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The Matrix: I Know Kung Fu, Now What? (Part 2)

ronnie October 24th, 2008

So you have just taken the red pill in Part 1 and hopefully opened up your inner eye to reality, thus beginning your journey.

So now what?

In the film ‘The Matrix,’ after making that choice, Neo embarks on a process that is the acquiring of Knowledge…..in this case, one of the first things he learns is ‘Kung Fu.’ Or at least he thinks he learns it. Watch scene here

He then practices this new found skill before using it out in the material world, where he almost dies in the process.

Soon after this, he really learns it.

This is part of the journey of the soul.

Baha’u'llah, founder of the Baha’i Faith, talks about the journey of the soul through seven stages.

He uses poetry to describe the stages of the soul’s journey, in the style of 12th Century Sufi poet Farid al-Din Attar, as used in the Conference of the Birds.

The seven stages of the journey of the soul are called Valleys, and thus the imagery is that of a seeker making a journey through a series of valleys. Thus the book is called ‘The Seven Valleys.’

The first Valley is called the Valley of Search, the Second Valley, the Valley of Love…..

The third Valley is the Valley of Knowledge.

In the Matrix, Neo begins his journeying with the Valley of Search by choosing the red pill.

I guess the film skipped out the Valley of Love because it wasn’t commercially viable (or more likely because it’s just a film and not a comprehensive religious text).

The Knowledge sought in the third Valley is the Knowledge of God and not one based on conventional learning. The seeker begins to understand and find wisdom when faced with pain, suffering, tests and trials. About the Valley of Knowledge, Baha’u'llah says:

With inward and outward eyes he witnesseth the mysteries of resurrection in the realms of creation and the souls of men, and with a pure heart apprehendeth the divine wisdom in the endless Manifestations of God. In the ocean he findeth a drop, in a drop he beholdeth the secrets of the sea.

(Baha’u'llah, The Seven Valleys, p. 11)

He also uses his newly acquired skills, constantly learning new ones and improving the ones he has.

These ‘skills,’ from a Baha’i point of view are universal religious truths known as ‘virtues’ and are used to battle the forces of darkness, which in reality is the human ego, symbolically represented as Satan or Agent Smith in this case.

Armed with the power of Thy name nothing can ever hurt me, and with Thy love in my heart all the world’s afflictions can in no wise alarm me.

(Baha’u'llah, Prayers and Meditations by Baha’u'llah, p. 208)

We may read about virtues all day long and Neo may download as much as he wants about Kung Fu, however, until we apply it, through service to others, we will not really understand and learn.

The ‘Kung Fu’ we need is Patience, Justice, Humility, Truthfulness, Love, Generosity, and the list goes on (for a more comprehensive list click here)

When confronted with Agent Hate, we destroy him with Love. Agent War is stopped with Peace. Agent Greed is neutralised with Generosity.

I’m sure you get the idea. Sounds easy, but we know it’s not.

If ignorance is bliss, what is knowledge, pain?

I know what you’re thinking, ’cause right now I’m thinking the same thing. Actually, I’ve been thinking it ever since I got here: Why oh why didn’t I take the BLUE pill?

(Cypher, the ‘Judas’ of the Matrix.)

Like Judas, he too was tempted by the inner promptings of the human ego (Agent Smith), betraying Neo and the life of hardship for an apparently easier life of material happiness. (watch scene here)

Baha’u'llah, in The Hidden Words, says:

….Busy not thyself with this world, for with fire We test the gold, and with gold We test Our servants.

So we have to bring ourselves to account and ask, what’s our gold? What’s our kryptonite? Since we’re conveniently on the subject of kryptonite, we can talk about other superheroes briefly. Continue reading >

Let’s just say that one theme that is consistent in all stories featuring superheroes, whether it’s a lowly Hobbit destroying a Ring or a nerdy office guy who becomes Superman, is the idea of Transformation.

Neo went from introverted computer programmer to being saviour of humanity after beginning at the Valley of Search and going through tests and trials.

The Baha’i Writings say that the Word of God alone can change a “drop into a sea and convert the gnat into an eagle.”

Transformation is what we are all looking for; the question for many is “how?”

Once we know how, the next question we need to ask ourselves is “what are we willing to sacrifice to get it?”

In the end, Neo makes the ultimate sacrifice; he sacrifices himself, to save humanity.

The seventh and last valley in the Seven Valleys is called ‘The Valley of True Poverty and Absolute Nothingness.’

This is a state of annihilation of self in God, but not a complete union. It is the highest state the soul can reach, and this is possible only after death (not suicide).

For Baha’is, closeness to God is how we view heaven. The more virtues we acquire and develop, the closer we will get to God, and the better we can progress in the afterlife, once we get there.

To conclude, because of free-will we have the choice at any stage of the journey to bail out and give up. However, if we choose to continue the journey after taking that ‘red pill,’ then we must be prepared to view suffering as blessings and look to the end of things, for ultimately it will lead to our transformation.

We must reflect on our actions regularly in order to improve and make our conduct more virtuous.

Our deeds are worth far more than our words. Thus it’s no surprise that when Neo says he knows Kung Fu, Morpheus simply replies “show me.”

I’ll end with a quote from Morpheus, at the end of that particular scene: