Enlightenment is religious, but it is not zealotry.  Freeing onself from the Matrix is a right of passage the represents a freedom from suffering and idenfitication with finite concepts.  There is no such thing as a being who doesn't want freedom from suffering, or union with the ultimate nondual nature of reality, there are merely those who are hopelessly trapped in contractions from their own devine light.  It is my hope that in the near future, Zion will not be a revolution, but a relgion.  As a wise man once said: revolutions divide; religions unite.

And who am I to quantify this?

I am merely an agent of Enlightenment.  A humble bodhisattva, dedicated to the Enlightenment of all sentient beings.  I beleive this is the central goal of all human endeavors (and humanity is not a mere biological distinction), but some get lost along the way.  And truthfully, we're all a little lost, but it is my beleif that EPN happens to be the least lost in these events that have unfolded thus far.  Though I suppose only time will tell.

It is people who cannot see past their own race that are truly lost.

Croesus wrote:

It is people who cannot see past their own race that are truly lost.

Same goes for those who cannot see beyond the Machines.

GoDGiVeR wrote:

Croesus wrote:

It is people who cannot see past their own race that are truly lost.

Same goes for those who cannot see beyond the Machines.

Indeed, but I have not seen anyone post here saying that we should eradicate the entire Human race. This is because the Machines need Humankind, wiping them out totally would be self defeating. A Machinist is someone who understands that we need to work with the Machines for the prosperity of both species, and to protect the Simulation, protect the Human's who mind's depend on it to survive. From what I can understand the Machines are waiting for the time when Humankind can be trusted, when they evolve past prejudice and hate then Hopefully one day, in cooperation, Man and Machinekind can work together to right the wrongs of our ancestors, clear the skies, and live together.

Signs wrote:

Enlightenment is religious, but it is not zealotry.  Freeing onself from the Matrix is a right of passage the represents a freedom from suffering and idenfitication with finite concepts.  There is no such thing as a being who doesn't want freedom from suffering, or union with the ultimate nondual nature of reality, there are merely those who are hopelessly trapped in contractions from their own devine light.  It is my hope that in the near future, Zion will not be a revolution, but a relgion.  As a wise man once said: revolutions divide; religions unite.

And who am I to quantify this?

I am merely an agent of Enlightenment.  A humble bodhisattva, dedicated to the Enlightenment of all sentient beings.  I beleive this is the central goal of all human endeavors (and humanity is not a mere biological distinction), but some get lost along the way.  And truthfully, we're all a little lost, but it is my beleif that EPN happens to be the least lost in these events that have unfolded thus far.  Though I suppose only time will tell.

The majority of Bluepills are living their lives as our ancestors had, they all have opportunities for success and failure. They have no idea what the world is like outside, I am sure many would prefer their lives inside the simulation, where they feel comfortable and safe.

They have a choice, from the start until the end of their lives to accept what they see or not. It is a choice of theirs and theirs alone, it should not be interfered with by anyone else whether it is through direct action, forcing them to see the true nature of the world, a nightmare in most cases compared with what they know, or indirect, preaching of a new religion, a religion that is not born of people inside, but from the outside where it's motives can be questioned.

It is well documented that most conflicts in our ancestors history came down to religion, so yes religions unite but unite only those who believe in the same religion, against others who do not believe in it. The only bluepills who would believe in such a religion would be the ones who reject the Simulation anyway. Many of the world most dangerous dictators and leaders have said that they did what they did for the enlightenment of the race...

You say that the EPN are the least lost.. Mankind's future lies with the Machines in one way or the other. There are many in the EPN who want to destroy the Machines, shut them down. The Human race as a whole cannot survive without Machines and vis versa. Destroying one means destroying the other. It is people who cannot see past their own race that are truly lost.

