Why Does Buddhism Not Believe in Creator?

Thich nu Tinh Quang

Standpoint of denying the Almighty and Eternity has shown in Pali Buddhist canon as well as Mahayana Buddhist canon. The Buddhism’s attitude to the concept and the idea of ​​a creator and god is said to be illusory notion, not to bring real happiness for man, and not in accordance with the Buddha’s teachings which is toward human as the highest object in order to solve current suffering.

In Buddhist literature, through doctrine of selflessness that is not a fixed entity (unsubstantiality); certainly, the belief in a divine creation has always been rejected and refused because Buddhism is the negation of the permanence and changelessness for explaining the origin of the world as the universe, souls, time etc. Belief in a creator is placed in the same category as the misguided moral, put the human condition under the arrangements of the invisible god as absolute fate and cannot be changed, and lead to long-term harm to the social foundations by affecting the human values ​​of morality.

Because believing in a creator Brahma, so several thousand years in Indian society has maintained the four of class division, and caused a serious split; each class depended on the Brahma wills, and placed position in the body of Brahma: The class of Brahman is said to be the orthodox son of Brahma, born from the mouth of Brahma, is given the highest class, so they were enjoyed the life happily. The class of Kshastriya had born from Brahma arms, and was the royal caste that on behalf of Brahma to hold dominant power. The class of Vaisya is said to born from Brahma thigh and that was the class of merchant, farmer and mechanic in charge of economy. Finally, the class of Sudra was given to come from the heel foot of Brahma, is said to be impoverished lower-class, and the people in this class were slaves throughout their life for the three of class above.

When the Buddha appeared, he upset all the inherent value through he opened the new door of idea as he denied the existence of Brahma; this is discussed in many texts of Buddhism. The paragraph of Tevijja suttra following was the dialogue between the Buddha and Brahman Vasettha:

 "...  Vasettha, you said no any patriarchal Brahman who understood thoroughly to the three Vedà had seen Brahma - does not have a Brahaman teacher who knew by heart to the three Vedà had seen the Brahma, not a great religion master Brahman who knew by heart to the three Vedà had seen Brahma, and not a certain Brahman until seven generation of patriarchal Brahmans, and the patriarch of Brahmans who knew by heart the three Vedà had seen the Brahma. In the ancient monks, some of Brahmans who knew thoroughly the three vedà, and there were some one composed the incantations, someone read the incantations which were sung, chanted, recited, and now these Brahmans also sung, chanted, and taught as the Brahman Atthaka, Vamaka ... But no one of them said, 'We know, we see where the Brahma lived, and where the Brahma came from, and where the Brahma would go'. Thus the Brahmans who knew thoroughly the three vedà said: 'we did not know, we did not find out the path to union with Brahma, but we teach theory that:' This is a direct way; this is the right path towards to union with the Brahma for those who practice '. Vasettha, what do you think? The fact is that, so the Brahman words who knew by heart the three vedà are not correct, reasonable ...”

​ ​The unrealistic trust has caused fanaticism, intolerance, and improved self; normally, it   causes hatred and violence when others do not have the same beliefs and views to the believers. Through the centuries, Buddhist philosophers have view points of detailed arguments to reject the doctrine of a divine creation. It will be of interest to compare these with the way that Western philosophers have rejected the theological information to prove the existence of the Creator.

For some people who have seriously believe than others, so the idea of ​​a creator is a stand only for the interpretation of external events such as the origin of the world they cannot comprehend, to  him, it is an object of faith, and  can create a strong sense besides the presence and comfort of the creator, and closeness to himself, such as childhood impressions, legendary image as deities and fairies who put into the tradition, school, environment,  and society that  impacts on the surface of the cortex and formed the images of thought that believers of different religions have a conceptual style  sincerely; an analysis of recent findings have shown that the "experience of the Creator" has no specific content than this.

