Changes

However, some of the metaphysical principles used to formulate these classical paradoxes no longer enjoy an unchallenged status as laws of thought. For instance, [[quantum mechanics]] gives an independent motivation  to challenge the principle of sufficient reason. For this reason, theories of "origin" are more appropriately described as mythology whether transmitted orally or in written forms .

However, some of the metaphysical principles used to formulate these classical paradoxes no longer enjoy an unchallenged status as laws of thought. For instance, [[quantum mechanics]] gives an independent motivation  to challenge the principle of sufficient reason. For this reason, theories of "origin" are more appropriately described as mythology whether transmitted orally or in written forms .

==Creation Mythology==

==Creation Mythology==

A '''creation myth''' or '''cosmogonic myth''' is a supernatural [[mythology|mytho-]][[religion|religious]] story or explanation that describes the beginnings of [[first man|humanity]], [[earth]], [[Abiogenesis|life]], and the [[universe]] ([[cosmogony]]),<ref>{{cite book|title=Encyclopædia Britannica |url=http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109402/creation-myth}}</ref> often as a deliberate act by one or more [[Creator deity|deities]].

A '''creation myth''' or '''cosmogonic myth''' is a supernatural explanation that describes the beginnings of [[first man|humanity]], [[earth]], [[Abiogenesis|life]], and the [[universe]] ([[cosmogony]]),[http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9109402/creation-myth] often as a deliberate act by one or more [[deity|deities]].

Many creation myths share broadly similar themes. Common [[Motif (literature)|motifs]] include the fractionation of the things of the world from a primordial chaos; the separation of the mother and father [[god]]s; land emerging from an infinite and timeless ocean; or creation ''[[ex nihilo]]'' ({{lang-en|out of nothing}}).

Many creation myths share broadly similar themes. Common motifs include the fractionation of the [[things]] of the world from a primordial [[chaos]]; the separation of the mother and father gods; land emerging from an infinite and timeless ocean; or creation ''ex nihilo'' (out of nothing).

The term ''creation myth'' is sometimes used in a derogatory way to describe stories which are still believed today, as the term ''[[wikt:myth|myth]]'' may suggest something which is absurd or fictional. While these beliefs and stories need not be a literal account of actual events, they may yet express ideas that are perceived by some people and cultures to be truths at a deeper or more symbolic level.  Author [[Daniel Quinn]] notes that in this sense creation myths need not be religious in nature, and they have secular analogues in modern cultures.

The term ''creation myth'' is sometimes used in a derogatory way to describe stories which are still believed today, as the term ''[[myth]]'' may suggest something which is absurd or fictional. While these beliefs and stories need not be a literal account of actual events, they may yet express [[ideas]] that are perceived by some people and cultures to be truths at a deeper or more symbolic level.  [[Author]] Daniel Quinn notes that in this sense creation myths need not be religious in [[nature]], and they have secular analogues in modern cultures.

===Africa===

===Africa===

====Bakuba====

====Bakuba====

The [[Kuba Kingdom|Bakuba]] account of [[demiurge]] is as follows. Originally, the Earth was nothing but water and darkness. [[Mbombo]], the white giant, ruled over this [[chaos]]. One day, he felt a terrible pain in his stomach, and vomited the sun, the moon, and the stars. The sun shone fiercely and water steamed up in clouds. Gradually, the dry hills appeared. Mbombo vomited again, this time the trees came out of his stomach, and animals, and people, and many other things: the first woman, the leopard, the eagle, the anvil, the monkey, Fumu, the first man, the firmament, medicine, and lighting. Nchienge, the woman of the waters, lived in the East. She had a son, Woto, and a daughter, Labama. [[Woto]] was the first king of the Bakuba.<ref name="african_mythology">{{cite book | first= Sandra | last= Giddens | authorlink= Sandra Giddens | coauthors= Owen Giddens | year= 2006 | title= African Mythology | publisher= The Rosen Publishing Group | isbn= 1404207686 | pages= 22 }}</ref>

The [[Bakuba]] account of [[demiurge]] is as follows. Originally, the Earth was nothing but water and darkness. [[Mbombo]], the white giant, ruled over this [[chaos]]. One day, he felt a terrible pain in his stomach, and vomited the sun, the moon, and the stars. The sun shone fiercely and water steamed up in clouds. Gradually, the dry hills appeared. Mbombo vomited again, this time the trees came out of his stomach, and animals, and people, and many other things: the first woman, the leopard, the eagle, the anvil, the monkey, Fumu, the first man, the firmament, medicine, and lighting. Nchienge, the woman of the waters, lived in the East. She had a son, Woto, and a daughter, Labama. [[Woto]] was the first king of the Bakuba.<ref name="african_mythology">{{cite book | first= Sandra | last= Giddens | authorlink= Sandra Giddens | coauthors= Owen Giddens | year= 2006 | title= African Mythology | publisher= The Rosen Publishing Group | isbn= 1404207686 | pages= 22 }}</ref>

