What would remain without thoughts?

The following is an excerpt from a samvaad (dialogue) session with Acharya Prashant.

Acharya Prashant (AP): You have said without thoughts and thinking there would be no world. It is well said but one could do better by saying that- without thoughts, there would be no world and neither no no-world.

To say that the world does not exist is as much of a myth as saying that it does exist.

A Zen master once called one of his disciples and he pointed at something in his hand. He said what do you want to say about this — it was probably a short scarf. He asked does it exist or not. He said if you say that it does not exist then you deny its factuality and if you say that it does exist then you deny the reality. So talking about existence is always a risky business.

Listener (L): You can’t really say it’s right at all, at any time.

AP: Yes, but you have chosen the instrument of Neti-Neti.

When you choose that instrument then just take one precaution: Neti-Neti must negate everything and also finally not forget to negate itself.

L: Yes it’s the final thing.

AP: So, when you use Neti-Neti to say that there is no world, also use it to clean the room finally, properly and say that neither is there no world nor is…