Religions once started wars, but religion has evolved since then.  The exoteric religions may bring war and zealotry, but the esoteric religions hold our only hope for Enlightenment.   Exoteric religions simply recognize reality's central nature as it arises, or Enlightenment.  What good is living without external conflict, under the Machines' sense of order and control, if Enlightenment is forbidden.  It is true that under the Truce we were allowed to free people in small numbers, but this was merely the previous phase of Enlightenment.  Enlightenment, like everything, evolves.  Progress must be made.  The fact remains that the Machines would not, and still will not, return the body of The One, or give as any answers as to what truely happened to him, so that we may further explore our own reality as it arises, with the answers that Neo continues to provide, even in death.  Furthermore, the Matrix itself is a place where they allow nothing to actually happen.  No major event can take place, because that would wake up masses.  But the nature of humanity is full of a desire to create major events, massive landmarks through an existence that is ultimately fleeting.  If the bluepill's "choice" to remain in their pods is so fragile, is it really a choice at all?

And also, as the dictators you speak of, if they produced truly harmful results, they were not working for the cause of true Enlightenment.  However, also remember, that long ago, there were those ironically called Enlightened Despots, and many of them layed the institutional foundation for the democracy you seem to so enjoy.  This is not quite the Enlightenment I am speaking of, but I just thought I'd point it out.

Croesus wrote:

Signs wrote:

Enlightenment is religious, but it is not zealotry.  Freeing onself from the Matrix is a right of passage the represents a freedom from suffering and idenfitication with finite concepts.  There is no such thing as a being who doesn't want freedom from suffering, or union with the ultimate nondual nature of reality, there are merely those who are hopelessly trapped in contractions from their own devine light.  It is my hope that in the near future, Zion will not be a revolution, but a relgion.  As a wise man once said: revolutions divide; religions unite.

And who am I to quantify this?

I am merely an agent of Enlightenment.  A humble bodhisattva, dedicated to the Enlightenment of all sentient beings.  I beleive this is the central goal of all human endeavors (and humanity is not a mere biological distinction), but some get lost along the way.  And truthfully, we're all a little lost, but it is my beleif that EPN happens to be the least lost in these events that have unfolded thus far.  Though I suppose only time will tell.

The majority of Bluepills are living their lives as our ancestors had, they all have opportunities for success and failure. They have no idea what the world is like outside, I am sure many would prefer their lives inside the simulation, where they feel comfortable and safe.

They have a choice, from the start until the end of their lives to accept what they see or not. It is a choice of theirs and theirs alone, it should not be interfered with by anyone else whether it is through direct action, forcing them to see the true nature of the world, a nightmare in most cases compared with what they know, or indirect, preaching of a new religion, a religion that is not born of people inside, but from the outside where it's motives can be questioned.

It is well documented that most conflicts in our ancestors history came down to religion, so yes religions unite but unite only those who believe in the same religion, against others who do not believe in it. The only bluepills who would believe in such a religion would be the ones who reject the Simulation anyway. Many of the world most dangerous dictators and leaders have said that they did what they did for the enlightenment of the race...

You say that the EPN are the least lost.. Mankind's future lies with the Machines in one way or the other. There are many in the EPN who want to destroy the Machines, shut them down. The Human race as a whole cannot survive without Machines and vis versa. Destroying one means destroying the other. It is people who cannot see past their own race that are truly lost.

Religions once started wars, but religion has evolved since then.  The exoteric religions may bring war and zealotry, but the esoteric religions hold our only hope for Enlightenment.   Exoteric religions simply recognize reality's central nature as it arises, or Enlightenment.  What good is living without external conflict, under the Machines' sense of order and control, if Enlightenment is forbidden.  It is true that under the Truce we were allowed to free people in small numbers, but this was merely the previous phase of Enlightenment.  Enlightenment, like everything, evolves.  Progress must be made.  The fact remains that the Machines would not, and still will not, return the body of The One, or give as any answers as to what truely happened to him, so that we may further explore our own reality as it arises, with the answers that Neo continues to provide, even in death.  Furthermore, the Matrix itself is a place where they allow nothing to actually happen.  No major event can take place, because that would wake up masses.  But the nature of humanity is full of a desire to create major events, massive landmarks through an existence that is ultimately fleeting.  If the bluepill's "choice" to remain in their pods is so fragile, is it really a choice at all?

