Why Does the World Exist? (The Non-Dual Answer)

According to non-dual teachings, that question may itself be part of the illusion. From Advaita Vedanta to Ramana Maharshi, and echoed in mystics across traditions, the world is not something created outside of us, it is an appearance within consciousness itself.

In this video, I explore ancient ideas like Ajata Vada (non-creation), how they contrast with the Western notion of creation, and why sages say that nothing ever truly comes into being. The world, they say, is Brahman’s play: a dance of appearance within the one Reality.

I’ll also look at how these teachings relate to Buddhist and Christian mysticism, where the same insight often shines through: that the world and the divine are not two.

If you’ve ever wondered why there is something rather than nothing, or what it means to say that creation is an illusion, this video offers a contemplative look into one of the deepest mysteries of existence.

Tags:
nonduality, advaitavedanta, ramanamaharshi, whydoestheworldexist, consciousness, oneness, maya, illusion, brahman, advaita, awakening, philosophy, spirituality, mysticism, buddhism, hinduism, creation, selfrealisation, enlightenment

00:00 The oldest question
00:18 How did the world begin?
00:35 Advaita Vedanta
00:55 Creation before perception?
01:38 Dreaming
1:55 World appears with mind?
03:04 Non-creation
03:55 Physics agrees
04:07 Divine play
04:40 Why is there a world?
04:52 Look inward not outward
05:31 World exists in consciousness