However, the mystics’ live and works of all great religions have proven their experiences those that have large influence, including the significant changes displayed in the quality of consciousness; the deep absorbability in prayer or meditation can touch to the depth and impact on the broad of sense, and passed on through the inspiration of joy and happiness from them. With such great enjoyment, the mystics believe that their experience is a manifestation of divinity, is in communion with the creator; their mission is the intermediary between God and man ... in the deep impression is considered as mystique, and they knocked theology door to determine the special "communion" of themselves. This assumption is quite understandable, mystical experiences are only characteristic increase, decrease or temporary elimination that express multi-equation wave of consciousness, perception, and thinking non-stop on the nervous system of vibrations of the mind. It is interesting to note; however, the efforts of most major Western mysticism associated with their mystical experience in order that church’s official believers to recognize of their results in doctrine is often considered and suspected in the orthodoxy, instead of considering very heretical.

In Buddhism, when the practitioners come in deep meditation, they identify the physical and mental elements which are component of their experience in light of all existences through three characteristics:  that is impermanent, suffering, and the absence of self (no self). This is practiced mainly to use the pure power of meditation and awareness for the highest goal: freeing the ego from the profound perceive; this helps the practitioners to escape the illusion filled by any of the feelings and thoughts come from their experience but cannot controlled, and thus can get off  the deception of sense experiences.

A good Buddhist meditator, through the experience of meditation to what he gains, that is,   he attain the understanding to everything in the connection; it is not a fixed position to establish, as the waterfall flows continuously, without an object or subject position, so the highest mystical state of the meditator does not provide for the existence of a unique creator or an external god to place and dominate the individual.

Therefore, Buddhism is seen as "atheist" for those who have independent ideas or theists because Buddhism does not believe in a creator, omnipotent, and eternity; exactly, that's creative ideas from people. However, the notion of "atheism" in Buddhism does not deal with "atheists" of the pure materialism or dialectical materialism. The doctrine of Buddhism is the harmony between mind and matter. Buddhist philosophy does not agree to the absolute materialism (annihilationism-ucchedavata); rather it is a false theory. The six realms of rebirth and the country of nirvana of Buddhas and Boddhisatvas are enough to prove that the point of Buddhism without t the complete destruction after death but that is constantly changing. Every sentient being is a creator in several forms by oneself through the infinite reincarnations. The doctrine of “karma” is the reasons and effects’cycle of mind and subject matter which based on principle of teaching of causality, impact and dominate the existence of living beings. The Buddha never taught the nihilism in meaning suffering and without the path of hope. The doctrine "no" (empty) in Buddhism is the negative answers of sticking at the invariant self that caused suffering for human. Conversely, it is a doctrine of salvation (Niyyanika-Dharmma), liberation (vimutti), or freedom (Nirvana), is the complete destruction of greed, hatred and delusion, the suffering of the desirours and crazy fire that is consuming people. But the Nirvana is not state of subject and object, so it does not deal with forms and ideas of eternal creator.

Buddhism is not a religion’s enemy as atheism is found. Buddhism is actually the enemy of "empty" (the complete destruction). Buddhists are the behalf of the model of moral values, spirituality, and culture in countries of East. However, we can not close our eyes with the concepts of creator-has been used too often by people who possessed of power, and ruthless... in the name of almighty love in order to cause division, hatred, and destruction of indigenous cultures. Studies and representations the views of dissidents have been hampered and extinguished for the name and crazy ambition for supreme service; this is continue to cause suffering has for the world peace.

The ​​Buddhism’s ethical values based on five precepts and ten good deeds to provide the nation and society a platform of moral perfection, so the idea of creator’s reward and punish is needless. Not blind and vision in the belief but basing on the profound philosophy and practice tests from the scientific, Buddhists worship the Buddha as a master (teacher) of enlightenment, and the God of compassion and wisdom. They recognize the Buddha nature in their own potential, which is the difference between Buddhism and other religions.

Although Buddhism is considered as a religion; however, its theory, philosophy, and practice are beyond the religion’s territories. Buddhism aims at human to object for the experience to the suffering and going out of the suffering in the life instead of illusive concept of an omnipotent and eternal creator. Therefore, Buddhism can accept to other religions but other religions canot merge with Buddhism; this is also an indisputable fact.

Thich nu Tinh Quang