====Maasai====

====Maasai====

====India====

====India====

=====Buddhist=====

=====Buddhist=====

[[Buddhism]] itself generally ignores the question regarding the origin of life. The [[Gautama Buddha|Buddha]] regarding the origin of life has said "Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it."[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an04-077.html AN IV.77], and in regard to ignoring the question of the origin of life the Buddha has said "And why are they undeclared by me? Because they are not connected with the goal, are not fundamental to the holy life. They do not lead to [[disenchantment]], dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That's why they are undeclared by me." [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn-063-tb0.html MN 63].  The Buddha also compared the question of the origin of life - as well as many other [[metaphysics|metaphysical]] questions - to the parable of the poison arrow: a man is shot with a poison arrow, but before the doctor pulls it out, he wants to know who shot it (arguing the existence of God), where the arrow came from (where the universe and/or God came from) why that person shot it (why God created the universe), etc.  If the man keeps asking these questions before the arrow is pulled out, the Buddha reasoned, he will die before he gets the answers.  Buddhism is less concerned with answering questions like the origin of life, and more concerned with the goal of saving oneself and other beings from suffering by attaining [[Nirvana]] (Enlightenment). However, the esoteric Buddhist teaching, the ''[[Kalachakra]] Tantra'', deals with the formation and functioning of reality. Modern day Buddhists such as the [[Dalai Lama]] don't perceive a conflict between Buddhism and science and consider they are complementary means of understanding the world around us.[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/09/14/the_buddha_of_suburbia/]

[[Buddha|Buddhism]] itself generally ignores the question regarding the origin of life. The Buddha regarding the origin of life has said "Conjecture about [the origin, etc., of] the world is an unconjecturable that is not to be conjectured about, that would bring madness & vexation to anyone who conjectured about it."[http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/anguttara/an04-077.html AN IV.77], and in regard to ignoring the question of the origin of life the Buddha has said "And why are they undeclared by me? Because they are not connected with the goal, are not fundamental to the holy life. They do not lead to [[disenchantment]], dispassion, cessation, calming, direct knowledge, self-awakening, Unbinding. That's why they are undeclared by me." [http://www.accesstoinsight.org/canon/sutta/majjhima/mn-063-tb0.html MN 63].  The Buddha also compared the question of the origin of life - as well as many other [[metaphysics|metaphysical]] questions - to the parable of the poison arrow: a man is shot with a poison arrow, but before the doctor pulls it out, he wants to know who shot it (arguing the existence of God), where the arrow came from (where the universe and/or God came from) why that person shot it (why God created the universe), etc.  If the man keeps asking these questions before the arrow is pulled out, the Buddha reasoned, he will die before he gets the answers.  Buddhism is less concerned with answering questions like the origin of life, and more concerned with the goal of saving oneself and other beings from suffering by attaining [[Nirvana]] (Enlightenment). However, the esoteric Buddhist teaching, the ''[[Kalachakra]] Tantra'', deals with the formation and functioning of reality. Modern day Buddhists such as the [[Dalai Lama]] don't perceive a conflict between Buddhism and science and consider they are complementary means of understanding the world around us.[http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/09/14/the_buddha_of_suburbia/]

In the Buddhist scriptures, there is a story in the [[Digha Nikaya|Dīgha Nikā ya]] about how this world has come about. It is in the 27th Sutta, the Aggañña Sutta, and the Buddha uses it to explain how [[caste]]s have come about, and why one caste is not really any better than the other<ref>M. Walshe: ''The Long Discourses of the Buddha'', p. 407: "''On Knowledge of Beginnings''", Somerville, MASS, 1995.</ref>. At a point in time, this world contracts. When it expands again, beings are being reincarnated in it. All is water, and it is dark, but the beings are luminous. Later, earth is formed on the surface of the water. The beings start to eat from it, because this is tasty earth. Doing this, however, their own light disappears, and sun, moon, days and nights and seasons come into existence. The beings continue eating from the earth. They degenerate further: ugly ones and handsome ones come into existence. On top of that, the handsome ones get a bit arrogant. All of this makes the tasty earth disappear. Nice mushrooms take its place. The degeneration continues: beings become coarser, arrogant, and mushrooms are replaced by plants, and, then, good, ready-to-eat rice. Beings do still get coarser. They also become male or female. Sex is frowned upon, so people build shelter to be discrete. The next step is when people start to gather rice for a few meals at a time. Now, the rice's quality starts to deteriorate, and it does not grow back immediately. Later, people create rice fields with boundaries. This is the origin of theft and crime. To combat this crime, they offer a share of the rice to one of them to be their leader. In the end, all the different castes come about, originating from the same kind of beings.

In the Buddhist scriptures, there is a story in the [[Digha Nikaya|Dīgha Nikā ya]] about how this world has come about. It is in the 27th Sutta, the Aggañña Sutta, and the Buddha uses it to explain how [[caste]]s have come about, and why one caste is not really any better than the other<ref>M. Walshe: ''The Long Discourses of the Buddha'', p. 407: "''On Knowledge of Beginnings''", Somerville, MASS, 1995.</ref>. At a point in time, this world contracts. When it expands again, beings are being reincarnated in it. All is water, and it is dark, but the beings are luminous. Later, earth is formed on the surface of the water. The beings start to eat from it, because this is tasty earth. Doing this, however, their own light disappears, and sun, moon, days and nights and seasons come into existence. The beings continue eating from the earth. They degenerate further: ugly ones and handsome ones come into existence. On top of that, the handsome ones get a bit arrogant. All of this makes the tasty earth disappear. Nice mushrooms take its place. The degeneration continues: beings become coarser, arrogant, and mushrooms are replaced by plants, and, then, good, ready-to-eat rice. Beings do still get coarser. They also become male or female. Sex is frowned upon, so people build shelter to be discrete. The next step is when people start to gather rice for a few meals at a time. Now, the rice's quality starts to deteriorate, and it does not grow back immediately. Later, people create rice fields with boundaries. This is the origin of theft and crime. To combat this crime, they offer a share of the rice to one of them to be their leader. In the end, all the different castes come about, originating from the same kind of beings.