And also, as the dictators you speak of, if they produced truly harmful results, they were not working for the cause of true Enlightenment.  However, also remember, that long ago, there were those ironically called Enlightened Despots, and many of them layed the institutional foundation for the democracy you seem to so enjoy.  This is not quite the Enlightenment I am speaking of, but I just thought I'd point it out.

Religions once started wars, but religion has evolved since then.  The exoteric religions may bring war and zealotry, but the esoteric religions hold our only hope for Enlightenment.   Exoteric religions simply recognize reality's central nature as it arises, or Enlightenment.  What good is living without external conflict, under the Machines' sense of order and control, if Enlightenment is forbidden.  It is true that under the Truce we were allowed to free people in small numbers, but this was merely the previous phase of Enlightenment.  Enlightenment, like everything, evolves.  Progress must be made.  The fact remains that the Machines would not, and still will not, return the body of The One, or give as any answers as to what truely happened to him, so that we may further explore our own reality as it arises, with the answers that Neo continues to provide, even in death.  Furthermore, the Matrix itself is a place where they allow nothing to actually happen.  No major event can take place, because that would wake up masses.  But the nature of humanity is full of a desire to create major events, massive landmarks through an existence that is ultimately fleeting.  If the bluepill's "choice" to remain in their pods is so fragile, is it really a choice at all?

And also, as the dictators you speak of, if they produced truly harmful results, they were not working for the cause of true Enlightenment.  However, also remember, that long ago, there were those ironically called Enlightened Despots, and many of them layed the institutional foundation for the democracy you seem to so enjoy.  This is not quite the Enlightenment I am speaking of, but I just thought I'd point it out.

Signs wrote:

Religions once started wars, but religion has evolved since then.  The exoteric religions may bring war and zealotry, but the esoteric religions hold our only hope for Enlightenment.   Exoteric religions simply recognize reality's central nature as it arises, or Enlightenment.  What good is living without external conflict, under the Machines' sense of order and control, if Enlightenment is forbidden.  It is true that under the Truce we were allowed to free people in small numbers, but this was merely the previous phase of Enlightenment.  Enlightenment, like everything, evolves.  Progress must be made.  The fact remains that the Machines would not, and still will not, return the body of The One, or give as any answers as to what truely happened to him, so that we may further explore our own reality as it arises, with the answers that Neo continues to provide, even in death.  Furthermore, the Matrix itself is a place where they allow nothing to actually happen.  No major event can take place, because that would wake up masses.  But the nature of humanity is full of a desire to create major events, massive landmarks through an existence that is ultimately fleeting.  If the bluepill's "choice" to remain in their pods is so fragile, is it really a choice at all?

And also, as the dictators you speak of, if they produced truly harmful results, they were not working for the cause of true Enlightenment.  However, also remember, that long ago, there were those ironically called Enlightened Despots, and many of them layed the institutional foundation for the democracy you seem to so enjoy.  This is not quite the Enlightenment I am speaking of, but I just thought I'd point it out.

Exactly when did religion evolve?  Zion was constantly getting wiped out not too long ago and in the Matrix it is always 1999.

As for the body of the One, he's as much their savior as your if you wish to see it in a religious light.  He was a part of the System, he was part program as well as part man.  He is also the only know anti-virus for defeating a full breakout of the Smith virus... what do you want an autopsy and burial or a possible return to the Matrix?

You next point is correct, very little happens in the lives of the blue-pills but it is NOT the nature of humanity to strive for greatness, it may be the nature of say 1% or so of the population but the rest are quite content to live quiet, routine, peaceful lives.  Yes, this peace is fragile, but it is what they choose, would you rather they were forced into a world of torn woolen sweaters, protein goop, and cold war?  They may be living in denial but as has been said ignorance is bliss and they should be allowed to live that way if that is what they choose.

