Once again at the expense of oversimplication, I was thinking,
maybe the cause and effect relationship observed by man led them to
believe on the existance of a higher up being.
That could certainly be possible. There are many explanations on
how the belief in supernatural being came about. Many point out
that primitive people, being unable to understand the universe and
phenomena like thunder, rain, eclipses, etc, thought of the
universe as being controlled by some supernatural being much more
powerful than them. And thus being at the mercy of these universal
phenomena, they start worshipping the supernatural hoping that it
will be of benefit to them. This belief then gradually evolved into
other forms of monotheism and God-belief.
The Buddha too, had an explanation of how the belief in God
started. I'm not saying that this is his explanation of the origins
of Judeo-Christian tradition, I'm just saying this is *one* of the
explanations provided so far particularly on the belief in a Brahma
or Creator God.
Here is what he said:
http://web.ukonline.co.uk/theravada/brahma1.htm#9
The First Category of Ekacca
Sassata Ditthi
39. There, indeed, is
such a time, bhikkhus, as when this world system gets dissolved, as
it does at times, after a lapse of many aeons. When the world
system becomes thus dissolved, beings are reborn mostly in the
Abhassara2 plane of existence (of radiant Brahmas).
When they are born there because of jhana mind, they are nurtured
by rapture, resplendent with light from their own bodies,
sojourning in the heavens and living in splendour. And they remain
there for aeons.
2. Abhassara: The
Abhassara plane of existence, to which Brahmas of flashing radiance
belong, is the third of the three Second jhana Brahma realms in the
thirty-one planes of existence. See. Appendix A5 for the thirty-one
planes of existence.
40. There, indeed, is
such a time, bhikkhus, as when this world system rises again, as it
does at times, after a lapse of many aeons. When the world system
thus rises again, there appears a palatial Brahma-abode
(brahma-vimana, one or all three of Brahma realms of first jhana),
void of all life. At that time, a certain being from the Abhassara
plane of existence dies, either at the end of his span of life, or
on the exhaustion of the stock of his meritorious deeds, and is
reborn in that empty palatial Brahma realm. When he is born there
because of jhana mind, he is nurtured by rapture, resplendent with
light from his own body, sojourning in the heavens and living in
splendour. Thus he re mains there for aeons.
41. Living there alone
for aeons, there arises in him mental weariness and a longing for
company thus: "Would that some other beings come to this place!"
And then other beings from the Abhassara plane of existence die
either at the end of their span of life, or on the exhaustion of
the stock of their meritorious deeds, and are reborn in that
palatial Brahma realm. When they are born there because of jhana
mind, they are nurtured by rapture, resplendent with light from
their own bodies, sojourning in the heavens and living in
splendour. Thus they remain there for aeons.
42. Then, bhikkhus, the
being who was the first to be reborn there thinks to himself
thus:
"I am the Brahma, the
great Brahma, the conqueror, the unconquered, the all-seeing, the
subjector of all to his wishes, the omnipotent, the maker, the
creator, the supreme, the controller, the one confirmed in the
practice of jhana, and father to all that have been and shall be. I
have created these other beings. Why can I say so? I can say so
because a while ago I thought to myself: 'Would that some other
beings come to this place!' As I wished so, other beings have
appeared in this place."
And then other beings
who appeared later think to themselves:
"This honourable
personage is the Brahma, the great Brahma, the conqueror, the
unconquered, the all-seeing, the subjector of all to his wishes,
the omnipotent, the maker, the creator, the supreme, the
controller, the one confirmed in the practice of jhana, and father
to all that have been and shall be. This honourable Brahma has
created us. Why can we say so? We can say so because, as we see, he
appeared in this place first, whereas we appeared only after
him."
43. Among them,
bhikkhus, the one who appeared first lives longer, and is more
beautiful and more powerful (than the others). Those beings who
appeared later have a shorter life, and are less beautiful and less
powerful (than the one who first appeared).
44. Then, bhikkhus,
there arises this possibility. A being dies in the Brahma plane of
existence and is reborn in this human world; and there he renounces
the worldly life for the homeless life of a recluse. And having
thus renounced the worldly life and become a homeless recluse, he
achieves utmost mental concentration by dint of ardent, steadfast,
persevering exertion, mindfulness and right attentiveness. Having
established his mind in highest concentration, he can recollect
that former existence (of a Brahma); but he cannot recollect beyond
that.
He says thus:
"That honourable
personage is the Brahma, the great Brahma, the conqueror, the
unconquered, the all-seeing, the subjector of all to his wishes,
the omnipotent, the maker, the creator, the supreme, the
controller, the one confirmed in the practice of jhana, and father
to all that have been and shall be. That honourable Brahma has
created us. He is permanent, stable, eternal, immutable and as
everlasting as all things eternal. We, who were created by the
honourable Brahma, are impermanent, changeable, short-lived and
mortal. Thus have we come into this human world."
This, bhikkhus, is the
first possibility. It is based on this, holding on to this, that
some samanas and brahmanas, holding the dualistic view of eternity
and non-eternity, propound that atta as well
as loka is in some cases eternal and in others
not eternal. (4+1=5)