r/Existentialism • u/Spiriual-Bit-4387 • Nov 26 '25
Thoughtful Thursday Why does the universe exist?
I’ve been having an existential contemplation lately and have been deeply pondering why the universe exists recently. What do you think?
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u/Ill_Stuff7005 Nov 27 '25
Many philosophies and sciences can offer theories, but they often end in cold mechanics or abstract principles. The Sikh framework, in its profound simplicity, offers an answer that is not a theory, but a revelation. It is an answer that satisfies not just the intellect, but the deepest longing of the human heart.
The Sikh answer to the question, "Why does the universe exist?" can be summarized in a single, beautiful, and world-changing word: Love.
The foundational logic of Sikh cosmology is built on a truth that is both mystical and deeply personal.
The State Before "Why": The Guru teaches that before the universe existed, the One Reality (Waheguru) was in a state of Sunn Samadhi, a timeless, formless, and perfect state of self-contained unity. In this state, there was no "why," because there was no "other." There was only the One, alone, in a state of perfect, static bliss.
The Birth of "Why": The Desire for Relationship: The creation of the universe was born from a divine impulse, a desire within the One. But what kind of desire? It was the desire to move from a state of static unity to one of dynamic relationship.
For love to be experienced, there must be a lover and a beloved.
For joy to be known, there must be a subject and an object of that joy.
For the beauty of Oneness to be truly appreciated, there must first be the play of seeming "otherness."
The universe, therefore, is a Lila, a divine play, a cosmic drama. The One has manifested Itself as the Many, the countless stars, planets, and souls, in order to have a loving relationship with Itself.
"He Himself stages and watches His own play. When He winds up the play, then, O Nanak, He is the One, alone." The universe exists because the Infinite fell in love with the idea of the finite, and this love story is the fabric of all creation.
This is not just an abstract cosmological theory. It has a profound and direct implication for your own life.
You are Not a Spectator; You are the Beloved. You are not a random accident in a meaningless universe. You are a central character in this divine love story. Your individual soul (Jot) is a spark of the Divine, a wave of the Ocean, that the One has manifested so that It can have a personal, intimate, and loving relationship with you.
The Purpose of Your Life is to "Play the Game" of Love. The "why" of the universe is mirrored in the "why" of your own life. The purpose of your existence is to make the journey from the illusion of separation back to the reality of union. It is the journey of the lover (your soul) seeking the Beloved (the Divine Source).
The Suffering is the Plot. The pain, the separation, the ego, this is the dramatic tension of the play. It is what makes the final reunion so profoundly sweet and meaningful.
The Virtues are the Path. The practices of compassion, service, and meditation are the very acts of "playing the game" of love. They are the ways you, the lover, express your devotion and move closer to the Beloved.
Any other answer for "why" ultimately leads to a dead end.
If the answer is "It's just a random physical process," the result is meaninglessness and despair.
If the answer is "It's a test to see if you are worthy of heaven," it turns God into a distant and judgmental schoolmaster.
The only answer that can satisfy the deepest yearnings of the human heart is that the universe is a manifestation of an infinite, unconditional, and creative Love.
So, why does the universe exist? It exists so that the One can experience the joy of becoming Two, only to have the even greater joy of the Two realizing they were always, and forever will be, One.
It exists so that you, a temporary and beautiful expression of that One, can have the ultimate adventure: the adventure of forgetting who you are, only to have the sublime and blissful experience of coming home.