Expert: Joe McSorley - 3/15/2010

Question
greetings!

i am a newbie to Buddhism and was wondering if the Buddha advanced an explanation for the origin of life in the universe. i'm unaware of a Buddhist 'creation story' - is there one?
jr

Answer
Hello Junior,
  There is no creation myth to Buddhism and no deity that creates.  The self in Buddhism is not the same idea of a self in Western religion.  There is not the idea of an everlasting soul that is individual and separate from the rest of the world that was created and then dies.  We are a culmination of things that identifies itself as “I” but is really an expression of the entire universe.  Creation and destruction are mutually defining in Buddhism much like the idea of the yin-yang, you cannot have one without the other.  The universe is ever coming into and out of existence.
   I hope this helps you.  Take care,
          Joe