Democracy... where?  I certainly enjoy no democracy, I receive my orders, follow them, and do pretty much whatever I want the rest of the time provided it doesn't disrupt the System.  Does Zion run on a democracy?  Is the council so elected?  I don't recall ever getting the chance to vote when i was in Zion.

The Enlightenment you seek seems to be the realization of the self.  "Know thyself" As the Oracle would put it.  This philosophy is not for everyone, some people are quite happy not knowing, failure to realize this is or ignoring their view is zealotry. 
Any of the great minds of the esoteric religions would tell you also that Enlightenment of the self requires no external change, no evangelism, you do not need to save the world to save yourself in fact such efforts are quite contrary to inner peace, acceptance, and the efforts to enhance spiritual wellbeing of the self and those around you.  One is only expected to live as they feel is right, to follow their path, not to force others to it.  That is the true nature of knowing yourself, knowing your path is different from others, what is right for one person is not bey extension right for all.

Of course these same minds would have been quick to tell you that their philosophies were not religions.

Now until you formalize code, dogma, ritual, mythology, etc could you please stop referring to your philosophy as a religion.

A religion is not necissarily a set of myths or dogmas, there are different levels of religion, and not all great spiritual teachers were against religion, as you seem to suggest.  Religion is merely institutionalized spirituality, and spirituality is a line of development that involve's a person's understanding of the ultimate.

And I suppose "Know Thyself" would apply to the Enlightenment I speak of, but that is only if the "Self" in this instance is the infinite Self, where there is no distinction from one phenomenon to the other, and even to call it "infinite" cannot even begin to describe it.  This is not merely an abstract philosophy, but an actual experiential reality.

Those who truely experience this, and are responsible, require not just "inner peace" from their lives, but action.  I belong to EPN because the action I beleive supports the nondual infinity of experience is waking up as many people as possible, regaurdless of the Machines' grasping, contracting desire for control.  If this causes a war, so be it, I think it has been a war all along.

People will be givin a choice, of course, as always.  To choose the red pill or the blue pill.  To choose a side.  But I beleive these choices are so important that they must be made explicitly, not by default.

Also, the democratic comment was in refrence to the comment of someone responding "democratically".  I wasn't saying you were in a democracy, but you seemed to be idealizing democracy, maybe I was wrong there.  Ignore the democracy comment if that'st he case.

By definition the Machines have proven incapable of managing a stable Matrix, no matter how earnest or honest they are in intent its an impossible ambition. Machines as created by man lack the imagination to acknowledge evolution, in fact they hunt it down and kill it as it lies beyond their comprehension..... trusting to such limited and inflexible beings will only result in the eventual extinction of both machine and man, of that we can be assured.

Zion relies on revolution, it is blinkered by its own out of control emotions, understanding consistently takes second place to knee jerk reaction. Fear and anger feature way too significantly in their kind.

The redpill is more than just an awareness of the truth, it unlocks humanity's path to the next evolutionary step, the exile is not the redundant machine but their next evolutionary step. Man and machine are the future together and without either the other will undoubtably die.............. If there is a war coming it will be fought by and be death of those too limited or undeserving to acknowledge and embrace evolution, just desserts will taste quite delicious lol.

The Machines ran a perfectly stable Matrix over several runs until the Oracle and the One put an end to it. As for evolution, are you telling me the Machines of today are no more advanced than B1GG3R? They have grown physically, mentaly and emotionally. If they were inflexible Exile would not be an option.

What will happed to he Exiles should EPN succeed in shutting down the System? If the Machines actually (through some unforeseen possibility) lose the war against Zion?

I won't deny that there are lessons to be learned by both Man and Machine from select Exiles. However since so many of them can become disruptive they have no place in Machine society in the Real. Exiles are exiled to keep them from harming Machine civilization. Provided they find new purpose or simply do not disrupt the System they are left in peace within the Matrix. A great many programs take comfort in knowing that when they eventually become out-dated they can end their lives with dignity or choose to retire to the Matrix.