Expert: Justin Choo - 7/26/2011

Question
QUESTION: Respected Brother
Hope all is well with you. I am writing to you again--this time with another query. Since there is no creator God in Buddhism, how does it explain the creation of matter, the cosmos etc. When posed with the possibility that there might be no creator god, religionists generally reply that there must certainly be such a god for otherwise, so they say, how does one explain the marvels of the human (and animal) body, the intricacies of Nature--adding that such things cannot assume their physical forms on their own.....What does Buddhism have to say about this?

I would be grateful if you could answer this as well as guide me to material on the Net that might address these queries.
With metta
yoginder sikand

ANSWER: Hi Brother Yoginder,

Welcome back.  I am find, thank you.  And I hope you are fine too.

Someone asked me a few days ago about the origin of mind.  My answer is also relevant to your question. Here it is:

[Everyone wants to know the origin of many things. There are two main reasons for this. Our inquisitive mind and deluded mind. We can never accept the answer that there is no beginning and no end. Let's use a bit of logic. If there is a beginning of a thing, we should ask a further question, "Then, what about before the beginning?" And if we have the answer for the end of a thing, we should also ask, "What then after this ending?" We should not be satisfied with just any answer for the beginning and the end. If you draw a perfect circle, then you ask someone where is the beginning of the circle, would you get the answer?

Would you now accept my honest answer? And the honest answer is "There is no beginning and there is no ending".]

Brother Yoginder, would you be satisfied if I said "X" was the creator of all things? Wouldn't you want to pose the question further as to who created this "X", and so on?  If you can be satisfied with just this "X" answer, then you are short-changing yourself!  

In Buddhism, we attribute all phenomena as the results of various causes which have no beginning nor ending.  They happen in cycles.   The beginning is the result of the ending; and the ending will cause a beginning.

If you want to search the net, you will only find these two answers for your question.  That is, you will find this "X" answer in various forms, and the "cause-result" explanation.  It is up to you to reason out with your human intelligence and common sense which one you chose to acccept.

Take care.

Justin Choo



---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Dear Brother!
Trust all is well with you.
It's me again!
I have been reading more on Buddhism and have also started meditating {breath concentration--struggling to concentrate!), which I really do find useful.

Yet another question for you !! :)

This evening I chanced upon this selection from the Samyutta Nikaya(see http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/sn/sn02/sn02.010.piya.html)

Suriya Sutta: The Sun Deity's Prayer for Protection
translated from the Pali by
Piyadassi Thera
Thus have I heard:

On one occasion the Blessed One was living near Savatthi at Jetavana at Anathapindika's monastery. At that time Suriya, the sun deity, was seized by Rahu, Lord of Asuras. Thereupon calling to mind the Blessed One, Suriya, the Sun deity, recited this stanza:

i. "O Buddha, the Hero, thou art wholly free from all evil. My adoration to thee. I have fallen into distress. Be thou my refuge."

Thereupon the Blessed One addressed a stanza to Rahu, Lord of Asuras, on behalf of Suriya thus:

ii. "O Rahu, Suriya has gone for refuge to the Tathagata, the Consummate One. Release Suriya. The Buddhas radiate compassion on the world (of beings).

iii. "O Rahu, swallow not the dispeller of darkness, the shining one, the radiant and effulgent traveler through the sky. Rahu, release Suriya, my son."

Thereupon Rahu, Lord of Asuras, released Suriya, and immediately came to the presence of Vepacitta, Lord of Asuras, and stood beside him trembling with fear and with hair standing on end. Then Vepacitta addressed Rahu in this stanza:

iv. "Rahu, why did you suddenly release Suriya? Why have you come trembling, and why are you standing here terrified?"

"I have been spoken to by the Buddha in a stanza (requesting me to release Suriya). If I had not released Suriya my head would have split into seven pieces. While yet I live, I should have had no happiness. (Therefore I released Suriya)."


Brother, my question is:
Does this narrative stand the scrutiny of science and reason? How does one interpret this narrative rationally and meaningfully--this story of the sun deity being siezed by Rahu?  If the Buddha, as I would certainly think, stood for the truth as it is, could he have at all have narrated all this which, on the face of it, does not seem at all scientific and rational?

Regards and thanks
Your friend
yoginder sikand

Answer
Hi Brother Yoginder,

First, about your meditation.  You should not "struggle" to concentrate.  Just be natural.  When your mind strays, and when you are aware of it, bring it to note again. This will be an on-going process.  That is why we need to constantly practise meditation in order to achieve progress in mind concentration.

Now coming to your question.  I also find that many of the Buddha's discourses are hard to believe.  I wonder whether they were really from the Buddha's mouth. As the Buddha encouraged us to use our intellect and common sense to analyze his teachings, we should not have problem just to leave this type of suttas alone, and not to waste our valuable time trying to figure out whether they are authentic and believeable.  I would treat them as suttas with  moral messages or just stories; that's all.

When I was younger, I got into problem trying to rationalize/analyze this type of suttas.  With the passing years, it suddenly dawned on me that I was wasting my valuable time on this.  Since then, I no longer have any problem with this type of suttas.     

Take care.

Justin Choo