Nihilists and Advaitins - Suri Nagamma Letters

When I went into the hall this morning, everything was quiet. The smoke of the incense sticks enveloped the whole atmosphere and a sweet smell was emanating from all sides. Bhagavan had finished reading the newspapers and was sitting in a calm attitude.

clock. Unexpectedly someone asked, “Nihilists and Advaitins go on arguing among themselves without end. What exactly are their differences?”

The clock struck the hour, “tung, tung.” With a smile, Bhagavan said, “You want to know the differences of opinion? Look here. Just now, the clock has been wound; it has been working and has struck the hour. ‘There must be someone to wind the clock; otherwise the clock will not work,’ say the Advaitins. ‘It is admitted that there must be someone to wind the clock, there must then be someone to give the power or the ability to that someone, and so on. If we proceed on that basis, there will be no beginning and no end, and so there is no such person as a doer (karta)’, say the Nihilists. These are the differences of opinion. For instance, take this towel. It is not separate from the cotton. What does that mean? The cotton is first changed into seedless cotton, then into yarn and finally into cloth. For doing all that there must be someone, and so the weaver is called the doer, and it is admitted that the various colours and varieties of a cloth are not different from the basic thing, namely, the cotton. In the same manner, the Advaitins say that though there is a doer for the innumerable varieties that go to make up the world, none of them is different from that which Is, namely, Existence (Sat). There must be pots — big and small — but they are all mere earth. If anyone of them gets broken, we say that the pot is lost. But what is it that is lost? Only the name and the form. When name and form are lost, the earth still remains, as earth. But then, pots can be made only if there is a potter. So the Advaitins say there is a doer as an efficient cause. Nihilists say, ‘No’. Arguments increase but the net result is zero. There will be no difficulties if they find out who it is that is arguing.”

“Why then these arguments?” said the questioner.

“That is because all which is inside of a person must come out. There will be several thoughts inside,” said Bhagavan.

One of the devotees who heard this, said, “What, Bhagavan? You say that which is inside will always come out. How will it come out? What is there inside?”

Bhagavan smilingly said, “Unless there is something inside, how can anything come out? Unless some desire is born inside, nothing appears outside. Desire is born inside only. It develops into a big thing and comes out ultimately.”