FROM THIS COMES THAT
In
the view of Buddhists it is not possible to identify a beginning or origin of
the world or universe. Their position is
that since all phenomena are dependent upon multiple causes and conditions, there
cannot be a first cause
or event that sparked the creation of the universe. Accordingly, Buddhist philosophy refutes the
concepts of either a creator god or an initial event such as the so-called “Big
Bang.”
The term Buddhists use for cause and effect is pratitya samutpada, which means "dependent origination" or "dependent arising" or "interdependent co-arising." It means that everything depends upon multiple causes and conditions to arise; nothing exists as an independent entity. The traditional example in Buddhist texts is of three sticks standing upright and leaning against each other, supporting each other. If one stick is removed, the other two fall to the ground.
Thich Nhat Hanh, the contemporary Buddhist monk and teacher, explains that pratitya samutpada is sometimes called the teaching simply of cause and effect, but that can be misleading. This is because we usually think of cause and effect as separate entities, with cause always preceding effect, and one cause leading to one effect. He goes on to say that according to the teaching of “interdependent co-arising,” cause and effect co-arise (samutpada) and everything is a result of multiple causes and conditions.
Buddhist sutras give the example of a table. For a table to exist, there needs to be wood, a carpenter, time, skillfulness, and many other causes. And each of these causes needs other causes in order to be. The wood needs a forest, sunshine, and rain. The carpenter needs his parents, food, fresh air, etc. And each of these things, in turn, is dependent upon other causes and conditions.
Everything in the universe has come together to create this table, to put it another way. Looking closely at the sunshine, the leaves of the tree, and the clouds, there appears the table. The one can be seen in the all, and the all can be seen in the one.
Cause and effect “inter-are” this way. The idea of first-and-only cause, something that does not itself need a cause, is implausible, in the view of Buddhists.
The universe had no beginning, therefore.
The term Buddhists use for cause and effect is pratitya samutpada, which means "dependent origination" or "dependent arising" or "interdependent co-arising." It means that everything depends upon multiple causes and conditions to arise; nothing exists as an independent entity. The traditional example in Buddhist texts is of three sticks standing upright and leaning against each other, supporting each other. If one stick is removed, the other two fall to the ground.
Thich Nhat Hanh, the contemporary Buddhist monk and teacher, explains that pratitya samutpada is sometimes called the teaching simply of cause and effect, but that can be misleading. This is because we usually think of cause and effect as separate entities, with cause always preceding effect, and one cause leading to one effect. He goes on to say that according to the teaching of “interdependent co-arising,” cause and effect co-arise (samutpada) and everything is a result of multiple causes and conditions.
Buddhist sutras give the example of a table. For a table to exist, there needs to be wood, a carpenter, time, skillfulness, and many other causes. And each of these causes needs other causes in order to be. The wood needs a forest, sunshine, and rain. The carpenter needs his parents, food, fresh air, etc. And each of these things, in turn, is dependent upon other causes and conditions.
Everything in the universe has come together to create this table, to put it another way. Looking closely at the sunshine, the leaves of the tree, and the clouds, there appears the table. The one can be seen in the all, and the all can be seen in the one.
Cause and effect “inter-are” this way. The idea of first-and-only cause, something that does not itself need a cause, is implausible, in the view of Buddhists.
The universe had no beginning, therefore.
posted by Donald L. Simons at
11:47 AM
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