This is a question that everyone has at present. Everyone who did not see gods have the question about their existence. They think whether the deities exist or not? In order to answer this question, we need to learn what the wisest person of the world, the Gautama Buddha, told us about it. Therefore, let us see what Buddha taught us about the existence of the deities.

 

One day, a Brahmin named Sangārava of the Bhāradvaja clan asked a question from Buddha.

 

“Dear Gautama Buddha, is there any gods?”

“Dear Bhāradvaja, the fact of whether the deities exist or not are something I have witnessed.”

“Dear Gautama Buddha, why did you answer me as ‘Dear Bhāradvaja, the fact of whether the deities exist or not are something I have witnessed’ when I asked you about their existence?’ Why Dear Gautama Buddha? Was the fact of the existence of deities a lie?”

“Dear Bhāradvaja, if a person says ‘yes’ when someone asks him whether the deities exist or not, and he further says that he know their existence, then a wise person should believe and come to a final decision of the existence of them by confirming the fact that ‘there are deities’.

“Dear Gautama Buddha, why didn’t you tell it to me at first?”

“Dear Bhāradvaja, isn’t the existence of the deities a well-known fact in this community?”

It should be clear to you that almost everyone aspects the existence of deities in this world. The Supreme Buddha himself also verified it. In fact, that was what Buddha tried to clarify in this discussion.

The Supreme Buddha taught us that the world is not something which was created by one Mighty God. Buddha further showed us the world as something that has been formed due to a cause. Once the cause is gone, the world ceased to exist. None of the things in this world created automatically. Everything is created with a cause attached to it. If in case something is formed as a result of a person’s creation, then that person must have been created too. This means, there has to be another creator who created that first person at one point in the history. I believe you wish to learn about this truth in more detail. This is why we need to learn the teachings of Buddha more. You will then be able to make your own decisions accurately about these matters.

When we say ‘world’ what exactly do we mean? You will say it is this earth we are sitting on, but we will use the same name to describe another planet if we live in that. However, Buddha saw the ‘world’ in a more profound manner. He showed us what exactly is present as the world. In fact, you recognize the world from what you see, hear, smell, taste, feel, and think that come into your mind. If you could not see, hear, smell, taste, feel, or think since you were born, then where is the world that you described before? All the things that you consider as your world around you including the world of your parents, children, and friends are made out of what you see, hear, and feel. Buddha described these eyes, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind as the world. Therefore, you will not be able to find an end of this universe until you find something (a figure) to see from your eyes even if you travel far by a vehicle capable of travel fast. Though, you could realize the end of the world by exploring how the world is generated from these six senses (eyes, ear, nose, tongue, body, and mind). You will then realize that the world was created from the six senses you inherited from your birth. That will also be the day you will free yourself from the suffering by realizing the Four Noble Truths that Gautama Buddha showed us with his great wisdom.