Matrix and Vedanta - Trinity
Trinity was a challenge to me. She is too important a character to have been bought in just for story value. At the same time her characterization did not conform to any one concept in Vedanta. Here is my take on her.
Trinity represents god/goddess. Since there are three main hindu gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva whom we refer to as Trinity, she has been given that name. I concluded this both because of her name and also because of the fact that she leads Neo to Morpheus. There is a very frequently asked question, how is prayer relevant in the pursuit of liberation. Moksha is realizing the fact that you are brahman, that you are god. How can we reconcile this with the concept of a god who is separate from us, more powerful than us and who can bestow boons on us? If the universe is an illusion, isn’t god also an illusion? So, can we conclude that there is no role for bhakthi or prayer when you are a seeker of liberation.
The answer is “no”. As long as you are in the Matrix, you are bound by the rules of the matrix. Similarly, as long as you are part of this world of Maya, you are bound by its rules. That is why even if you are a liberated soul like Morpheus, you cannot break all rules.
And god, as is normally understood, is also a reality in this world. You can think of god as the programmer of the matrix. He has the ability to manipulate the matrix to give you what you want. When you are a seeker of liberation there are many ways in which god and prayer helps you.
God helps the seeker find the right guru who will lead him to liberation. In the movie, it is Trinity who leads Neo to Morpheus.
God can help you prepare your mind for Moksha. However well you understand Vedanta, it is not possible to be liberated unless your mind is prepared to handle the knowledge and internalize it. Vedanta says a mind which is sharp, free from anger, hatred, jealousy, attachments and dishonesty can only truly be liberated. Prayer and meditation can help us achieve this state of mind. In the movie you can see that it is Trinity whom Neo encounters first. She prepares him before taking him to Morpheus. She fights the agents along with him. Within the matrix she is very powerful and Neo could not have survived without her help. So, any seeker of liberation first needs to build a relationship with god. Only he can help the seeker fight all weapons that maya uses on him, only he can prepare his mind and lead him to a guru.
Lastly, the distinction of god being a separate and powerful entity exists only within Maya. God is also an illusion. Whereas, a liberated person has freed himself from Maya and hence he is superior to god. That is why, both Morpheus and Neo are projected as superior to Trinity.
Next, I will write about the agents. They are really fascinating. Do share your thoughts on them.