wounds. You have the power to put a leash on your mind, control your desires or get controlled by them. You have the choice to waste time on petty things or seek higher pursuits. This choice is what separates mankind from animals. This choice has kept us alive. Imagine what would have happened if our ancestors had been selfish, living in the “now” without planning for the future. If that happened, you would not be alive to imagine. One must sacrifice for the future, for the greater good, and this ability to sacrifice comes only when one is detached from material things.

Realize that there is no end to suffering and pleasure. Realize that you are not your emotions, desires, or feelings. You are beyond all of this. Once you realize this, small problems will not affect your mental peace. You will stay cool during stressful situations. You will not get depressed if you are denied something or overjoyed if you get something you wanted. The best example is of Prince Ram who was declared king in one moment but the next moment had to leave everything and live in a forest for 14 years. Yet, he accepted the situation without any complain or regret. He did not let material things affect him.

Material things can never bring permanent happiness. The cycle of happiness and suffering is endless unless one detaches from these material things. What you want is not outside but inside you.

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