In this video we continue our study of creation myths by reading from the Rig Veda, perhaps the world's oldest recorded creation story. Right away striking features emerge, and as we compare it with Genesis, the dramatic differences between Eastern and Western religion and mythology come into focus. And remember, by "myth" we do not mean "falsehood"--quite the opposite. In the academic study of mythology and religion we use the word "myth" differently than most folks. For us, myths are the deepest truths people express, and by studying mythology we gain access to the sacred wisdom of the people who wrote it. So this passage from the Rig Veda is known as the Nasadiya Sukta or "Hymn of Non-Existence," found in the tenth mandala of the Rig Veda. Obviously I'm working with an English translation as found in Philip Novak's "The World's Wisdom," an anthology of world scripture I assign in my World Religions classes at the college where I teach.