Question: “If everything is impermanent, then what is the purpose of this universe, this creation.”
Not even our great and beautiful universe is permanent! It’s changing, expanding, dying, and creating new life and forms. If we look up at the sky, we see millions of stars – we think of them as these big, beautiful, shining lights that are always there because society has named them and put them in constellations. But in reality, in the reality of the star, it probably already died, turned into dust, created a new star, or created a black hole. So our reality is an illusion of what we think we see in the sky.
In Buddhism there’s no concept of creation or god, etc., because that doesn’t matter. Buddhism isn’t a god-oriented religion, it’s a self- and mind-oriented religion and path. So why the universe exists or why we exist as humans will probably be an unanswered question for as long as civilization exists. What we do know is that life is suffering and we are suffering in a cycle of death and rebirth, and what we care about is getting out of it. We are changing and dying just like the universe that also suffers death and rebirth (in its own way). We are one with the universe. We are the universe. We are created from substances from the universe. So when this world eventually dies and ends this form of its life, another one will be created and the next Buddha will teach us the way to liberation.
For Buddhists, our purpose in life is to be happy! To be happy and compassionate and share that with the world. In many countries and societies around the world, you can notice the happiest of people are sometimes the poorest. Why? Because they’ve found true inner happiness. The kind of happiness that fame and fortune can never give. And this happiness they have is like a disease, because when they share their happiness and their compassion towards all sentient beings, everyone around them also find happiness and compassion! Fame and fortune only gives temporary happiness. It only gives you that momentary high of happiness until whatever made you happy fades away and then you want more of it, so you go after it over and over again, always finding new, bigger things to satisfy this thirst for temporary feels causing you to suffer; to become attached, addicted, and greedy.
So be happy! Smile! Practice daily meditation and be compassionate and kind to those who are treat you the worst, because they are the ones that need it most! And over time, those who were unhappy will become unhappy because of you and your example!
Smile and be well!