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Analysis Of The Matrix

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“The Matrix” is made up of action-packed scenes of breaking arms, running on walls, and shooting bullets into every part of the body possible. Despite being an action-packed film “The Matrix” has Buddhist philosophies hidden in a deeper understanding of the movie. The philosophies of the “mirror-mind”, the state of reflection, and the idea of no-self all point to “The Matrix” being a Buddhist film because these ideas led Neo out of the Matrix just as they can lead to Enlightenment in the Buddhist religion.Violence, profane language, and religious pluralism all steer “The Matrix” away from being a Buddhist film because they go against Buddhist teachings. Zen Buddhism teaches that the mind should be as a mirror because a mirror reflects the world around it. By only reflecting the world around it the mirror does not change or alter it, “These teachings urge us to be like a mirror, to have a clear mind, a “mirror-mind”, one that is uncluttered, free, and therefore empty. Just like a mirror, a mirror-mind simply reflects what comes before it. It does not discriminate. Nor does it cling to its images” (Brannigan 102). In our mind we should not be affected by the world around us, the mind should simply reflect. If we don’t simply reflect then our mind will be affected by the emotions and feelings of everything we see distorting our mind with desire. This mirror imagery pops up in “The Matrix” several times most importantly when Neo sees his reflection in the spoon that has been

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