Buddhist Evolutionary Theory (Part one)

Buddhism and evolutionary theory have one agreement. That is changing and evolving. Buddha discussed about the evolution of creatures, environment, social events, political ideology and religious belief. Evolutionary theory deals with, as I understand, the start of life, how it evolves into different branches and how one branch became human.

As evolutionary theory is well-known, this essay focuses mainly on the less known Buddhist view.

Despite having a common ground – changing, the rest falls into disagreements. Buddhism says the start of life cannot be seen or explained; creatures do not evolve without desires of their own. And the start of humankind on this earth was simply as humans but they had divine powers because they came from higher worlds or Bhumi of the brahmas.

First humans were, thus, the brahma-like beings who had lights produced by their own physical body – unlike the deep sea creatures, their light shone far distance. They didn’t have to eat to satisfy their hunger. They only traveled by air with the divine power but not flying. And therefore, the start of life on this earth was the start of humankind.

During the first mankind started wandering the earth, there were no sun and moon, not even the stars, all dark – this should be noticed. Hence, the earth seemed to be the first object to appear in the solar system but I don’t believe the Buddha mentioned it this way; rather the sun and the moon didn’t shine yet. If this solar system started from the cloud of dusts, as a theory suggests, then there could be other objects too yet to become mature. If the stars were out there shining, it could be the clouds of dusts that blocked the starlight.

In agreement with cloud condensation theory, Buddhism suggests there was a big rain and it made the earth. So the clouds weren’t just dusts but all kinds of elements solid, liquid and gas. So the first form of earth was not rough and indigestible soils and rocks but nutritious creams which can be eaten directly.

Discontentment is the property of ordinary beings. And by seeing these nutritious creams so long, these brahma-like humans couldn’t control their desires and tasted the creams. Because of that they soon changed into a form with holes allover their bodies, as we have now, to form digestive system to handle food and wastes. And from that, as holes were formed, the distinction between male and female became clear that some were deserved to become males and some females.