[popillio]

Would Buddhists see the universe as having inherent existence?

yes, some would

imo, the universe is something subject to continual change & transformation of the various elements. thus, imo, the universe as a changing thing has an inherent existence, just like the reality of impermanence & conditionality has inherent existence. the natural creator is change (anicca) itself; conditionality (iddapaccayatta) itself

however, i agree with Trilaksana, that the existence of the universe is irrelevant to Buddhism, given it has no relevance to the creation & cessation of suffering

i recently read a buddhist book called 'The Magic of the Mind', where the writer erroneously asserted buddha taught about the creation of 'things'. the monotheistic are similar, with most of their followers stuck on the creation of the universe or 'things' rather than the creation of suffering

if we carefully study the monotheistic books, the original emphasis was on the creation of misfortune from bad karma & the personification of the law of karma. but buddhism goes beyond this because the good karma of the monotheistics (or nontheistics) does not end suffering



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 (iddapaccayatta).

Paccaya Sutta Monks, whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All processes are inconstant.

Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All processes are unsatisfactory.

Whether or not there is the arising of Tathagatas, this property stands — this steadfastness of the Dhamma, this orderliness of the Dhamma: All phenomena are not-self.

The Discourse on the Orderliness of the Dhamma