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Would Buddhists see the universe as having inherent existence? And if not, why?

No, for three reasons: anatta, paticca samuppada + idapaccayata, and sunnata.

1. Anatta (non-self)

Alagaddupama Sutta (MN 22)

"Monks, where a Self or what belongs to Self are not pinned down as a truth or reality, then the view-position — 'This cosmos is the self. After death this I will be constant, permanent, eternal, not subject to change. I will stay just like that for an eternity' — Isn't it utterly & completely a fool's teaching?"

"What else could it be, lord? It's utterly & completely a fool's teaching."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....022.than.html On countless occasions, the Buddha spoke the words "sabbe dhamma anatta" (all things are without self). One's sense of self does not exist apart from phenomenal experience. Thus, the anatta doctrine is a rejection of the noumena so highly esteemed by the Brahmins of the Buddha's time. Anatta is a phenomenological method of re-examining what we refer to as self. In reference to all phenomena, the Buddha said "netam mama, neso ham asmi, na meso atta" (this is not me, this is not mine, this is not my self). This does not imply that there is something beyond phenomena that can be rightly said to be one's True Self. A True Self neither exists within nor apart from phenomena. Nothing exists inherently, in its own right. This includes the universe.

2. Paticca samuppada (dependent origination) + idapaccayata (this-that conditionality)

In the discourses, the Buddha described two interrelated causal principles: dependent origination and this-that conditionality. Dependent origination is a 12-link chain that explains the origin of dukkha (unsatisfactoriness). This-that conditionality is a broader way to explain how the arising of one thing depends on the arising of another, and how the cessation of one thing depends on the cessation of another.

Paticca-samuppada-vibhanga Sutta (SN 12.2)

"And what is dependent co-arising? From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness. From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form. From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media. From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact. From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling. From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving. From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance. From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming. From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth. From birth as a requisite condition, then aging & death, sorrow, lamentation, pain, distress, & despair come into play. Such is the origination of this entire mass of stress & suffering."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....002.than.html Paccaya Sutta (SN 12.20)

"Now what is dependent co-arising? From birth as a requisite condition comes aging & death. Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this regularity of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma, this this/that conditionality. The Tathagata directly awakens to that, breaks through to that. Directly awakening & breaking through to that, he declares it, teaches it, describes it, sets it forth. He reveals it, explains it, makes it plain, & says, 'Look.' From birth as a requisite condition comes aging & death.

"From becoming as a requisite condition comes birth...

"From clinging/sustenance as a requisite condition comes becoming...

"From craving as a requisite condition comes clinging/sustenance...

"From feeling as a requisite condition comes craving...

"From contact as a requisite condition comes feeling...

"From the six sense media as a requisite condition comes contact...

"From name-&-form as a requisite condition come the six sense media...

"From consciousness as a requisite condition comes name-&-form...

"From fabrications as a requisite condition comes consciousness...

"From ignorance as a requisite condition come fabrications. Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this regularity of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma, this this/that conditionality."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....020.than.html Assutava Sutta (SN 12.61)

"'When this is, that is.

"'From the arising of this comes the arising of that.

"'When this isn't, that isn't.

"'From the cessation of this comes the cessation of that."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....061.than.html Ayacana Sutta (SN 6.1)

"For a generation delighting in attachment, excited by attachment, enjoying attachment, this/that conditionality and dependent co-arising are hard to see."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....001.than.html Due to the dependent, conditional nature of these causal relations, nothing can exist by itself. As nothing exists without dependence on causes and condition, nothing can be said to exist inherently. The universe, which is without a self-nature and without inherent existence, cannot exist apart from causes and conditions.

3. Sunnata (emptiness)

Suñña Sutta (SN 35.85)

Then Ven. Ananda went to the Blessed One and on arrival, having bowed down to him, sat to one side. As he was sitting there he said to the Blessed One, "It is said that the world is empty, the world is empty, lord. In what respect is it said that the world is empty?"

"Insofar as it is empty of a self or of anything pertaining to a self: Thus it is said, Ananda, that the world is empty."

http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipit....085.than.html As with anatta (non-self), according to the notion of sunnata (emptiness), there is nothing that can be said to be in any way solid and self-existent. All things depend on other things. Therefore, all things are said to be empty of self. The universe, as a phenomenal occurrence, is likewise empty of self. It does not, and cannot, exist inherently.



Abhaya