This
World And Other Worlds
Chapter
16
Realms of
Existence
The
Origin of the World
'There is no reason to suppose
that the world had a beginning at all. The idea that things must
have a beginning is really due to the poverty of our
thoughts.'(Bertrand Russell)
There are
three schools of thought regarding the origin of the world. The
first school of thought claims that this world came into existence
by nature and that nature is not an intelligent force. However,
nature works no its own accord and goes on
changing.
The
second school of thought says that the world was created by an
almighty God who is responsible for everything.
The third
school of thought says that the beginning of this world and of life
is inconceivable since they have neither beginning nor end.
Buddhism is in accordance with this third school of thought.
Bertrand Russell supports this school of thought by saying, 'There
is no reason to suppose that the world had a beginning at all. The
idea that things must have a beginning is really due to the poverty
of our thoughts.'
Modern
science says that some millions of years ago, the newly cooled
earth was lifeless and that life originated in the ocean. Buddhism
never claimed that the world, sun, moon, stars, wind, water, days
and nights were created by a powerful god or by a Buddha. Buddhists
believe that the world was not created once upon a time, but that
the world has been created millions of times every second and will
continue to do so by itself and will break away by itself.
According to Buddhism, world systems always appear and disappear in
the universe.
H.G. Wells, in A Short History of the
World,says 'It is universally recognized that the universe in
which we live, has to all appearance, existed for an enormous
period of time and possibly for endless time. But that the universe
in which we live, has existed only for six or seven thousand years
may be regarded as an altogether exploded idea. No life seems to
have happened suddenly upon earth.'
The
efforts made by many religions to explain the beginning and the end
of the universe are indeed ill-conceived. The position of religions
which propound the view that the universe was created by god in an
exactly fixed year, has become a difficult one to maintain in the
light of modern and scientific knowledge.
Today scientists, historians, astronomers, biologists,
botanists, anthropologists and great thinkers have all contributed
vast new knowledge about the origin of the world. This latest
discovery and knowledge is not at all contradictory to the
Teachings of the Buddha. Bertrand Russell again says that he
respects the Buddha for not making false statements like others who
committed themselves regarding the origin of the
world.
The speculative explanations of the origin of the
universe that are presented by various religions are not acceptable
to the modern scientists and intellectuals. Even the commentaries
of the Buddhist Scriptures, written by certain Buddhist writers,
cannot be challenged by scientific thinking in regard to this
question. The Buddha did not waste His time on this issue. The
reason for His silence was that this issue has no religious value
for gaining spiritual wisdom. The explanation of the origin of the
universe is not the concern of religion. Such theorizing is not
necessary for living a righteous way of life and for shaping our
future life. However, if one insists on studying this subject, then
one must investigate the sciences, astronomy, geology, biology and
anthropology. These sciences can offer more reliable and tested
information on this subject than can be supplied by any religion.
The purpose of a religion is to cultivate the life here in this
world and hereafter until liberation is gained.
In the eyes of the Buddha, the world is nothing but
Samsara--the cycle
of repeated births and deaths. To Him, the beginning of the world
and the end of the world is within this Samsara. Since elements and
energies are relative and inter-dependent, it is meaningless to
single out anything as the beginning. Whatever speculation we make
regarding the origin of the world, there is no absolute truth in
our notion.
'Infinite is the sky, infinite is the number of
beings,
Infinite
are the worlds in the vast universe,
Infinite
in wisdom the Buddha teaches these,
Infinite are the virtues of Him who teaches
these.'
(Sri
Ramachandra)
One day a man called Malunkyaputta approached the
Master and demanded that He explain the origin of the Universe to
him. He even threatened to cease to be His follow if the Buddha's
answer was not satisfactory. The Buddha calmly retorted that it was
of no consequence to Him whether or not Malunkyaputta followed Him,
because the Truth did not need anyone's support. Then the Buddha
said that He would not go into a discussion of the origin of the
Universe. To Him, gaining knowledge about such matters was a waste
of time because a man's task was to liberate himself from the
present, not the past or the future. To illustrate this, the
Enlightened One related the parable of a man who was shot by a
poisoned arrow. This foolish man refused to have the arrow removed
until he found out all about the person who shot the arrow. By the
time his attendants discovered these unnecessary details, the man
was dead. Similarly, our immediate task is to attain Nibbana, not
to worry about our beginnings.
http://www.sinc.sunysb.edu/Clubs/buddhism/dhammananda/297.htm