As I understand Buddhism, the world is real but we hold it in existence by our desires. Transcending to Nirvana finds the true world behind the appearance

As I understand Buddhism, the world is real but we hold it in existence by our desires. Transcending to Nirvana finds the true world behind the appearance — Gregory

if you;re speaking of Middle Way Buddhism then nothing would really exist or ever really happen. That is to say, everything is reducible to mind and then to consciousness. This would be why Buddhists don't have to explain why something comes from nothing. It's the same for the mystics everywhere. For example, Meister Eckhart characterizes extended phenomena as 'literally nothing'. Even samsara and nirvana would be reducible. . . .

The moment w assume there is 'something' we have to assume the possibility of 'nothing', and this leads to various paradoxes, antinomies and undecidable questions. This is the price of realism.

Too big a topic to delve into here, but worth noting as a solution for the something-nothing problem. As you say. desire would be what drives the whole thing. . . . . .